How does your body feel when you have lupus?

Many people with active lupus feel poor in general and experience fever, weight loss and tiredness. People with lupus also develop specific problems when the immune system attacks a particular organ or area in the body. The skin: Some patients with lupus have a red rash over their cheeks and the bridge of their noses.

What does the beginning of a lupus flare feel like?

Living with Lupus There are warning signs that the body will use to communicate that a lupus flare is coming, such as tiredness, pain, rash, stomachache, severe headache and dizziness.

Is lupus pain worse at night?

The pain of lupus arthritis often is present in the morning, lasts at least 30 to 60 minutes and improves with activity within a few hours of awakening, and then worsens again in the late afternoon and early evening.

What was your first lupus symptom?

Symptoms

• Fatigue.
• Fever.
• Joint pain, stiffness and swelling.
• Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body.
• Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure.
• Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods.

Do your legs hurt with lupus?

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.

Does lupus always show up in bloodwork?

No one test can diagnose lupus. The combination of blood and urine tests, signs and symptoms, and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis.

Does lupus always have a positive ANA?

Most people with lupus will have a positive ANA test result. It is very rare, but it is possible to have a negative ANA test and still have lupus. In these instances, other antibodies are present.

What does early lupus look like?

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.