Neurontin for leukemia

[26] [Female] 5’5” - 135lbs - white
complaints: extreme fatigue, 20lb unexplained weight loss (20lbs, 2 pants sizes), new changes in bruising, SED is 2. bruising is much more common now and becoming diffused (like a really old person). symptoms have been building for the past 4ish months.
Claritin
Neurontin 300mg 2x/day
Multivitamin
Volnea (birth control for cycle regulation)
Edit to add: no drugs or alcohol at all, no smoking, a mostly healthy diet (I’m a sucker for muffins) with plenty of exercise.
Background: I was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia at age 4. I underwent 2.5 years of chemotherapy and have been in remission since I originally went into remission during treatment as a child. My doctor has recommended that I follow up with HemOnc in light of my symptoms.
Question: How likely is it that I’m experiencing a relapse? I’ve been feeling really bad lately and I’m planning to set the appointment tomorrow, but I’d like to know what I’m getting myself into I guess.
Thanks.
2nd edit for formatting

Hey folks, Im only a recent lurker on these forums. I recently started taking Gabapentin for neuropathy and found some amazing results.
Ive had borderline hyperhidrosis in my life, and I think its genetic (my father and brother, overweight and super skinny respectively have hyperhidrosis). After a brief bout with leukemia last fall, I noticed that medications I was taking exacerbated my sweatiness into full blown shirt, underwear, and feet sweat so bad I have to change my socks and shirts twice a day.
One of the other side effects of my chemotherapy was neuropathy. One of the more common drugs prescribed for neuropathy and a whole host of other issues is Gabapentin aka Neurontin. This is an extremely cheap, widely available drug.
Taking a relatively small dose in the beginning of the day has reduced my sweat by at least 90%. Ive also taken it after a night of drinking (horrible sweat trigger the next day) and drinking caffeine and had no additional sweat. Its like a f***ing miracle.
Has anyone here tried Gabapentin for hyperhidrosis? If so, did you have similar experience? Looking forward to your responses, hopefully this can help!
Tl;dr didn’t find much on Gabapentin for hyperhidrosis, wanted to see if people had the same positive experience Ive had

Age: 29 Sex: Male Height: 5'10 Weight: 160 Race: White Duration of complaint: 3 years Geographical Location: Northeastern US Any existing relevant medical issues: formerly diagnosed with IBS and fibromyalgia (both seemed like a pretty hasty diagnosis) Current medications: Neurontin, Clonazepam are prescribed I don't take much of either. Former Medications: Cipro, Flagyl, Donatal, Bentyl
I formerly had no insurance so I've been feeling bad for 3 years. Now that I do have insurance I'd like to figure out what's wrong with me, but I don't want to go into the doctor asking about too many different things so helping me narrow it down other possibilities to be checked for would be extremely helpful.
Things already ruled out: HIV(tested during S Aureus infection(Early Dec 2014 and again mid Jun 2015) Hepatitis(Vaccinated against A&B, C - neg) IBD(Recent colonoscopy was clear)
Symptoms : Chronic diarrhea with mucus in stool and abdominal pain; bad muscle aches and stiffness throughout body; physical fatigue(not mental exhaustion/tiredness more like I just ran a marathon after walking fast for a few minutes); moderate constant pain behind eyes(eye doctor said there was nothing there). Recent nausea. Swollen lymph nodes all over. Occasionally swollen ankles or hands(usually singular). Lightheadedness upon standing up(always had this since I was a kid)
Also whenever I've had a blood test my WBC and neutrophiles tend to be somewhat high don't know if that necessarily means anything
So searching symptoms there seem to be a ton of different things it "might" be. Please help me by letting me know what you think seems more plausible.
Thyroid problem(runs in family) Lymes disease Recurring infection (had s. aureus/ bad pneumonia) MS RA Lupus Leukemia/Lymphoma
I realize most of them probably sound silly. Anyway thanks in advance.

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Date: 2014-05-10
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Questions	Answers
Are you sure it's Lupus? I was told it's never Lupus.	I am like that episode where it actually was Lupus. Unfortunately, I am not a magician LOL!
Don't you ever get tired of this joke?	Never! Usually every year I use this picture on my Facebook profile for Lupus awareness month.
I was actually going to come in here and apologize for House M.D. on behalf of all writers. But it looks like you've also been diagnosed with a great sense of humor. :D.	Did you work on House? Because OMFG if you did, I want to say thank you! One of the best shows on TV ever!
What can I do to more effectively help my patients with this disease? Is there anything I should know about it?	Listen to them first and foremost. And especially don't make them feel like it is all in their head. Use your differential diagnosis to understand them and then make your judgement call on what is going on. Also, don't give too much credence to blood work, especially after a string of positive ANA/auto-immune antibody tests. For me, I have only once had a high positive SED Rate and complement test and it was when I had CNS involvement. I had pleurisy with a normal SED rate.
	I read a great study on how auto antibodies reside in organ tissue during a flare and not in blood serum which can sometimes contribute to negative serology. It's been a long time since I read the study and it was looking mainly at anti ds-dna antibodies in Lupus patients.
So, would a muscle biopsy (if pain was there) be able to dx lupus?	I would have to look that up. I know of skin and kidney biopsies but I haven't heard of a muscle biopsy, but i could be possible. If you ever pop up with a rash a good dermatologist can biopsy that rash.
It may only be for other autoimmune things like MS or Myasthenia Gravis, but I would have thought that since lupus attacks muscles as well, that it would leave a clue.	It can go after muscles in the form of myositis. How doctor's differentiate "fibromyalgia" pain from "Lupus" pain is by looking for a rash, heat and swelling of that muscle which doesn't happen in usually in Fibromyalgia.
I do have a persistant rash on my back and scalp. I should get it looked at.	You should, definitely.
Have you had your thyroid tested? This kind of non-swelling pain is really common in hypothyroidism and most docs suck at diagnosing it.	I have had my thyroid levels checked about 2 years ago and they were completely normal. I just had a big bloodwork done in April and they usually do a TSH with the metabolic panel so I will find out in July. If it was a problem, he would have called me already. So no news is good news.
Edit: I should note that the most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's Disease, an autoimmune disease. As you know, if you get one AI disease, you're at very high risk to add another to the list.	And yea, I hate that they come in pairs or triples. It's like they want to bring their friends to the "party".
How would a lupus rash manifest differently from, say, hives?	In my case, most of the time the rash looks like Sunburn that's red and patchy. I have had the discoid lesions a few times, which look like ringworm on steroids, but I consistently have the bad rash. I have never had a skin biopsy, but all my doctors have agreed it was from lupus, including a dermatologist just by the pattern. Usually hives are brought on by an allergic reaction to something, like a food or a type of clothing.
Hey! I was wondering if you had any feelings about the Spoon Theory? I've always liked it but I was wondering if it seemed accurate to you?	While I do believe Christine Miserandino nailed what it feels like when you just can't do one more thing because your supply of energy is limited, I think the Lupus community in particular has made it their rallying cry for not being able to go out and live a normal life. And because of what it has been interpreted to mean by a specific community, I don't like it.
	I know I have limits, but sometimes you have to deal with an energy debt to get things done instead of going around saying "I just don't have the spoons for x,y,z". I have known women who have stage 4 lupus nephritis who still work full time and then I have met women who can't wait to get a true diagnosis counting the minutes til they file for SS disability. And the spoon theory is usually the war cry of the latter group than the former in my experience.
Wow. Thanks for the answer. I'll be mulling that over.	I know my opinion isn't popular and I have nothing against Christine Miserandino because she has done so much advocating for this disease and her theory is pretty dang accurate. I just don't like how it's propagated in the community.
Holy shit...me again...The whole reason the Chronically Awesome Foundation started was because of the negative nature of the "spoonie" community. It's super awesome to meet you. You rule.	I am so thankful you participated in this AMA. I have kept my spoonie comments to myself for the most part because the ladies I have on my Facebook would look at me crooked. I am going to head over there right now since questions have died down. It is super awesome to meet you too and I added you to my friends list!
I'm sick too, and I might even be "pre-lupus"-- I hardly understand it, but I am sick now, and the spoon theory, which I've never heard before, is 100% accurate to my experience.	While the "spoon" theory is accurate, in my experience as a mod on a large forum on Facebook, is that women will "horde" their spoons. They won't go out and live life because they have Lupus and they fear what tomorrow will bring as opposed to letting tomorrow's worries truly become tomorrow's worries. They give up working careers as soon as they are diagnosed because they "see" the number of spoons they have and are afraid to ration and distribute them. I know one women who refused to take her daughter out on any outings because she feared she wouldn't have enough "spoons" for it. So she sequestered herself, and her preteen daughter, to living essentially like hermits because of what is essentially the fear of the unknown.
You seem to agree with that; I'm not familiar with the "spoonie community"-- but how do other people agreeing with the spoon theory make you unhappy about the spoon theory that you say you agree with? I'm a little unclear, is all, about the whole thing.	It's one thing to use spoons wisely, it is another to look at spoons as a meter to what you are capable of doing, thus forever limiting yourself. And that is why I am not a fan of that theory.
So what happens when you get sick though?	It starts off feeling like I have the flu. I am tired, achy and I run a low grade fever. My malar rash ("butterfly rash") comes out bright and pink. It feels like I have been run over by a Mac truck. I wake up and it takes me longer to get out of bed because my joints are killing me. I am 31 and feel 91.
	Since I have had it for so long I know this is my warning sign to take it easy and not push myself. If I continue to push myself, I wind up with something worse like pleurisy or seizures.
Well I mean, if you're dulling your immune system, do you get sick more often, and does it take longer to get better?	Oh God, yes I do. My daughter came down with Scarlet Fever this week actually, and I called my rheumatologist and he told me not to take my methotrexate just in case I got it too. I also started getting the flu shot since I am on immunosuppressants. It didn't stop me from getting a stomach virus and then a sinus infection a week later.
	Also, TMI but I suffer from chronic yeast infections like thrush. It's gross but it's common in immunocompromised people.
Given that the achniess, etc. is a symptoms of lupus, I don't quite understand the fibromyalgia diagnosis. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome, meaning they don't understant the etiology of the symptoms. Pretty much lupus covers that one, doesn't it? Did you get the fibro dx before the lupus dx?	I was diagnosed with it. I have pressure points in my shoulders and lower back that hurt on contact. That's how my first rheumy diagnosed it. But since I started methotrexate I have been able to wean off neurontin. Do I believe they are related, definitely. I think it's a syndrome that comes with having an autoimmune. Most autoimmune sufferers do report non-joint muscular pain. Some doctor's don't believe it exists, but I do believe it does. It is considered a secondary syndrome due to the auto immune.
How long did it take you to get diagnosed after you noticed symptoms?	I honestly started having symptoms til I was 16. At 25 I was diagnosed.
Oh goodness...that sounds unfun. You're awesome for keeping it together.	Thank you so much! I do my best. There are people out there that have it so much worse than I do. I am not the type of person to be all "woe-is-me" .
Methotrexate! They use that in chemo for cancer. Do you take folinic acid?	Yes I do! It helps counteract the side effects. Cancer patients take a significantly higher dose than what I take though.
So how is it going with lupus pregnancies pregnancies these days? They were considered extremely high risk / ill-advised about 30(40?) years ago but seem like the have evolved to, dare I say it, almost commonplace now?	30-40 years ago we were no where near having the treatment options that we have now so Lupus was a slow, painful death sentence, never mind contraindicated with pregnancy. So you are right. I think as the treatment options have expanded, it has helped women achieve and maintain relatively healthy pregnancies.
	I was high risk with my son, and I got the joy of doing a 24 hour urine test to check kidney function at 20 weeks, but besides that my pregnancy was text book. I opted for a second c section and I carried him til 40 weeks with no issue. I still had to to do fetal stress tests but it wasn't too bad, gave me an excuse to nap for 30 min - 1 hour 1x a week.
