Living with Lupus
Gout, Uric Acid, and Lupus Nephritis
Sharp pains in the joints that seem to come and go at random. It...
Leaky Gut, Increased Intestinal Permeability, & Lupus
Known colloquially as "leaky gut," increased intestinal permeability may be a risk factor for...
Sugar & Health Risks for Lupus Warriors: Not So Sweet
Cutting sugar, especially processed sugars and carbohydrates, from your diet can be a challenge. But, it can lead to health benefits and fewer lupus flares. What would you cut first to decrease the amount of sugar you eat? Avoiding cookies, candies, and cakes is a good start....
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction & Chronic Pain
Many Lupus Warriors are familiar with chronic pain -- the kind that lasts for months or even years. Mindfulness-based stress reduction may offer relief, according to a recent meta-analysis. Sharp pangs. Dull aches. Tingling. Pain comes in many sensations, but all are unpleasant and can interfere with daily...
Tooth Decay, Dental Caries, and Lupus
Trips to the dentist aren’t really fun. But, they are crucial to oral health. Around 85% of Lupus Warriors experience tooth decay during the battle with lupus. As if the pain and fatigue wasn’t enough! Many people with lupus experience dental...
Affording Medications for Lupus: Programs & Assistance
The pain and fatigue of lupus doesn't just take a toll on your body. Affording medications can hurt your wallet. Out-of-pocket costs for medications and uncovered portions of clinical visits can be a major headache -- and cause some people to forego potential treatments altogether. While research and development of...
Flare Triggers and Early Lupus Symptoms
Recognizing flare triggers makes it possible to predict changes in lupus disease activity before the symptoms begin. Living with lupus can feel like a roller coaster. Over night, symptoms can show up or disappear and inflammation can rise and fall. Internal factors, like stress, and external factors, like air...
Low-Dose Naltrexone, Receptors, & Lupus
Naltrexone is best known for helping treat drug and alcohol addiction. But, low-dose naltrexone treatment may also reduce lupus pain and inflammation. Medications are designed to impact the body in a particular way, towards a particular goal. What they do in the body, the drug action,...
Anxiety, Chronic Stress, and Lupus Symptoms
About 37% of people with lupus have also been diagnosed with anxiety. Feelings of chronic stress can permeate your life and these feelings shouldn't be ignored. Anxiety is a sense of fear or panic that intrudes into your thoughts, keeps you awake...
The Top Lupus Tip to Share with My Younger Self Is…
Experience: The useful tidbits you learn along the way (but wish you knew from the beginning) Over time, you become an expert in living with lupus. You build a lupus treatment team that works for you. You get the schedule of medications and office visits down. You get used...
Allergies, Immunoglobulin E, & Lupus Symptoms
Spring brings more than warm weather. Flowers, pollen, and insects can add allergies to the mix for Lupus Warriors. An allergy is a reaction by your immune system to a stimulus that does not bother other people. An allergen is, simply, a personal trigger that sends your immune system into...