What are some similarities/differences between systematic lupus and allergies in terms of the immune system?
467595
Lupus and allergies are two different types of Hypersensitivity reactions.  A hypersensitivity reaction is when the immune response is detrimental to the host.  Allergies are Type I Hypersensitivity.  These occur immediately and mostly involved premade immune components, such as IgE, histamine, and basophils.  Type I Hypersensitivity is also called Anaphylaxis  Lupus is Type III Hypersensitivity.  This involves immune complexes.  Basically, antibodies bind antigens in large complexes and then are deposited in areas where they shouldn't be, like post-capillary venules and joints.\n\nThere are two other types of Hypersensitivity reactions, Type II, which is mediated by antibodies alone and causes diseases like anemia, and Type IV, which is Delayed Type Hypersensitivity and is mediated by cells like macrophages.  When a person is tested for TB, the resulting immune response is dude to Type IV Hypersensitivity.
1120958
Not only can Lupus cause the more common symptoms mentioned, but it also causes the body to turn on itself. When my wife was diagnosed with Lupus at 23 yrs old, it attacked her kidneys and turned 70% of them to scar tissue. Prednisone was used to treat it and that caused AVN, osteoperosis, osteoarthritis and a whole bunch of other stuff.\n\nNow, at the age of 34, my wife has recently spent 2 weeks in ICU after the Lupus attacked her brain and sent her entire body chemistry out of whack. This condition is referred to as Lupus Cerebritis, or CNS Vasculitis. In her case, due to all of the complications connected to it, is was nearly fatal for her.\n\nAs doctors know little about it, when compared to other more common conditions, it makes Lupus more difficult to diagnose and treat. There is still much research and experimentation ongoing relating to Lupus. \n\nJust my 2 cents for you...
756329
Systemic lupus erythematosus predominantly affects women and is more common in blacks. Although survival rates have improved, over one half of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have permanent damage in one or more organ systems. Arthritis and cutaneous manifestations are most common, but renal, hematologic and neurologic manifestations contribute largely to morbidity and mortality. Treatment approaches emphasize using a combination of drugs to minimize chronic exposure to corticosteroids
409816
http://www.agbios.com/cstudies.php?book=FSA&ev=MON810&chapter=Allergy&lang=\nSymptoms: fatigue, dots in a skin, obesity,anxiety\n\nhttp://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candida.html- This site has a question about this problem
632905
Yes - and no. Doctors even have a hard time understanding this disease and how it affects people. \n\nMy sister suffers from lupus. It is a disease that attacks the immune system, much like AIDS does. Only this disease tends to come and go. Sometimes, she is hospitalized for months, then later she doesnt see a doctor for a year. WEird, very hard on her mental health and her marrriage and her job. Was finally let go from a job she had for 17 years due to the time missed...terrible disease.
146222
I have been checking some notes that I have.  Earl Mindell says to increase your Omega-3 fats.  I have found a study that says that aspartame (the component in no-cal sugars) can cause lupus.\n\nPeople with lupus or other autoimmune diseases should not eat – I-canavanine, a compound in alfalfa, can trigger an autoimmune response in the body similar to lupus.\n\nFor Potassium, I found: Deficiency Symptoms: Gastrointestinal disorders; Irritability and depression; Lupus (mega-doses have shown a positive response in 80% of cases studied)\n\nSulfur Deficiency: Degeneration of cartilage, ligaments and tendons, Lupus, Several collagen diseases, Sickle cell anemia \n\nIt has been claimed that supplementation with pharmacological doses of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) may alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus.\n\nAnd one I did not expect to find:  Water cures ... lupus...  These conditions are caused by prolonged chronic dehydration.  In these conditions exercising one's muscles should be part of the treatment program.\n\nLots of different information, but some good leads.  I would try one or all of them.
267944
The HLA, also known as the MHC, is the system of antigens that you have on all nucleated cells of your body.  This system allows lymphocytes and monocytes to tell the difference between self and non-self.  In other words, it's because of these antigens that you're body (in a healthy working state) doesn't attack and destroy its self with its own immune system.\nDefects in this system, either in the white blood cells or the antigens themselves, lead to autoimmune disorders, like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Myasthenia Gravis, etc. . .\nThe HLA system is also the reason why tissue and organ transplants can be so tricky.  Everyone's HLA antigens are different and one person's body won't see another person's HLAs as self (so it sees it as foreign and "rejects" or destroys the transplanted tissues).
