Re: Diane,lupus

[Guest guest]

Hi Diane,

I was reading about and her dog and noticed that you have lupus and

take a medicine called hydroxyzine (sp). I also have lupus, but my docs

insist on increasing my pred when I have flares. My last flare consisted of

pleural effusions in 1997 and they put me on 60 mgs pred a day. I talked

them down to 40 mgs. Anyway, I am interested to hear about the way your

flares are handled.

[Guest guest]

Hi

I have Subacute Cutaneous Lupus which supposedly only affects my skin. But I

have been having the worst roving joint pain lately. Don't know if it's my

autoimmunity or tapering off prednisone. Maybe both.

Early last December I started having a flare and saw my dermatologist who is

the one that diagnosed my lupus thru blood tests and skin biopsies. He

prescribed some cream or ointment to put on the lesions. Then, when my

insurance changed he was no longer on the list. So I went to a new derm. and

he also gave me a stronger cream/oinment (Cleobetasonide??). Meanwhile my

pcp had me increase pred to 20 mg. I had been on 7.5 for quite a while for

the AIH part of my autoimmunity. I asked for a referral to a rheumatologist.

I saw him and he was the most decent, kind doctor I have ever known.

Anyway, he did a bone scan, x-rays of my feet and hands and blood tests. I

also went up to 40 mg of pred. This really whacked me out. The 20 was bad

enough. But I had problems with memory and concentration. This was a real

drag since I am a computer programmer/analyst. Eventually the lesions all

kind of went together and I was red all over my back and stomach/chest area.

My skin also was kind of hard and flaky. After a while, that eventually

subsided too. It was finally " gone " in about April. I am now taking 10 mg

of pred. Of late, I have noticed a few lesions again! = Probably sun

and/or stress related. Usually my flares are stress related I think.

So, that's the story. I could send you a scanned pic that I have of the

lesions on my back. LOL! I had a neighbor take one with a polaroid.

Take Care,

Dianne A.

[Guest guest]

Hi Dianne,

Thank you for your story. I don't have the skin type, i have the lupus

erythematosus (sp). I always spell that last part wrong. I do have skin

problems but not the lupus kind. When I was on 40 mgs I was really whacked

out to. 20 kills me, but 40 mgs. incapacitated me. I don't know wheter you

can really separate the two types of lupus....in other words I don't know

that if you have one, you can't get the other. Things have been really good

for quite awhile now, so I am happy about that.