Lupus / Epilepsy - Lupus Message Board

justbecause123 · 03-30-2001, 05:11 AM

About 7 years ago I started having grand mal
seizures. So I was put on Dilantin. Take 600mg. a day to get seizures under control. Told I had Epilepsy.
Then soon after my hair began to thin and
my feet began to swell. Now I have rashes under my arms and on my stomach.
My fingers hurt. And they are swollen.
Three of my fingers on one hand I can't even straighten.
My index finger the skin is very very hard and every two or three months it flakes off and leaves it very tender and sore then the skin just hardens back.
Now my knees have begun to hurt.
I am now wondering do I really have epilepsy
or do I have Lupus?
What do you think?

coreydebby · 03-30-2001, 11:23 AM

I was diagnosed with lupus 14 years ago- I am 31 now. I also have the skin problems you are experiencing, but it something other than lupus. On top of my lupus diagnosis I have what is called psoriatic arthritis. I have psoriasis which covers a great deal of my skin and one of the complications of psoriasis is severe arthritis. You might want to have your doc do a skin biopsy to see if it really is psoriasis. It is a simple test. I was put on prednesone and have been taking it for the past 14 years. It is the only thing that has worked to control the arthritis.

I also was blessed with seizures, but the docs feel that this is related to my lupus. I have total seizure control as long as I stay on depakote. I have lupus with CNS involvement so the seizures are caused from this.

Good luck and let me know what happens!!!!

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Debby