936623
Doctors that often treat lupus and other auto-immune diseases would fall into the allergy-immunology category, but sometimes rheumatologists (as they deal with arthritis) or infectious disease docs as well as internal medicine doctors do a good job.  If there is renal involvement, a nephrologist may be involved in the care, also.
445263
I suffer from the effects of lupus also. Your energy level is a hard thing to deal with, believe me I know. I personally do what I can when I am able. Have you talked with your doctor about it? My doctor gave me this same advice. "Do what you can when your level is up and rest when you need to". You have to allow your body to catch up. Sometimes when I over do it I end up in bed for days. Each person is different. I hope you have a good relationship with your doctor or doctors like in my case. So, when things change with your body's' health you can get the best advice for you. I would love to talk sometime, since we have the same disease. I know from my own experience that talking helps.
262661
I found this by searching for "LUPUS" on the internet.\n\nLupus may be hard to diagnose. It’s often mistaken for other diseases. For this reason, lupus has been called the “great imitator.” The signs of lupus differ from person to person. Some people have just a few signs; others have more.\n\nCommon signs of lupus are:\n\nRed rash or color change on the face, often in the shape of a butterfly across the nose and cheeks \n\n\nPainful or swollen joints \n\n\nUnexplained fever \n\n\nChest pain with deep breathing \n\n\nSwollen glands \n\n\nExtreme fatigue (feeling tired all the time) \n\n\nUnusual hair loss (mainly on the scalp) \n\n\nPale or purple fingers or toes from cold or stress \n\n\nSensitivity to the sun \n\n\nLow blood count \n\n\nDepression, trouble thinking, and/or memory problems \n\n\nOther signs are mouth sores, unexplained seizures (convulsions), “seeing things” (hallucinations), repeated miscarriages, and unexplained kidney problems.
1004442
There are several conditions that involve symptoms of sun sensitivity, including Lupus and Sjogrens Syndrome.\n\nSee a doctor and tell them the problems you have experienced.\n\nKeep a diary of your symptoms, if you were in direct or indirect sunlight, indoors (i.e. via sun windows), the exact symptoms and in what order they occurred, how long the sun exposure was, and anything else you feel relevant.  Include symptoms that you have that you may not have attributed to the sun exposure (headache, dhiarhhea, anything else).  Share this with the doctor.  Get more than one opinion if needed.
635166
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body's defenses against infection are attacking it's own tissue. This causes inflammation. Areas of the skin or joints become painful, red, and swollen. Other parts of the body can also become inflamed and injured, including the muscles, kidneys, nervous system, blood, lungs, and heart. \n\nSLE, also called lupus, is a serious, chronic disease, which means it never goes away completely.  There may be symptom-free periods called remissions. Times when symptoms become more severe are called flare-ups. \n\n\nSome people have severe cases of lupus, but for most people symptoms can be controlled. Lupus affects mainly young women. In the US it is more common among African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women. \n\nThe exact cause of lupus is not known. There may be an inherited tendency to develop the disease. Like other autoimmune diseases, attacks of lupus appear to be triggered by particular things such as viral infection and sunlight.  Exposure to the sun does worsen skin rashes and other problems of lupus.  \n\nCertain drugs may cause some people to have a lupuslike syndrome called drug-induced lupus. Examples of such drugs are hydralazine (used to treat high blood pressure) and procainamide (used to treat abnormal heart rhythms). \n\n\nLupus can take many forms and does not affect everyone in the same way. Some of the more common symptoms are: \n*painful and swollen joints \n*rash \n*unexplained fever \n*fatigue and weakness \n*hair loss \n*skin sensitivity to sunlight \n*kidney problems\n*loss of appetite, nausea, and weight loss. \n*easy bruising. \n*menstrual irregularities. \n\nThere is no cure, but there are treatments for symptoms:\n*Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, may be prescribed for joint pain and inflammation. \n*Antimalarial drugs  may be used to treat symptoms of the skin or joints. \n*Severe symptoms are treated with steroid drugs such as cortisone and prednisone or chemotherapy drugs such as methotrexate and cyclophosphamide.
