View Full Version : Me again. Lupus fear.
So this is a new one but it's taken hold. I have a red dry nose and I occajoanly get red cheeks so Im using this as a butterfly rash. I have an oval rash on my hip fat.
Reading online lupus is rare but common in women my age.
'The two major symptoms are joint and muscle pain and an extreme tiredness that won't go away no matter how much you rest.
Rashes, depression, anaemia, feverishness, headaches, possible hair loss and mouth ulcers may all be part of the pattern of lupus'
I don't have muscle ache and I'm not tired. If I have central heating on I get red cheeks. I'm just worrying again and I'm sorry to blurt it here but my family and friends are sick of it. Seeking advice.
Are you getting help with your Health Anxiety?
From your posts it really does look like you could be doing with some help to teach you how to deal rationally with these feelings that you are experiencing.
Funny thing os I try and I'm fine for a week at most then something new appears. If I experience things I've already done like twitching etc I know this is anxiety. It's the new things that worry me.
Funny thing os I try and I'm fine for a week at most then something new appears. If I experience things I've already done like twitching etc I know this is anxiety. It's the new things that worry me.
Ok but:
Are you getting help with your Health Anxiety?
From your posts it really does look like you could be doing with some help to teach you how to deal rationally with these feelings that you are experiencing.
Positive thoughts
countrygirl
29-02-16, 16:57
Funny thing os I try and I'm fine for a week at most then something new appears. If I experience things I've already done like twitching etc I know this is anxiety. It's the new things that worry me.
Totally relate to this and its absolutely typical health anxiety behaviour. Its any new symptoms that causes the freak out.
IF you haven't had any therapy yet then def get some even if you have a long wait as it can be successful in alot of people.
I had a CBT book my aunt bought me. It helped a lot. I know I need help but I guess I'm stubborn and have the logical side of me telling me to wise the f*ck up ha.
I was convinced I had lupus for a few weeks there, even my family who normally don't entertain my worries thought it was a possibility due to my being unwell for so long and a lot of my symptoms matched up. I also have the butterfly rash on my face.
Long story short it's a really rare illness and very difficult to diagnose. I asked my doctor about it and he agreed to investigate, turns out they run quite a few blood tests and even then they can't diagnose it for sure, when the results come back they check and if you have a certain level of x y z In your blood they will refer you to a rheumatologist for further tests, usually a biopsy. There's is no one test that can diagnose it. I had the blood tests done last week and they came out fine.
I'm telling you this because my health anxiety convinced me I had lupus because I made a connection between my symptoms to the worst case senario. Lupus wasn't even in my head until I googled it. Had I not went looking for the answer on the internet I wouldn't have convinced myself, my family and doctor that I had it. When you have health anxiety you see symptoms online and can find anything to relate them to you.
You've posted quite a lot in the last few days about the rash you have, we aren't doctors, we cant diagnose you and we certainly can't tell you if you have lupus or not as I just explained even after blood tests by a doctor it still can't be confirmed, a lot of investigation is needed to confirm lupus.
If you are really that concerned about it, ask your doctor to run the blood tests. However your rash could be anything and honestly I don't think your doctor will run these specific blood tests on the rash alone.
You really need to go to your doctor for your health anxiety. You should be putting your focus into getting your anxiety in check instead of putting all your energy into making flippant diagnosis, I'm trying my very best to do this myself. I was so sure I had lupus and when my results came back negative I felt like a fool, that was the moment for me when I realised this has to stop, I'm wasting my own time, I'm wasting my doctors time and I'm needlessly worrying my family.
Please take my experience on board and try not to make the same mistake I did.
Thank you toots. I feel I use his board rather than asking family and friends and boyfriend as they are getting fed up and rightly so! I had zero reason to consider lupus! I read Selena Gomez had it and didn't Google. I know that in like that but I gave in. I read about it and was like nah I don't have any of that. Until this patch of dry skin turned up then my pink cheeks. Because I've googled ive convinced myself otherwise I wohldnt know what lupus was or even be worrying. It's funny because my joints ached today too since reading - symptomatic or something isn't it ha.
spacebunnyx
29-02-16, 18:30
Hi, I have borderline lupus.... I.e. I have the blood tests which are positive and some of the symptoms. MANY people are in the same category as me. I am NOT worried about it... If your bloods are negative you definitely shouldn't!
I read about Selma Gomez as well and for some reason that freaked me out even more, I barely even know who she is.
I was the same I googled it and found lupus and then after I convinced myself it was I got more and more symptoms.. Honestly it's classic health anxiety. I really wouldn't worry about your symptoms at all. Your rash might just be eczema.
I understand how you feel about not having anyone to talk to but you're best to ask for advice and support on these boards rather than looking for someone to tell you that you don't have these illnesses, seeking reasurance is the biggest thing for people with health anxiety and it's a habit we all have to break, that's the goal - being able to recognise when we are over reacting and not needing reassurance all the time and eventually getting to a place where we are not worried all the time about minor illnesses or even the possibility of getting an illness. I'm terrible for it, I feel like I absolutely need to see a doctor ASAP for every little thing and it's just not realistic
Make an appointment for the doctor to discuss the anxiety, it's better to focus your time and energy on this than worrying yourself about illnesses you probably don't have. It's miserable being worried all the time.
