Lupus causes anxiety through biological mechanisms like brain inflammation affecting neurotransmitters (serotonin/dopamine), direct nervous system impact, chronic physical symptoms (pain, fatigue), psychological stress from unpredictability, lifestyle challenges (social isolation, appearance changes), and medication side effects (like steroids). This creates a cycle where physical inflammation worsens mood, and emotional distress can heighten physical symptoms.
25% of lupus patients experience major depression and 37% have major anxiety, research shows.
Treating a lupus flare
Lupus symptoms also usually come and go, meaning that you don't have them all of the time. Lupus is a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better).
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.
Having lupus can make everyday life challenging. When your lupus is active, symptoms like joint stiffness, pain, fatigue, confusion, or depression can make simple tasks difficult — and sometimes impossible.
The most common manifestation of neuro-lupus is cognitive dysfunction, which is characterized by clouded thinking, confusion, and impaired memory. Eighty percent of lupus patients who have had lupus for ten years or more will experience this condition.
What are lupus flares?
Major depression and cognitive dysfunction (impaired attention, memory deficit, and impaired executive function) are the most common psychiatric manifestations in patients with lupus7 (see Table 2). Both depression and cognitive dysfunction may lead to impaired occupational functioning.
The medicines used most often to manage lupus include:
Careers That May Trigger Lupus Symptoms
In general, some types of jobs may be harder for people with lupus to manage, including: Physically demanding jobs like construction, waiting tables, or nursing. Outdoor jobs like landscaping or lifeguarding.
August 29 — The Lupus Research Alliance is excited to share the good news that a potential new medicine for lupus, anifrolumab, reduced disease activity versus placebo in a second Phase III study. Anifrolumab is a therapeutic antibody that blocks type I interferons, a molecule that promotes lupus inflammation.
Depression. Depression is the most frequently reported mental health problem in people with lupus (between 10.8% to 39.6% of that population – Nery et al, 2008). Depression is a common and normal occurrence, as there are many events and challenges in navigating life's journey that could lead to the onset of depression.
A 'chasm of misunderstanding and miscommunication' is often experienced between clinicians and patients, leading to autoimmune diseases such as lupus and vasculitis being wrongly diagnosed as psychiatric or psychosomatic conditions, with a profound and lasting impact on patients, researchers have found.
Lupus and the autonomic nervous system
Those symptoms include numbness, tingling, burning, headaches, confusion, diarrhea, and Reynaud's phenomenon. Reynaud's phenomenon is the excessive constriction of blood vessels (and subsequent restriction of blood flow) in response to cold exposure.
The most common symptom of lupus is fatigue, which means feeling extremely tired. Fatigue can affect a person's physical and mental health and quality of life. It can also make it hard for people with lupus to socially connect with others.
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
Lupus can also cause other problems in the abdomen, including peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining) and ascites (a build-up of fluids in the abdomen). Symptoms of peritonitis and ascites include: Abdominal pain and swelling. Nausea and vomiting.
In addition to body injury from lupus, there is an increased risk of mental disorders including depression and anxiety. In the study, family income, disease activity, and musculoskeletal and neuropsychiatric symptoms were related to depression.
Brain imaging is a powerful tool to noninvasively identify and differentiate the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) syndromes. Anatomic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used brain imaging technique to study NPSLE syndromes.
With lupus, avoid excessive sun, infections, smoking, stress, and certain supplements (like alfalfa, echinacea) or foods (processed, high salt) that trigger flares; never stop or alter prescribed meds without talking to your doctor; and don't ignore fatigue, getting enough rest is crucial for managing this autoimmune condition.
Many people with lupus have trouble with memory and thinking. Blood and blood vessels. Lupus may lead to blood issues. These may include a lower number of healthy red blood cells, called anemia, and a higher risk of bleeding or blood clotting.
If you have fatigue related to lupus, it may feel like you can't possibly get enough rest. Even if you sleep more than you used to, it may feel like it's never enough. You may find that it's harder to do physical and mental work. The effort needed to do everyday tasks may be overwhelming.
Every patient with lupus is different and reports different symptoms but common themes include: loss of concentration and attention. loss of memory or forgetfulness. inability to follow a conversation.