Answer Summary
Members warmly welcomed someone asking why regular blood tests are necessary for lupus, explaining that labs serve as an early warning system... Read more
Welcome Jeraldalsaaca. My name is Mary from New Jersey and I also have lupus and I cook broccoli 𼌠and put almonds in the broccoli 𼌠and it helps with the pain. Have a great day â¤ď¸
In my own case, my bloodwork has been really important because my kidneys are something my doctors watch closely. There were times I didnât feel much different, but changes in labs like creatinine, eGFR, complement levels (C3 and C4), and inflammation markers like ESR and CRP helped show that lupus activity could affect my kidneys before I had obvious symptoms. Seeing those changes early allowed my doctors to monitor things closely and adjust care instead of waiting until damage happened.
Thatâs why lupus often requires so much bloodwork â it helps catch inflammation and organ stress early, even when we feel âokay.â
Getting regular lab tests done helps our doctors monitor lupus and ensure we are not experiencing any other health issues.
As @A MyLupusTeam Member said, we may feel good, but sometimes we may be experiencing a flare-up. It happened to me once when I thought I was feeling good, my labs showed that I was in a bad flare. My doctor sent me directly from his office to the hospital. He was right, I was in the hospital for a week.đ
depending on your symptoms it is not uncommon to get blood work every 6 weeks to every 3 months. Just to make sure your body internally is OK and is not changing or aggressively deteriorating, You should not go more than 3-4 months without lab work even if you are feeling good and looking good on the outside.
I get blood work every 4 months at my Rheumatologists office. They check my kidney function and a few other things. I also have Sjogrens, so there's that. So far my labs have been within normal limits , whatever normal means.