[cwasicko]

Hi Everyone,
I'm from Maryland, USA and have Sjogren's, RA, Lupus, hypothyroidism. Today is a beautiful sunny day and both my kids have baseball and softball games. It's my first summer with SLE and I'm quite worried about the sun. I know we can't get exactly the same products here, but does anyone have suggestions about protection?
Does the heat affect us the same as the sun?
Thanks for any help you can give,
Colleen

 

[Maia]

Personally, I love the Neutrogena line of products in the US. I just bought a couple this morning at Walmart They don't have a fragrance, absorb in well, and have UVA and UVB protection.

Not everyone with lupus is adversely affected by the sun, so you may not get the overt flu like increase in symptoms or the rashes from it. So you may not have that to worry about, but it's still smart for many reasons to be sun-safe and bring an umbrella or situate yourself under a tree, wear a wide brimmed hat and sunscreen, etc. for all those summer games!

I have not been affected by the heat, but have been affected by the sun. Others have reported they do feel worse in the heat as well though...

Welcome to the site.

 

[sam101360]

Welcome to the site! This is a great place for information and support.
We have a wonderful chat room as well where you can meet other member more "face-toface" so to speak.

I wear sunblock all the time, avoid the sun from 9AM to 3PM and seek shade whenevr possible if I am out of doors.

I do find that the heat will take a bit out of me and I make sure to keep well hydrated.

Hope to see you about - Stephanie

 

[LolaLola]

Dear Colleen,
First of all Welcome here. I am in the UK so not much help to you with products.
I am very sun sensitive. It is really worth taking precautions because you are obviously a busy Mum with no time to be ill!

xLola

 

[elisabethm]

:welcome:Hi collen as maia said not every one is sun sensative.Personaly i love the sun i feel better in the sun than i do in the winter.We go on holiday every year to Greece and i cant wait we are going in june Hope this helps Elisabeth

 

[spellbinder]

greetings and salutations :wavesmile:

welcome the sand box, as everyone has said its a wonderful place to meet other lupies and share stories, ask a question or get hugs when your feeling bad.

has for your question, heat knocks me out, gets me even when it hot inside. i get weak and my little rash pops up. i don't go out that much in the sun or for very long. i do wear a hat and dark sunglasses as my eyes are extreamly lite sensitive and i can only look down. i personally don't wear sunblock as i'm not outside that much, but if i do go out to sit i would wear sunblock.

anyway i just wanted hi and welcome you.....

:wavey: :welcome:
hugs and kisses

 

[lazylegs]

Hi Colleen,

Welcome to the forum. I hope you find it very informative.

Neutrogena sunscreens work very well for me. They don't make my skin burn or feel sticky. Sunscreen alone is not always enough for me though. I take extra precautions and wear long sleeves, a hat and sunglasses.

The heat can be as bad as the sun for me. It may initially feel great to be out in it but if I stay out for any length of time I am like a limp rag. So when the weather is hot I am more of a night owl.

Take care,
Lazylegs

 

[onetay]

Colleen,
Hi and welcome to the site. It is different for everyone so it will be hit and miss till you find out what really bothers you the most. I know for me the heat is just as bad as the sun. My body temp. raises and then the rash starts, so I do my best to stay in air most of the summer. I also have to stay out of the sun as much as possible as even sitting under a shaded tree does not help me even with the sunscreen. It might be different for you. I would say try it and if you can't do it, do your best to avoid it at all costs. We all had to go through the same thing to find out what we could and couldn't do at first. I would say for the most part the sun is a no no. I would not be out in the sun without having sunscreen on and close by to reapply as often as needed. It will be ok just take one day at a time and do what you can not what you should. I hope you are doing well and feeling well also.

 

[dixy]

alfalfa sprouts

My Rheumy, at times Ive asked about diet and stuff I could do to help myself. (Thanks 2 whoever mentioned the Lupus book Dr Wallace )in one of the posts. Just picked a copy up from library. In my journey to find out why or what caused me to be ill. I was in to healthy eating making juices sprouting my own seeds,eating foods that I thought were doing me good. Watching my weight and so on. So was horrified to find ]alfalfa sprouts [/COLOR]were mentioned as they contain something called L-canavanine which is highly concentrated and increases inflammation in autoimmune patients. Why did my rheumy not mention this to me? As it is well documented FLARE UPS OF LUPUS DISEASE HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASES CONSUMPTION OF ALFALFA SPROUTS. Could I have caused my own illness? as I WAS eating these sprouts every day.:sad::sad::sad: