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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
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- What Triggers Lupus?
- I think I may have Lupus, but I don't meet enough of the criteria yet. Is there any way to find out sooner, so I can start treatment as soon as possible?
- Can Stress Make My Symptoms Worse?
- Are There Any Drugs I Should Avoid?
- What does it mean if my ANA test comes back "borderline positive?"
- I gained a lot of weight when my doctor put me on prednisone? Is there anything I can do about that?
It can take weeks, months or years before a diagnosis can be made. Some people may take as long as three years to be diagnosed after their first symptoms. Let your doctor know each you develop new symptoms to help him make the diagnosis. Unfortunately, you can't hurry up the progress of the disease.
Some people seem to think that stress can make lupus flare up, but more studies need to be done to see if this is in fact true, and why.
Some sulfa antibiotics like Bactrim, Gantrisin, Septra (often given for urinary/bladder tract infections) can make a person more photosensitive (sensitive to the sun) and sometimes lower blood counts. Ask your pharmacist or health care provider about it any time you get a new prescription.
This means your test results were at the upper end of normal limits. Understanding your results will depend on other criteria. If you meet at least four of the 11 criteria, it is likely that you may have lupus.
Steroids usually do increase a person's appetite, so it's important to eat a healthy diet while you're on the medicine. Try eating more vegetables, eating low fat foods or substituting fat-free cream for real cream in your coffee. If you can, try going for a daily walk. For more information, go to our Diet and Nutrition Health topic.
Last Reviewed: Sep 03, 1999
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Larry Houk, MD Professor of Clinical Medicine and Rheumatology Division of Immunology and Allergy Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) 
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