Telling lupus pain apart from fibromyalgia pain can be tricky — especially since about 25% of people with lupus also have fibromyalgia. Here's a breakdown of what makes each one distinct:
Lupus pain tends to
- Affect organs, bones, skin, and hair
- Come with swollen joints, chest pain when breathing deeply, or skin rashes
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Telling lupus pain apart from fibromyalgia pain can be tricky — especially since about 25% of people with lupus also have fibromyalgia. Here's a breakdown of what makes each one distinct:
Lupus pain tends to:
- Affect organs, bones, skin, and hair
- Come with swollen joints, chest pain when breathing deeply, or skin rashes
- Be linked to an overactive immune system attacking the body's own tissue
- Flare up due to sun exposure, illness, or injury
Fibromyalgia pain tends to:
- Cause widespread muscle and bone pain all over the body
- Make skin and soft tissue feel sensitive or tender, even to light touch
- Come with tingling sensations, stiffness, and headaches
- Flare up due to stress, poor sleep, or weather changes One key difference is that lupus pain is driven by immune system activity, while fibromyalgia is considered a pain processing disorder — meaning the nervous system overreacts to pain signals.
Blood tests, urine samples, and scans can help a rheumatologist tell them apart. It's always worth bringing up any new or changing pain symptoms with your doctor so they can get a clearer picture of what's going on.
June 29
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