Hey folks, got a question here, but first some background...
I've been dx'd with SLE for 6 years now (as well as MCTD, Sclero, polymyositis, etc) and been taking Meth-x (as well as pariet, birth control pills, synthroid, folic acid and other supps, etc) for almost as long. Recently i've been having wierd episodes. About 6 months ago the following happened and eventually stoppped, but it started again last week and i though i'd ask if anyone has experienced this or heard of it...
I take meth-x injections and do them at night before bed (once per week) and take a gravol (anti-nausea med that knocks me out) and i sleep late in the morning missing all the nasty effects. Well what was happening was about 1/2 -1 hour after the injection i wake up in full on rigors. I'm so cold that i'm shaking and can't stop and literally have to pile on blankets and mittens and sweaters to warm up until eventually it stops. It lasts as long as i'm cold. The thing is i can't figure out what triggers this. I thought the meth-x but my doc doesn't think so because its not every time. in January he said it was a virus b/c my immune system takes a knock right after the injection and the virus rears its ugly head until my body can fight it off. There was insane joing pain and a fever in January, but not this time. just rigors this time... and 2 times in 6 months? i've had viruses before without this happening...? I'm unconvinced.
Any ideas? I'm seeing my doc again tomorrow so hopefully we can figure something out.

While this isn't about Lupus specifically, this is about an autoimmune disease. One of my friends who has Celiac posted this article which I thought was pretty interesting-

White spots on teeth could mean Celiac disease

I started a petition on Care2 urging President Obama to devote more funding and attention to lupus research and awareness -- please sign it and help forward it in whatever way you can! I know that just about everyone's on Facebook, Twitter, all kinds of sites, so if you can promote the cause to your friends in even one other venue, that's a huge help.

I have no idea if these kinds of things really help, but hey, it's worth a try, right?

Hello, all! Just a quick question about exercise.
I have been gradually trying to incorperate exercise into my daily routine, but I sometimes experience swelling & inflammation in my joints afterwards or if I've pushed myself too hard.
Do you guys have any tips/tricks to reduce post-workout joint inflammation? Sidenote: I'm vegan & tend to avoid most medicines.
Thanks! Hope you're all having good days!

Howdy gang. Anyone on/ever taken Duloxetine? (aka Cymbalta) Its looking like that's the next med on deck for me and I'd like a little more info from people who have used it before before I'll feel comfortable giving the doc's the go-ahead. Cheers!
Jenn

Hi there fellow lupies...I've got a question for you all about hair loss...lately my hair is falling out in handfuls, just from the running water in the shower...its getting kind of scary and I now have noticeably thinner (less) hair. I know I'm not the only one, so what do you or have you done about it? I keep my long hair tied up *all* the time because if I don't, it just falls out as I walk around. Help!

Thanks and happy holidays!

Hello, everyone. I hope winter is treating you kindly. We've had a pretty mild one so far in northern IL which probably means we're getting dumped on later on in the season lol. I just wanted to come here to rave about the arm warmers I ordered from Sock Dreams. I bought the Microfiber Chenille arm warmers and they are absolutely heavenly. They are so soft and stretch very easily so I can hardly tell I'm wearing them, and they are also very cozy. I have a few pairs of microfiber socks that I love (I really hope my Aunt sent me another pair for Christmas!! =D ), so when I saw these I just had to get them. I'm so glad I did! They also have Microfiber Chenille fingerless gloves available.

Hi, I'm Alie. I'm 20 years old I've just recently beean diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis. I've been feeling better for a about a week. I was in the hospital for 16 days. I'm on a bunch of medications and I don't know. I don't know what to expect day to day. I understand what's happening in my body but I'm still lost. Emotionally I'm a wreck. How do I deal now?

This morning I woke with a feeling of pressure in my left ear and some slight hearing loss. I tried flushing my ear out with Swimmer's Ear in case I had water trapped in my ear from showering, but it was no help. I'm planning to go to the urgent care clinic that is linked to my hospital/doctors in a few hours when I can drop my daughter off at a babysitter, but for now I'm just wondering if anyone in this community has experienced anything like this. Apparently sudden hearing loss can be related to lupus and other autoimmune conditions, but my Google Fu hasn't yielded any results that were especially helpful. Hopefully the doctor(s) I see today will be able to do something about it!