I have had extreme nausea since I've had lupus. It went away for a while and I've always had this fear it would come back. It has now. I went to a rheumatologist who was very cold ( I did not go back) and he said nausea was not a symptom of lupus. I have read extensively about it and I see it is not listed, but I also know that lupus is a great disguiser. It mimics so many diseases and can cause so many problems in different systems including the digestive system and the brain. It is possible nausea could be coming from another "symptom". My question is: Does anyone else have horrible nausea or am I the only one?
One of the worst flares I have had involved a lot of GI symptoms. I was sick to my stomach, had bad diarrhea, fatigue, joint pain that made it difficult for me to drive home from work, etc. And this was before I was diagnosed, so I wasn't on any medications that irritate the stomach or intestines.
I have seen a lot of conflicting reports on whether or not the GI system is impacted by lupus. Some say yes, some say yes but it's due to medications, and some say no. I have to say that, from my personal experience, I believe lupus does affect the stomach and intestines. Like many others on this board, I was diagnosed with IBS, and I find it hard to believe that it's just a coincidence that so many lupus patients also suffer from IBS. Actually, now that I'm thinking back, my endocrinologist (I am also hypothyroid) said that the digestive system is lined with many, many immune cells (maybe not "cells" but the conversation happened awhile ago), and if any antibody (in my case, he was talking about the hypothyroid) is "active," the body is going to activate your immune system in response - hence the agitated digestive system. I'm wondering if the same holds true for the antibodies associated with lupus.
Perhaps others will weigh in here. There are very knowledgeable people on this board!!
I too was diagnosed with IBS- and it was the same time I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and started having symptoms of lupus. I still have frequent nausea and just cramping abdominal pain when I overall don't feel well.
pambyboo
I was diagnosed with IBS about 15 years ago; along with a hiatal hernia. (You wouldn't believe how many phantom diagnosis I had for 20+ years.) This was long before I was diagnosed with Lupus (1.5 years ago). Before that, in my early twenties they said I had an "invisible ulcer". Then later they told me everyone that has had kids has a hiatal hernia and acid reflux.
[My definition of a phantom diagnosis is one they make based on speculation and no real solid test results.]
As for the Lupus. I don't think any of us know for sure when we first had Lupus, so its hard to tell what is from what. But, I think its part of the Lupus. Even if it is not necessarily a direct symptom of Lupus; but they are a by product of the whole issue. Plus, the fevers, migraines, medications, exhaustion, stress, and other symptoms probably exacerbate it.
The medication part of it I manage by taking them at night before bed. Then I can go sleep on the upset stomach rather than try to struggle through the morning with it.
You aren't alone!!
Angie
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~Angie
"Be careful about reading health books, you may die of a misprint." ~~Mark Twain
I have had bouts of nausea and vomitting while in bad flares. My first "flare" started when I was around 20 and I am now 37. Mind you I had never ever been to a rheumatologist until about 3 yrs ago and had never been diagnosed with anything until then. But while in some bad flares, I would get sudden nausea sometimes with vomiting, sometimes without. Other times I would just suddenly violently vomit without warning as soon as I started to eat something. I would even vomit ginger ale, crackers, plain soup, even water. Strange thing was I didnt feel any stomach or intestinal pains, no burning, nothing except nausea and sudden vomitting. But I would have joint pain and swelling, sometimes rashes, nose bleeds, bladder infections and severe fatigue as well as alot of hives at the same time as the nausea/vomiting episodes. The few times I did go to doctors, they never wanted to hear my "list" of symptoms that were happening to me...one even told me to stop, that I was being ridiculous going on with all these symptoms!!!!!!! (needless to say I never went back there).
I finally had health insurance & went to a rheumy about 3 yrs ago. I started getting all these symptoms again, he did all the tests ( and they all came back " normal" <eyeroll> even with all those symptoms and severe visible, palpable joint inflammations ) but anyway, he had me try various anti-inflammatories. Nothing worked, I got worse, so he put me on Prednisone and Plaquenial. The pred magically made every single symptom I had go away, including the nausea and vomiting! Since then , I've also been having severe back and spine pain & swelling, which is supposedly not related to lupus. Some of the pain was so severe that I started vomiting, though this seemed so different than when I was vomiting while in a flare. From my spine symptoms, I knew I had severe pain which was causing me shaking & tremors and it seemed the pain was making my brain signals make me vomit. So im not sure if my nausea/vomiting was always just linked to pain or to inflammatory process.
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