help?

[plainwhitets]

I'm 18, and I'm having a severe flare up. I have headaches, fever, chills, nausea, numbness, a rash across my face, and i'm weak and tired. I don't know what to do. I've had SLE since I was 12, but this is the worst flare up of all. I don't know how to get better and my mom is refusing to help me. I have been drinking water and trying to eat but it isn't helping. My head aches too much to drive to the store and get something with sugar and my mom refuses to go for me. I really don't know what to do and I'm worried. I'm trying to calm down but I can't. If anyone is reading this, can you please help me. I never know when I should go to the hospital... mostly 'cause they scare me.

[cornishgirl]

:wave: Hi there hun,
I'm going to advise you do one thing immediatley hun, get to your doctor/rheumy now! If your in flare there are medications you can be prescribed to help you and it is important you have your bloods monitored and urine checked. A big slap on the wrist for your Mum and if you have to rely on her to get to the doctors etc make her read some of these posts and stress how life threatning lupus can be. If the worst comes to the worse, get the doctor to come to you, you shouldn't sit and wait hoping it will pass. I hope you get the treatment you need hun. All the best, Lucy :hugbetter:

[cornishgirl]

Hi again,
I just thought I'd add a quick note to say if your able to, please post again and let us know how your doing. Once again I really hope you are seeking medical help for how your feeling, I know hospitals can be scary but try to remember everyone is there to help you. I wish you all the best hun, Lucy :flowers:

[plainwhitets]

Hey, thanks.

I got really bad. 104 fever! Yeah, that was a wakeup call to my mom, after my aunt and cousin who are nurses flipped out over it. My dad called the hospital, my lovely doctor wasn't around, isn't that just sweet?? but the fill in got me a perscription and I swear Prednizone [sp?] was a miracle pill. I felt a million times better within an hour of taking it. *sigh... the fever is gone, thank goodness, and my head is clear, and I'm really back to my normal self... minus the hefty rash across my face, ugh.... and for someone like myself, who takes ridiculously good care of her skin, this is driving me crazy. But at least I didn't have to go to the ER, it was a close call though. This was a really wake up to my mom, as well as my family which is good... minus feeling about 20 seconds from death.


*sigh... gotta love lupus =) [..sarcasm..]

[rwb200]

Glad to hear that you got some help and are feeling better.
I do want to add that just because you are feeling better it does not mean that you do not need the Doctors again.

You need to be followed up on and make sure that you are doing ok and the Lupus is coming under control.
Also medications such as Prednisone can not be stopped as fast as they are started.
You didn't say how much they had you start taking but it is a good chance that you could have to taper it down rather than stop it all at once.

You mentioned going to the Hospital but your Doctor was not around. I do not know where you are at or what your Medical Coverage is like in that area, but doesn't your Doctor have an office to see patients in ?
Also are you being checked and monitored on a regular basis ? If not you should be if at all possible.

[plainwhitets]

well... 'cause I was diagnosed when I was 12, I was sent to a pediatric specialist. And there are only 4 in state, 1 in my area... she has an office within Yale medical and once a week she's in the children's hospital. It's pretty complicated. But I do go for check ups, every 3 months with labs inbetween... I just don't think she does a great job. =\ I've been so low key with my lupus for so long, no one really saw this coming. 'Course my doctor is blaming me for this flare up 'cause I haven't had a chance to get blood work done.... but I don't think a blood test could have predicted this... I'm fairly certain this is from emotional chaos and stress. bah... I'm going away to college in the fall so I'm going to get a new doctor in my school's area, hopefully he or she will be more helpful.

as for the meds.... it's like 20mg morning and night for now... I haven't been instructed otherwise... I've been off medication before this. I was on Plaqenil and Naproxen for several years and then two years ago my good old doctor said I didn't need it. so whatever that could mean... but yeah, that's the deal.


word. I"m feeling good, tired... face is a little rashy... but it's getting there.
I've got a new boyfriend... it's kind of hard explaining to him how i'm sick... I'm kinda just going with "it's a bad fever... must be stress" *sigh.


'word.


this place is pretty cool

[cornishgirl]

:wave: Hi again hun,
I'm so glad to hear you got treatment and it seems to be helping. I've been reading through the last posts as I was trying to gauge your medical care and how come you flared so badly without medical care. It sounds like prehaps you have been lucky in previous years that lupus has not meant major effects on your lifestyle or was well controlled by the planquinel, but whether you are on medicines to control it or not, even if you haven't flared for years it's really vital you still keep your appointments for bloods as lupus can be active and attacking organs without you realising. Now your beyond peadiatric care prehaps your under 3-6 monthly care from a rheumatologist? Either way all I'm trying to say is please, please, please keep your routine appointments even if they seem pointless. I know how hard it is when your young, you feel well and you think there are bigger priorities in life, or you don't want to waste the doctors time. They are just as interested in seeing you in good health as well as bad. I wish you all the best with your move to college and hope you continue to recover well from this latest flare. Take care hun, I look forward to hearing from you soon, Lucy :flowers: