I wear sunscreen, hats, sunglasses,long sleeves..light in color clothes... when walking I stick to the shady side of the street. You learn to get creative to manage SLE. Take of you, as you would care for another.

Before I could tolerate the sun, UVA rays for short durations but now I feel like I have the mega flu bug if unprotected. Exhaustion, headaches, confusion and my skin where the sun found me, it turns dark pink and blotchy.

My Vitamin D was so low, 7 from avoiding the sun....I had to take 50,000IU of Vitamin D for many months. So, check with you DR about your levels.

Yes, on the fluorescent lights. Same feeling as the sun, so certain stores I do not go into and stocked up on incandescent bulbs.

The malar rash I always have it to some degree but since being diagnosed in '04 and managing SLE, taking various drugs it looks like a very slight pink. As I flare it deepens in pink to at times red and ruddy.

It's not about tolerating the sun. It's more like you are allergic to it. You might be able to be in the sun for awhile and then get a headache, start feeling I'll or other things but it's the fact that Evan if you don't feel the effects it is doing damage that can set off a flare. If you are going to be in the sun wear protection. As far as feeling cruddy... Heck, we've got Lupus, cruddy is our middle name!

That's how I found out it was lupus. I was riding in car with sunroof open and sun bearing down on me. I started having all these chest pains and hurting all over. I didn't realize it was the sun. I was going to the beach. I laid out in the sun all day and that night I could hardly walk. Scared me to death. My legs and joints were hurting me so bad. The next day I broke out in a rash from head to toe. My doctor had diagnosed me with connective tissue disease first and changed it to lupus after that. I wear hats and 50 suntan lotion all the time and stay under umbrella if I go to beach now.

This is a new symptom for me. It's the instant the sun touches my skin, it also hurts my eyes. I haven't been out much in the summer but I have to keep my curtains shut at home. Now its winter its easier but some days the sun is out and the pain is so intense like fire burning my skin. I would cry but my eyes are too dry. My doctor recommends wearing factor 50 all the time.

If you have the anti-Ro/SSA antibody then you will be extra sensitive to the sun, plus medications like Plaquenil and CellCept add to the sensitivity. I can't be in the sun for even a few minutes without feeling horrendous and fluorescent lighting also has the same effect if the bulbs are not shielded. I do everything possible to avoid it - high SPF sunscreen, SPF clothing, long sleeves/pants, tinted car windows and limiting outdoor activities during peak sun hours and/or hiding in the shade and also covering up when shopping in big box stores with those nasty lights. It's like living the life of a vampire which is really difficult because I used to LOVE the sun and I miss it terribly. :(