I've heard a lot of negative responses to benlysta, so please do be cautious! I am always a little too cautious I think, I need to learn to trust my doctors just a little bit more lol.	I agree with you about the negative views of benlysta. I already have a history of organ involvement and when I questioned my rheumy about the study his response was "Are you black, because you don't look black" . I know his humor can't be conveyed in text and I knew he was being funny but still, if it doesn't work for the prime demographic, how can it work for me.
Do you have symptoms like the butterfly rash? And do people judge you in public?	There are 11 diagnostic criteria for SLE and at this point I have 10/11. I am one of the few that have the anti dsDNA antibody which is considered one of the two true Lupus antibodies along with anti-Sm antibodies ( I don't have those antibodies)
	I do have the butterfly rash, but it isn't like a discoid Lupus rash where it's raised and scaly. If you didn't know what you were looking for it would seem like I got too much sun the day before on my nose and cheeks. I also get a rash on my chest/hands/arms and people often comment that it looks like hives but not in a judgmental way.
I don't, but I am close friends with someone who does. It really bothers me when people make assumptions about contagiousness.	I don't blame you and you sound like an awesome friend! I have had people ask me if it was like AIDS and that always bugged me. Not that I don't have sympathy for those with AIDS, it was more that the person asking would slowly be backing away like I had the plague and it makes me feel terrible for what people with AIDS have to deal with more so than me.
I feel like a psycho by asking this, but could lupus be "canceled" by AIDS?	I don't think it's a stupid question at all, and fundamentally it would make sense. I haven't taken immunology yet but in my understanding Lupus is caused by B-Cells that have gone haywire. That is how Benlysta works, it targets those B-Cells. In AIDS, the T-cells are compromised by the virus so it is affecting a different part of your immune system.
Glad to hear your dad pulled through. Are you able to go into any further details about this? I would be interested to hear what the circumstances were that led to a surgeon having no idea what was going on?	He had surgery on his prostate due to some bleeding. His prostate levels were normal so it wasn't cancer but varicose veins on his prostate. Well, his surgeon didn't cauterize the veins properly so essentially he was bleeding out from his prostate. He went 6 weeks before they figured out what was going on. They also tested him for Lupus and other clotting disorders because they thought it might be causing the bleeding. He coded due to blood loss.
Are any of the biologics being used for lupus?	Actually, yes! Benlysta is actually the first drug developed specifically for Lupus. It came out about 2 years ago.
	When it came out there was flack since the studies seemed to show it didn't work very in African American women with severe organ involvement. Since AA women are the most likely ethnic group to have Lupus there was a lot of negative backlash from the Lupus community over it. The price is also a huge factor, it costs about $30K a year for treatment.
	My rheumy has been on the fence about putting me on it. Right now I am doing pretty well with the methotrexate that he is waiting for another round of bloodwork before he makes his decision.
My rheumatologist tried diclofenac with me. I love it. I have had to stop it during my pregnancy and will continue to not take it while breastfeeding. I can't wait to take this stupid little pill again!	I hope you get some relief soon. I wasn't on meds when I was pregnant or breastfeeding. I did have to wean my son at 8 months so I could be put on meds though. I hated having to wean him, but my son (and daughter) needed a healthy mom so I had to make that sacrifice.
Can't a doctor prescribe something to help your energy level?	During the times that I have had anemia, I was given B12 shots in my butt which helped with energy level. Taking the Vitamin D supplement helps along with Fish Oil when I remember. I used to actively do yoga which made a huge difference but lately I haven't had the time for it.
	Honestly, I drink so much coffee in the morning that I consider that my energy boost for the day.
Why have you stopped doing yoga? Did you feel a true difference when you practiced it?	I am in school full time finishing off my BS in Cell/Molecular Bio. I also have a husband and two kids at home. I had a really bad flare last year around this time that caused me to have seizures and I haven't fully been the same since, I tire more easily. I know these sound like excuses but it's been a rough year.
	At the end of the day, I just want to get into my schlubby clothes and sit my butt on the couch. I have returning to yoga on my list of things to do because it made a great difference in my joints. I have chronic inflammation in my hip and knees and the yoga kept me limber. I just haven't had the motivation to make the time yet.