256072
This combination of positive autoantibody tests is stongly suggestive of some form of lupus erythematosus.  In particular, the anti-SM test is positive in about a third of subjects ultimately diagnosed as having systemic lupus (SLE), but almost never in other autoimmune diseases.  This makes it about as specific for SLE as tests in rheumatology ever are.  The anti-nuclear antibody test (anti-ANA) is positive in up to 99% of true cases of SLE, but it can also be positive in other autoimmune diseases, in people taking certain medications, and among health elderly people.  This makes it a much less specific indicator of SLE.  The anti-histone antibody test is interesting because it can be used to differentiate between drug-induced lupus and SLE (idiopathic lupus).  Thus, the array of positive antibody tests listed in the question suggests drug-induced lupus erythematosus.  Drugs sometimes associated with this condition include procainamide, isoniazid, chlorpromazine, penicillamine, sulfasalazine, hydralazine, methyldopa, and quinidine.  Drug-induced lupus is usually less severe than SLE, and the symptoms will tend to disappear shortly after the person stops taking the medication.
496392
Allergies are the body's inappropriate reaction to a normally benign protein, which the body sees as an invader. Note that allergies are ALWAYS to a protein. Intolerances as well as sensitivities are different from allergies in that it is not necessarily to a protein - such as lactose intolerance - but can produce similar symptoms.\n\nThe immune system is designed to watch for and attack invading cells which come into our bodies, such as viruses and bacteria. Sometimes, though, the immune system sees something which isn't bad for us, such as pollen, dander, even foods, as an invader, and it goes on the attack. Mast cells rush to the scene, releasing their load of chemicals, and calling in other inflammatory cells of the immune system, such as basophils and Killer T-cells. All the chemicals these cells release are what cause the symptoms of allergy, including hives, running nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, etc. One of the main chemicals involved is histamine, which is why antihistamines (also known as histamine blockers) are prescribed for allergies.
383447
I just learned about this a couple of weeks ago, and auto-immune diseases, such as lupus, have a great response to it.  It is called glyco-nutrients.  I don't know how to explain it, other than it is key nutrients, that scientists have discovered that are essential in helping the cells to communicate, so that the body can function properly.  I will put a link to a website that explains the science about it as well as my own website.  You can email me from my website and I will send you more information if you would like.  I was impressed by the science behind it and the results that people were getting.  I hope this helps!
893123
Yes, Lupus is a very serious disease.\nLupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakes the body's connective tissue for a foreign invader and attacks it. There are times when the disease gets better and times when it gets worse. Some people with lupus suffer only minor inconvenience. Others suffer lifelong disability.\n\nLupus affects people of African, Asian or Native American descent three times as often as it affects whites. Nine out of 10 lupus patients are women. The disease usually strikes between age 15 and 45.\n\nThere are two kinds of lupus: discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).\n\nDLE affects only skin that is exposed to sunlight.\n\nSLE is more serious. It affects the skin and other vital organs, often causing a raised, scaly, butterfly-shaped rash across the bridge of the nose and cheeks that can leave scars if it goes untreated.\n\nSystemic lupus may also damage the connective tissue in the joints, muscles and skin, as well as the membranes surrounding the lungs, heart, kidneys and brain. SLE can also cause kidney disease. Brain involvement is rare, but lupus can cause confusion, depression, seizures and rarely, strokes.\n\nBlood vessels may come under attack. This can cause sores to break through the skin, especially in the fingers. Some lupus patients get Raynaud's syndrome, in which the small vessels in the skin tighten up and don't let enough blood get to the hands and feet -- especially in response to cold. Most attacks last only a few minutes, but can be very painful.
936902
The only way to develop an allergy is to be exposed to the allergen. So, it is possible to have had milk-based formula and still be allergic to milk.\n\nI'd have to disagree that your child would also be allergic to soy milk. Soy milk does not have lactose or milk protein in it (casein), so should be an option for you. Also, some people (myself included) have found that although they couldn't drink cow milk, they can drink goat milk. That may be another option. \n\nCould something else be causing the rash? It's possible, but since it has happened in close proximity to introducing whole milk, it's pretty suspicious.