The nature of pain: Although both fibromyalgia and lupus can cause muscle and joint pain, lupus pain persists until it's treated, says Dr. Stojan. The pain of fibromyalgia comes and goes. “The transient quality of the symptoms is a reliable sign that pain is not related to lupus,” he says.
You may experience pain and stiffness, with or without swelling. This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms.
The most common lupus symptoms (which are the same for men and women) are: Extreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time) Pain or swelling in the joints. Swelling in the hands, feet, or around the eyes.
Common symptoms include fatigue, hair loss, sun sensitivity, painful and swollen joints, unexplained fever, skin rashes, and kidney problems. There is no one test for SLE. Usually, your doctor will ask you about your family and personal medical history and your symptoms. Your doctor will also do some laboratory tests.
Kidneys About one half of people with lupus experience kidney involvement, and the kidney has become the most extensively studied organ affected by lupus. Lungs About 50% of people with SLE will experience lung involvement during the course of their disease.
Antibody blood tests
The test you will hear about most is called the antinuclear antibodies test (the ANA test). 97% of people with lupus will test positive for ANA.
Complete physical exam. Your doctor will look for rashes and other signs that something is wrong. Blood and urine tests. The antinuclear antibody (ANA) test can show if your immune system is more likely to make the autoantibodies of lupus.
lupus psychosis. It is described as delusions or hallucinations. About 12 percent of lupus patients experience it. A few more little-known symptoms are vertigo, Raynaud's Syndrome, and oral health problems, like gum disease.
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed based primarily on having pain all over the body, along with other symptoms. Currently, there are no specific laboratory or imaging tests for fibromyalgia.
Lupus pain feels like the flu
This means having chills and bone-weary aches throughout your entire body. The pain can be numbing and leave you feeling drained of all energy. “I explain it to others as feeling like the flu: achy joints, muscles, bones.” “Getting the flu (all over and when I feel feverish and clammy).”
It is important for people who have lupus to learn about fibromyalgia because symptoms of both conditions can be similar, but the treatments are different. People who have lupus or fibromyalgia may experience any or all of the following: fatigue. joint and muscle pain. stiffness.
Lupus can cause a wide variety of early symptoms, which include fatigue, butterfly face rash, skin changes, joint pain, and more. Both symptoms and their severities vary greatly from one person to another.
For example, untreated lupus can lead to blood disorders such as anemia or thrombosis. Other potential serious complications include: Chronic digestive distress that could include difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, indigestion, intestinal inflammation, liver enlargement, or pain when vomiting or feeling nauseous.
Stress, joint pain, and fatigue are common lupus symptoms. While rest is essential, moving your body regularly releases “feel good” hormones called endorphins. This can boost your mood and keep your stressors in check. Physical exercise can also lessen joint pain and prevent stiffness in the body.
Lupus and the intestines
Lupus can rarely cause vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) in the intestines, sometimes called lupus enteritis. Symptoms include: Abdominal pain (pain in the belly area) Feeling very full or bloated.
Common triggers include:
Being out in the sun or having close exposure to fluorescent or halogen light. Infection. Injury. Stopping your lupus medicines.
Many lupus patients aren't able to do intensive physical work, like waitressing or working in a grocery store. Jobs that involve standing for long periods, like working a cash register, greeting customers, or being a hostess at a restaurant, can be physically tiring as well as rough on the joints.
New onset of a fever or if your fever is much higher than usual. Excess bruising or bleeding anywhere on your body. Confusion or mood changes. A combination of symptoms such as severe headache with neck stiffness and fever.
Lupus is known as "the great imitator" because its symptoms mimic many other illnesses. Lupus symptoms can also be unclear, can come and go, and can change. On average, it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to be diagnosed, from the time they first notice their lupus symptoms.
The effects lupus may have in and around the eyes include: changes in the skin around the eyelids, dry eyes, inflammation of the white outer layer of the eyeball, blood vessel changes in the retina, and damage to nerves controlling eye movement and affecting vision.