I woke up one morning and I couldn't zip up my jeans, so I called my RA doctor and told her that my stomach was swollen and she asked if I had back pain, but I didn't. I thought it was because of the predisone I was taking. I was just diagnosed with Lupus but had the arthritis bad in my joints. My RA set up an appointment the next day with a Renal doctor to have a kidney biopsy because she remembered Lupus was known to attack organs. That is what was going on and the Arthritis went away as it was eating away at my kidneys. It took 11 yrs before I had to have a transplant. So to really answer your question a swollen stomach which happened really fast.

Actually without this site no one would have thought to send me to the Nephrologist, I was reading what everyone was saying and asked my primary and she said ohmygosh, didn't the rheumatologist send you to one, and the rheumatologist said oh I thought your primary sent you. I fell right through the crack and I have kidney failure

Could not urinate normally started having pain in my kidneys area, bladder kept going back and forth, having to go then didn't very inconsistent. .Mark

I had RA really bad then that went away and got back into my jeans then a month later I woke up and couldn't zip my jeans. I called my RA doc and she sent me that day to a Renal Specialist the next day and he did a biopsy on my kidneys that same day. He found out that the Lupus was attacking my kidneys. I was put on high dose of predisone. That was in 1980 and my kidneys lasted until 1991, so renal failure doesn't always mean your kidneys are totally gone. Lupus can stop attacking them as fast as it starts. I now have my sister's kidney transplanted in 1991. I still take BP meds, predisone, imuran and others that I still need. Now I have to take pain meds from all the arthritis damage to my joints as I get older. But I am still here to see my grandchildren and now a great granny too. Just make sure if your back hurts and your swelling go see your doctor. Check for blood in your urine too. Hope all goes well with you.

@A MyLupusTeam Member I had a UTI that was getting worse while on antibiotics. I had loss of appetite, vomiting ,falling asleep while driving.

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