You should go to the hospital for a lupus flare-up if you experience severe symptoms like trouble breathing, severe chest/stomach pain, sudden intense headaches, confusion, seizures, high fever (over 102°F/39°C), excessive bleeding/bruising, significant swelling, or signs of kidney issues (like reduced urine), as these can signal organ involvement. Seek immediate care for any rapid, severe changes, especially if multiple serious symptoms occur together, like fever, stiff neck, and headache.
Also, tell your provider if you're having flare-ups more often, or if they're causing more severe symptoms. Your provider can help you adjust your treatments as needed. Go to the emergency room or call 911 (or your local emergency services number) if you're experiencing any of the following symptoms: You can't breathe.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with an increased risk of hospitalization. Multiple studies have reported SLE flare, infection, and cardiovascular (CV) events as the most common reasons for hospitalization.
Go to the ER or call 911 (or your local emergency services number) if you experience any of the following severe symptoms: Trouble breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnea). Severe chest pain or pressure in your chest. A headache that starts suddenly and feels unusually serious or intense.
Treating a lupus flare
A lupus flare-up happens when the immune system becomes unusually active, causing inflammation and symptoms to worsen. For some, this may mean joint stiffness, fever, or headaches. For others, it could show up as extreme fatigue, skin rashes, or difficulty concentrating.
Lupus can attack many different parts of the body. Some call it the cruel mystery. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can strike any part of the body, but the wide range of symptoms can be easily mistaken for something else.
A tell-tale sign of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and bridge of the nose. Other common skin problems include sensitivity to the sun with flaky, red spots or a scaly, purple rash on various parts of the body, including the face, neck, and arms. Some people also develop mouth sores.
Symptoms requiring hospital admission are typically severe, sudden, or life-threatening, including chest pain/pressure, severe difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, uncontrollable bleeding, sudden numbness/weakness (stroke signs), seizures, severe burns, major trauma, or altered mental state (confusion, extreme lethargy), especially in infants or the elderly, signaling an emergency like a heart attack, stroke, or severe infection.
Acute bacterial arthritis, or “septic arthritis,” is a rheumatologic emergency. Bacterial replication in the joint and the ensuing inflammatory process can lead to rapid local joint destruction and may be accompanied by systemic infection.
Patients with SLE often require hospitalization due to disease flares, infections, or complications related to organ involvement.
Fatigue, joint pain and swelling are common symptoms of lupus. The most common symptoms of lupus are fatigue, joint pain or swelling, and a symmetrical rash shaped like a butterfly on the face. Rashes can also appear on the arms, fingers, and legs. Mouth sores and hair loss are also typical symptoms.
The Role of a Rheumatologist in Managing Lupus
This may involve reviewing your medical history, as well as a thorough physical examination, and ordering specific blood tests that can help provide important diagnostic information.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with an increased risk of hospitalization. Multiple studies have reported SLE flare, infection, and cardiovascular (CV) events as the most common reasons for hospitalization.
Lupus Signs, Symptoms, and Co-occuring Conditions
The 3-day rule requires the patient to have a medically necessary 3-consecutive-day inpatient hospital stay, not including the discharge day or pre-admission time in the emergency department (ED) or outpatient observation.
Two crucial symptoms you should never ignore are sudden, severe headaches (like "the worst headache of your life") and sudden weakness, numbness, or slurred speech on one side of the body, as these can signal a stroke or brain issue, requiring immediate medical help. Other critical signs include chest pain, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, and persistent confusion or changes in bowel habits, all pointing to potentially serious underlying conditions.
Sudden or severe dizziness, confusion and/or clumsiness
The important words here are “sudden” or “severe.” If any of these symptoms come on suddenly or are severe, call 911 or head to an ER: Clumsiness, loss of balance or fainting. Difficulty speaking or trouble understanding speech.
Call your doctor or nurse advice line now or seek immediate medical care if: You are short of breath. You have blood in your urine or are urinating less often and in smaller amounts than usual. You have a fever.
What is Stage 4 Kidney Lupus (Diffuse Lupus Nephritis)? This is a more serious stage of the condition, where there is usually a lot of protein and sometimes blood in the urine. Blood pressure may become high, and kidney function can get worse.
“Lupus comes and goes in periods of flares and remission,” explains Dr. Costenbader. Flares are times when a person's symptoms feel worse and/or more disruptive than they usually do. Flares typically come and go; they may be mild and pass on their own or require treatment from a medical professional.
The medicines used most often to manage lupus include:
Responses from patients with SLE indicated prevalent diagnoses of depression (40%) and anxiety (42%), as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms thought to be due to SLE—brain fog (42%), headache (36%), anxiety (24%), and depression (21%).
Some people are born more likely to get lupus. Infections, certain medicines or even sunlight can trigger the condition. There's no cure for lupus, but treatments can help manage symptoms.