Welcome! What medications are you on?	400mg of hydroxychloroquinine (Plaquenil) a day.
	20 mg of Methotrexate a week.
	1 mg of Folic Acid a day.
	15mg of Prednisone as needed for tapers.
	Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) for muscle spasms.
	I also take OTC Vitamin D supplements since I am extremely photosensitive and have chronic Vitamin D deficiency.
I have RA and a 'non specified auto immune disease, lupus like illness' (so probably lupus), and we take almost exactly the same medications.	A lot of the medications are used across the board for auto-immunes. RA has a bunch of different biologics used to treat it and some people with lupus have had success with these drugs. It all comes down to counteracting our crazy immune systems.
I've know three women with lupus (that I know of). Two of them were morbidly obese and the other was so thin that she had a sign on her refrigerator that randomly blinked the word EAT (so she would remember to eat). Is it hard to maintain a healthy weight when a person has lupus, and if so, why?	Lupus flares cause you to have anorexia. You don't want to eat because it hurts. During my worst flares, I dropped 20-30lbs from not being able to eat.
	As for the obese ladies, steroids are usually the number one drug used to treat Lupus. Steroids fool around with your glucose metabolism so they may you ravenously hungry, even if you eat a huge dinner. It's like having a hunger you can't satiate. Gaining weight on steroids sucks, and continued steroid therapy makes it even harder to lose the weight because you are stuck in this "feed me" cycle.
Ever consider medical marijuana? It's an anti-inflammatory and does wonders for your appetite. I have SLE and have been a medical MJ patient for about two years and have seen a significant increase in quality of life. Just throwing it out there-- it's not for everyone.	I definitely have considered it as I used to be a regular smoker. Unfortunately, it isn't legal in Georgia yet so I don't have access to it. It definitely does help with the pain and nausea.
Is lupus inheritable? For example if your mother would have lupus do you automatically get the dna and pass it on to your children as well?	They are finally getting some answers to that question. it seems like there is a genetic component, mainly a mutation on the 2nd chromosome in Lupus sufferers. There was a great article about it in the NY times.
	Direct relatives, like parents, siblings and children have a 6x greater chance of developing Lupus than those who don't have a relative with it.
Hello! I know little about lupus other than that it's hereditary. I'm irrationally scared for a friend whose family has a history of SLE. Are there any signs of early onset lupus in one's late teen years (bruises that refuse to heal, etc.) that could indicate lupus?	Here are the common symptoms of lupus and here is the diagnostic criteria. To be diagnosed your friend has to meet at least 4/11 of the diagnostic criteria. Lupus usually strikes during a woman's childbearing years so being a teen and getting diagnosed is quite common. I often get bruising but at this point I am not sure if it is because of the Lupus or the medications used to treat it. Since your friend has a family history I would suggest that she gets a check up with her pediatrician/GP. Make sure she lets him/her know about her concerns. Constant bruising can also be symptomatic of leukemia and other blood cancers so it's important she gets checked out soon.
How does having lupus affect your day to day? What are the things you have to watch for or worry about? Changes in sleep/eating habits?	I can't be out in the sun as much as I like. I love the beach and I am a former lifeguard so it sucks that I can't enjoy those things as often as I did when I was young. That is probably number 1 on my list of lupus affecting my life.
	At this point, taking meds is old hat, so it isn't a big deal. When I started having the seizures, I was sure I was going to die and though the fear has lessened, I worry I will have more seizures. I also worry about my kidney function since my aunt had lupus severe enough to put her on dialysis.
	I love to sleep so I make sure to get at least 8 hours a night. While I have heard good things about doing a gluten-free diet to curb inflammation, I love pasta and bread too much to even try it. Same goes for the nightshade diet.
The gluten free diet helps with lupus! I know from personal experience that it really reduced my fatigue and GI issues. And you can have delicious pasta and bread from corn/potato/rice/quinoa sources! I highly recommend it to all autoimmune patients that I know.	I have heard a lot of good things about going Gluten free. I have even eaten some GF stuff (the gluten free chocolate cake is delicious). I also love making quinoa tabouleh. I just haven't made the full switch over yet.
