Lupus Support Group
Lupus is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system cannot distinguish between threats (like viruses and bacteria), and healthy cells and tissue. As a result, the body produces antibodies that inflict cell damage, most commonly targeting joints, skin, kidneys and the nervous system. Join the group and find support for coping with lupus.
Hi guys,
I was hoping for some advice or any kind of help. I have been under a lot of stress changing jobs. First of all i have lupus. I have chest pain for the last 2-3 days. Only thing is it doesn't feel right it's really painful when I stretch. So it could be a muscle. Reguardless I am unsure if I really need to visit the doctor or wait it out or what to do.
It's hard dealing with stress when your healthy but with lupus it is 10 worse because your Lupus can be triggered by stress and leave u with traditional stress symptoms (chest pain). And lupus things ( for me: mouth sores, fatigue, hyper sensitivity to warm/cold, painful skin areas and headaches)
How do I cope?
Sorry this feels a lot like a rant than a question.
Please tell me what you do and what things tend to happen to you if your stressed
Jen
I was hoping for some advice or any kind of help. I have been under a lot of stress changing jobs. First of all i have lupus. I have chest pain for the last 2-3 days. Only thing is it doesn't feel right it's really painful when I stretch. So it could be a muscle. Reguardless I am unsure if I really need to visit the doctor or wait it out or what to do.
It's hard dealing with stress when your healthy but with lupus it is 10 worse because your Lupus can be triggered by stress and leave u with traditional stress symptoms (chest pain). And lupus things ( for me: mouth sores, fatigue, hyper sensitivity to warm/cold, painful skin areas and headaches)
How do I cope?
Sorry this feels a lot like a rant than a question.
Please tell me what you do and what things tend to happen to you if your stressed
Jen
I know about the anxiety, it eats me up sometimes. Wait it out, it goes away after a while like most things do.
"High winds seldom last the whole day"...I Ching
I try to 'slow it down' even more (I'm already pretty slow to begin with ... people say they see snail trails throughout my house showing that I at least move around. Hahahaha). I try to slow down the thoughts, do something else, distract myself even for a little bit. If I need a little lay-down, I take it. If I need to give my dog a few more pats, I do it. If I want an extra Twizzler stick, I eat it. I listen to what my head is telling me to do ... and it's usually saying, "Turn down the noise!".
It helps ... even if it's just for a little bit. I realize (sometimes with great joy) ... there's always tomorrow. Tomorrow to finish something, tomorrow to think/worry about something, tomorrow to enjoy something.
Please hang in there.
ps
I get that pleurisy thing too ... I call it my 'stitch'. If I stretch too big or bend just right, WHAM ... it's like someone is sticking a knife in my rib cage, and that hangs with me for a few days. Kind of scary, but as RichieD said ... I'm still here and it didn't kill me. I think it's just our sick ol' rib cage connective tissue gets damanged/traumatized easier than other people's do.
Google heart attack symptoms women. If you have any symptoms, call 911.
It's better to be safe. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for lupus and can happen to any age, even kids.
I've been a vegetarian all my life, never smoked, no risk factors other than lupus.
It makes me so angry that doctors are not educating lupus patients about their cardiac risk factors. (Never mind being dismissive when lupus patients present with chest pain!)
Coping is a hard thing. Redirect that negative or stress into something that relaxes you or something you like to do. I've just started going by the Serenity Prayer.
Hope you get to feeling well soon