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I was diagnosed with SLE at the age of 64. Some of the symptoms are similar to the aging process. So I often ask myself is this lupus or is it just from aging?
This is a great question, Fancy. For older individuals, joint and muscle pain may be related to lupus or degenerative/osteoarthritis. One helpful clue is whether joint swelling and pain lasts more than a few minutes upon awakening.
With OA, there may be a few moments of stiffness in the morning, but with lupus-related joint inflammation, it's longer-lasting. With OA, pain tends to worsen throughout the day. It's unusual for OA to affect the wrists and ankles, while lupus commonly affects these smaller joints, as well as the hands and feet.
I was 48 when diagnosed in Jan 2020
When a new symptom occurs
& last I usually discuss it with my rheumatologist. Most of my symptoms are usually my osteoarthritis or lupus. I’ve been
Having flared lately that have kept me in bed for several days. The doctor worked with me & added some meds to help get past this & be able to get out of bed. I was diagnosed at age 54. I’m now 71.
Feel better. Scopenurse and
As I do also
This is a common concern for people diagnosed with lupus later in life. Late-onset lupus (diagnosed after age 50) affects between 2-20% of all lupus patients, and distinguishing between lupus symptoms and aging can be challenging.
One MyLupusTeam member shared a similar experience: "When I get a new pain, I don't know if Show Full Answer
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