What side effects do you experience from your meds?	With plaque nil, I get a lot of indigestion. But it's an antimalarial, so if I ever go to Africa i'll be safe. I got that going for me, which is nice.
	Steroids are the absolute worst though. Constant hunger, insomnia and mood swings. I honestly haven't been on them since my seizures. I rather take a higher dose of methotrexate (chemo) than deal with that shit.
	Methotrexate, in the beginning, gave me terrible nausea. I also started losing my hair. But I have been on it almost a year and take folic acid daily which helps counteract those side effects. Now, the day after I take it I kinda feel hung over.
	Cyclobenzaprine puts me to sleep so I take it at night.
	In the past I have also been on Lyrica, Neurontin, Naproxen and Meloxicam. I am glad I weaned off those drugs.
In case you're interested, you may want to try Protonix to counteract the stomach issues from the Plaquenil. I know someone for whom that combo has been quite effective.	I have been on a proton pump inhibitor due to a hiatal hernia. It definitely does help with GERD, which I have but isn't caused by lupus. It was caused by my babies being big at birth.
What the fuck is lupus?	It's when your fucking immune system decides your organs are foreign so it bombard them with auto antibodies. It can cause fucking irreparable organ damage and body wide inflammation. Thanks for fucking asking ;)
Maybe came across as a dick there, but I thought it was some form of imaginary disease, like mono. Stick through it man!	No, I didn't think you came across as a dick. I just figured it gave me a chance to use fuck in a response. But for the record, mono isn't imaginary. I had it and it sucked the big one.
All my experience of mono comes from Waynes World, where he realised he didn't have mono. It just turned out he was really bored.	I haven't watched that movie in years, now I remember. And it's all good!
Does your username have anything to do with mrs. frizzle?	Nope. It's a Snoop DoggSnoop Lion play on my first name. I had a friend who would call me that so I figured it was a good Reddit username.
It's great to see that you have such a good sense of humor about the whole thing, and good on you for staying so positive!	Also wanted to add that Snoop's daughter has Lupus too. He does a lot of great stuff for the the Lupus community.
My mother has lupus. What is something that you wish or want you kids to know about your disease that can make life easier for you?	I just want them to understand that I am not feeling well enough to play with them, etc, that I would give anything in the world to do stuff with them and it kills me that I can't. They are still young, at 8 and 5, so it's hard. I don't want them to think that it's because I rather not spend time with them or that I don't value them enough. I would move mountains for them.
Hi thanks for doing this. I'm always interested to see how people manage with Rheum conditions. Do you still do everything you want to do, e.g. exercise, travelling? Do you have any joint pain and if so how do you deal with that?	I do still get to travel, I just wish I had more of the funds to do so. I don't go to the beach nearly as much as I want but I do go sometimes. I haven't exercised within the past year because I was in a bad flare for the first 6 months out of it. Now I am doing ok, but I have gotten complacent I guess. It is on my to-do list.
	When it comes to joint pain, I get steroid shots in my hips. I also occasionally get rx'd opiate pain killers if I am in especially painful flare. I don't have a standing rx though. Did pain management and the doc got busted as a pill mill doc so that went out the window. I realized I did better when I wasn't shoving norco down my throat throughout the day. My tolerance was better.
Were your parents aware that they carried the genes for these diseases? I know a girl who's mother has Lupus and Arthritis, and had a child knowing that there was a very strong chance the kid would have it, too. Now she's 18, but her body is decaying as though she was 60 :(	I actually have two children. I was pregnant with my second when I was diagnosed. My husband and I made the decision for me to get a tubal and for him to get a vasectomy after my son was born because I didn't want anymore children. I worry everyday that my daughter would get it, especially since it is 90% more common in females than males. If i would do it differently I think I would have still had my children. I am just grateful I was 23 when I started because if I had to start haven them at 31, I don't think I would be having any.
Are you interested in having children, yourself?	When it comes to my parents, while my dad's aunt had it, it was never really talked about. They also didn't know exactly if it was genetic or even what it entailed so my parents wouldn't have even thought to take that into consideration when they got pregnant with me. I was their first.