---------- Post added at 18:33 ---------- Previous post was at 18:30 ----------
Hi, I have borderline lupus.... I.e. I have the blood tests which are positive and some of the symptoms. MANY people are in the same category as me. I am NOT worried about it... If your bloods are negative you definitely shouldn't!
Hey it's not the poster who had bloods that was me and I'm not worried about it anymore!
I feel I use his board rather than asking family and friends and boyfriend as they are getting fed up and rightly so!
While there's a certain amount of comfort in knowing you're not alone and it can be cathartic to write out your fears, consider that by doing so and waiting for replies, you're giving a life to your fears. IMO, the positive self talk and telling your anxiety to F-off is much more constructive :)
Positive thoughts
It really is. I'm on here giving advice to people about symptpms once worried about by me and here I am worrying about something new.
---------- Post added at 18:58 ---------- Previous post was at 18:39 ----------
May I ask how you cope with any new or weird 'symptpms' you face or have faced?
It really is. I'm on here giving advice to people about symptpms once worried about by me and here I am worrying about something new.
---------- Post added at 18:58 ---------- Previous post was at 18:39 ----------
May I ask how you cope with any new or weird 'symptpms' you face or have faced?
I don't have a history of mental health issues. I found this forum while I was on the cancer forums and followed several posters here. I stayed to try and offer a perspective from someone who's faced some of the fears many here post about. Needless to say, posting on disease forums about your "fear" is not respectful...
That being said, I have suffered from some depression and "scanxiety" after my heart attacks and cancer. I sought therapy and did a stint on meds to get me through.
So how do I cope? I'm probably old enough to be your father and I have more aches, pains and "stuff" going on with me than I can even write about. Suffice it to say, if some of the members here switched bodies for a day, they would totally lose it! ~lol~ I trust my doctors and know I'm Ok. That chest ache is not another heart attack (I've had two... I know). That funny feeling in my throat is not the cancer coming back (I just got the all clear again). The 6 out of 10 pain in my neck and shoulder is not anything sinister. It's nerve related from treatment. It sucks yeah, but it's not sinister.
Most of all, I don't have time to waste worrying about crap I can't control! Life is much too short to spend my days engrossed in an imaginary fear! I cope by doing what I can to treat my symptoms and work my ass off at keeping a positive attitude and THAT is 90% of the battle.
"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we handle it" Charles Swindoll.
Positive thoughts
I know my anxiety triggeree from a spitting scare (had first smear test and spotted in that week) plus my mother had had a skin cancer removed a week previously! I'm not making excuses and I think you do wonders to people on this site, ive seen your comments on many threads and believe you put others at ease with honesty!
I know my anxiety triggeree from a spitting scare (had first smear test and spotted in that week) plus my mother had had a skin cancer removed a week previously! I'm not making excuses and I think you do wonders to people on this site, ive seen your comments on many threads and believe you put others at ease with honesty!
Thank you :) Here's the thing... sometimes you show sparks of rationality and logic then something happens and BAM... off the cliff you go ;)
You know you're being irrational and you know why. Reassurance just doesn't work and eventually it's gets so old that people just stop responding. I understand that everyone in recovery will have their moments and that's cool. There's nothing wrong with encouragement but you have to make a concerted effort to get to that point. These are only words on a screen. It takes action along with the words to see results.
Some need a structured approach with a professional as that adds an element of accountability. Some can take the dragon by the horns, work hard with books and on-line help and get there and some, for whatever reason can't or never will. I believe you fall into one of the first two categories.
Talk to your doctor about a referral and see what you can do to help yourself become a dragon slayer!
Positive thoughts
I have lupus hunni. I get the butterfly rashes. Living with lupus does not affect my life in anyway xx
Part of me wants to ask how your rashes present but another knows I'll say that's what I have. Mine is more of a flushed cheek. And a bit of what my mom says is eczema (I'm 25 just live at home ha) in a 20p sized rash getting better with e45. Sorry to make a big deal about this. I see its always these rare diseases is HA pick on. Hope you're well :)
Have you had your heart checked recently? Xx
Christ, why? I did about three months back along with lungs and everything was fine
Have you had your heart checked recently? Xx
Let that go Reb... I don't know why that was posted. There's no reason if you've been checked.
Positive thoughts
Let that go Reb... I don't know why that was posted. There's no reason if you've been checked.
Positive thoughts
Excuse me? It wasn't out of nastiness or to make her worry more. I'm a student paramedic. It could be a symptom of high blood pressure causing the rash on her cheeks!!!
I appreciate the concern. Last time I was checked was end of November. Nurse had told me off for worrying. I think mine is hereditary as my aunt also gets dry red skin in the winter. Mine is more faint pink and barley there, no one else sees it.
---------- Post added at 22:44 ---------- Previous post was at 22:42 ----------
I don't know names of tests but to shut me up as such ha she checked air in lungs. Heart rate and blood pressure. Would it have changed since end of November?
If she checked your blood pressure and it was fine, you're fine.
There are a lot of things that can cause redness on your cheeks. Most likely it's just down to winter. Do you have a good moisturizer?
Pharmacist took one look and said it was fungal, he had it himself recently and gave me some cream. I'm worrying because if it is lupus ive read this cream isn't dsngeous?
---------- Post added at 18:23 ---------- Previous post was at 18:21 ----------
Would he have known by looking?
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