Flares

When lupus flares up and occurs people tend to notice a return of symptoms that they might have experience previously and sometimes they will notice new symptoms that might arise.  They may include the following

Fever, Swollen joints, fatigue, rashes, sores and or ulcers of the nose and mouth, and a temperature above 100 degrees.

When should I call the Doctor?

Calling a doctor is good when you see a change in a symptom or anything that is making your lupus worse.  Be aware that there are certain symptoms that require one to seek a doctor immediately they include the following:

·         Blood in your stool or vomit, Severe abdominal pain, Chest pain, Seizures, New onset of a fever, Excess bruising or bleeding anywhere on your body, Confusion or mood changes, A combination of symptoms such as severe headache with neck stiffness and fever.

Some other reasons for calling doctor involve some other issue which are having a new medication and your symptom are not better or worse.  You should let your doctor know about the situation.

How long can a flare last? And How long does a remission last?

Flares are very inconsistent and there is no way of telling just how long one can last as well there is no way of telling how long a remission will last when it come on.  Lupus is said to be unpredictable which is the only thing that is predictable about the disease.  There is no way of forecasting how long a flare will last or how long a remission will last but sometimes changes in symptoms or lab test might predict changes in the future of the disease.

Is it possible to have a remission with lupus if you have had the disease for years?