When did you start noticing something wasn't right? How long until doctors diagnosed you? What was your general reaction to finding out you have lupus?	I had mono as a teen and it was so severe I need steroids to combat the inflammation in my tonsils. Since that point, I have never felt normal. When I was about 20, I noticed joint pain and burning in my muscles. When I brought it up to my GP he told me I was fat (I was about 200 lbs then) and depressed and that it wasn't lupus.
	When I was pregnant with my son I had already long given up finding answers to my fatigue and joint pain, so I feel like the diagnosis fell into my lap. I was scared shitless because while I knew my aunt had it and was on dialysis for it, I had no clue what it was or what it meant in prognosis. Especially since I was pregnant with my second child at the time.
It was something that, living in America, always seemed difficult for her to deal with - as somebody who lives in the UK, the concept of (potentially) being clfaced with large medical bills seems very strange.	I live in Georgia now. My husband is retired from the US Army so we have been able to keep his health insurance which is a god send. I always have access to doctors and hospitals without the fear of medical bills that would put me in bankruptcy.
Where is it that you live (if you don't mind my asking) and how has the health service helped (or hindered) you while dealing with your health problems?	When I had my seizures last year, I did get a second opinion from doctor's in NYC (where I am from). My insurance gave me the flexibility to do that. If I was uninsured, it would be scary. Last year alone, I surpassed my catastrophic cap significantly. If I wasn't insured, I don't know where I would be now. My insurance is excellent though so it hasn't hindered me.
Are you on a specific medication ? If yes, is it cortisone based ? And does it forbid you the right to drink, smoke cannabis or take various drugs ?	I have been on steroids in the past. While I still have a standing rx in case I need to taper, I don't take it. I hate the side effects.
One of my friend has lupus and I was wondering about her.	I am really not supposed to drink alcohol because methotrexate is toxic on the liver and it can cause cirrhosis. I still occasionally splurge with a glass of red wine (merlot or cabernet) or beer! With other lupus medications it isn't recommended but the contraindication isn't as bad as when you are on methotrexate or imuran.
Thanks for this AMA! I have psoriasis and i understand that the treatment IVIG or intravenously injecting pooled white blood cells hopefully to restart your own white blood cells was initially designed for Lupus and other more complicated auto-immune conditions. Have you tried that treatment?	I only know two woman on IVIG treatment who have Lupus, one's case was so severe she even went through a stem cell transplant. I don't know if it has become outdated or I am not sever enough to take it, but it has never been offered to me.
I'm pretty late to this one, but I have a question for you. A friend of mine, who is an opera singer, was recently diagnosed with Lupus. I'm guessing you're not a singer, but can you talk about the effects of Lupus on your speaking voice? If you are a singer, what impact has this disease had on your singing? Thanks for the AMA!	I haven't heard anything of Lupus/medications affecting your vocal chords directly. If your friend also has Sjogren's Syndrome (antibodies attacking mucous membranes) it may be an issue. I would have her ask her doctor, especially since that is her career.
Do you exercise? I had a teacher who had lupus and told me joint pain leads most people to never exercise but she wouldn't have it and was a marathon runner.	Not as much as I should. I definitely felt better when I did. I know someone with lupus who is also a long distance runner and she has had minor flares since she started running. Exercise makes a huge difference in managing this disease.
Have you tried Kefir?	No I haven't. What does it taste like because even though I like alcohol, I have been leary of fermented yogurt because it just sounds odd. But I am usually up to try almost anything so if you tell me it's good, I will try it.
It's really good. I like the blueberry and it's especially good if you mix it in a bowl with some granola.	I will definitely try it then! I love granola and berries in almond milk.
It tastes a bit sour but you may like it. I certainly do. The reason I asked was, since Kefir helps regulation of gut flora it has a positive effect on immune system and there is anecdotal evidence that it helps with lupus too.	I love greek yogurt so if the sourness is similar to that I would definitely like it. It is important for those with lupus to have a good immune system which isn't the same attitude most doctors have. Thanks for the heads up.

Last updated: 2014-05-14 21:43 UTC
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