Is it true that Rheumatoid Arthritis can turn into LUPUS?
553571
Yes, you already have one autoimmune disease so it getting worse and developing into lupus is not unheard of. Taking the right supplements and getting rid of toxins in your environment will go a long way towards fixing the problem.
1120958
Not only can Lupus cause the more common symptoms mentioned, but it also causes the body to turn on itself. When my wife was diagnosed with Lupus at 23 yrs old, it attacked her kidneys and turned 70% of them to scar tissue. Prednisone was used to treat it and that caused AVN, osteoperosis, osteoarthritis and a whole bunch of other stuff.\n\nNow, at the age of 34, my wife has recently spent 2 weeks in ICU after the Lupus attacked her brain and sent her entire body chemistry out of whack. This condition is referred to as Lupus Cerebritis, or CNS Vasculitis. In her case, due to all of the complications connected to it, is was nearly fatal for her.\n\nAs doctors know little about it, when compared to other more common conditions, it makes Lupus more difficult to diagnose and treat. There is still much research and experimentation ongoing relating to Lupus. \n\nJust my 2 cents for you...
105214
No. It is an auto-immune disese. In this disease body's defence mechanism gets deranged and attacks the self. It mainly and initially affects the joints. Later on it may involve the heart, kidney, spleen etc. This disease does not lead to cancer.
1097319
The following is from webmd:\n\n What is rheumatoid arthritis? \n\nRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a relatively common disease of the joints. In rheumatoid arthritis, the membranes or tissues (synovial membranes) lining the joints become inflamed (synovitis). Over time, the inflammation may destroy the joint tissues, leading to disability. Rheumatoid arthritis affects women twice as often as men, and frequently begins between the ages of 40 and 60. \n\nThere are many types of arthritis (disease of the joints). Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the synovial membrane of the joints. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects young children. For more information, see the topic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis, a more common type of arthritis, has different symptoms and requires different treatment. For more information, see the topic Osteoarthritis.\n..........................................\nAS you can see, none of this deals with why or how.\n\nThat's because 'arthritis' is a catagorical name given to a set of certain symptoms.\n\nMany doctors simply  diagnose symptoms and treat them conveniently with drugs. "Next."\n\nI found an article at this website to be interesting, using the words "arthritis spreads" in the word search:  www.cureyourarthritis.typepad.com
231990
Lupus, Crohn's Disease, and some other diseases mimic eachother.  MS isn't the worst thing that could happen to you.  I speak from experience, because I have MS.
1137051
autoimmune disease \n \n \nany of a number of abnormal conditions caused when the body produces antibodies to its own substances. In rheumatoid arthritis, a group of antibody molecules called collectively RF, or rheumatoid factor, is complexed to the individual's own gamma globulin blood proteins; the circulating complex apparently causes tissue inflammation and muscle and bone deformities. In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland, antibodies are produced against the thyroid protein thyroglobulin. In some blood disorders, antibodies may be produced against the body's own red and white blood cells. Myasthenia gravis, a disease characterized by weakened muscles, is thought to have an autoimmune origin. In systemic lupus erythematosus it has been shown that individuals have antibodies to certain of their own body substances that for some reason are acting as antigens; these substances include the individual's own nucleic acids and cell organelles such as ribosomes and mitochondria. Lupus can cause dysfunction of many organs, including the heart, kidneys, and joints. Because lupus and certain diseases of probable autoimmune origin, e.g., scleroderma and dermatomyositis, affect collagen (connective tissue) throughout the body and blood vessels, they are referred to as collagen-vascular diseases. In rheumatic fever, the individual produces antibodies to antigens of streptococcal bacteria; it is believed that the streptococcal antigens are structurally similar to antigens of the heart and that antistreptococcal antibodies, combining with antigenic sites on the heart, damage the muscle and heart valves. Diseases of the immune system are currently treated by a variety of nonspecific immunosuppressive drugs and steroids.
911146
I have often wondered about the connection between rheumatoid arthritis and EBV.  My mother's first attacks of rheumatoid arthritis were accompanied by very high EBV levels in her blood, of course with extreme fatigue and all of that good stuff.  So I suppose I don't really have an answer for you, but I wanted you to know that you're not the only person whose arthritis seems somehow connected to EBV.
363933
There are Medications but No Cures. There are over 300 Types of Lupus. I have a Form Myself. Good Luck
851318
Lupus\n\nDefinition\n\nLupus, also known as lupus erythematosus, is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that occurs mostly in women.\n\nDescription\n\nLupus produces widely varying symptoms, although joint pain is reported by most patients and skin lesions are common. Lupus can cause short periods of symptoms alternating with healthy periods, or can progress into a life-threatening disorder affecting the heart, kidneys, and other organs.\n\nWhy the disease is termed lupus is unknown, but it has been known as a distinct disorder and called lupus by European physicians since at least the tenth century A.D. The term erythematosus was first attached to the disease in the 1850s, and it refers to the patchy congestion of skin capillaries with blood (erythema) that often accompanies the disease.\n\nDemographics\n\nBetween one million and 1.5 million Americans have some form of lupus. The incidence among women is 10–15 times greater than among men, and it is two to three times more common among African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans than among whites. Lupus most often appears for the first time in women between the ages of 15 and 44. Twenty thousand people die of lupus-related causes in the United States annually.\n\nCauses and symptoms\n\nLupus is an autoimmune disorder, a disease in which the body's immune system turns against the body itself. In a healthy person, the immune system defends against invading organisms but does not, in general, attack the body's own tissues. The cause of lupus is unknown. However, it is known that lupus has a genetic component, which means a predisposition to lupus can be inherited. Approximately 10% of lupus patients have one or more direct relatives with lupus. (Note that this means that 90% of lupus patients have no such relatives; however, it shows a connection...\n\nPossible treatment:\n\nRetin-A is often used to improve the appearance and texture of the skin. It produces a mild, superficial peel of the epidermis. Retin-A has effects on the both the superficial (epidermis) and the deep (dermis) parts of the skin. The major benefit is to decrease the effects of sunlight caused aging by increasing the speed with which the surface cells are replaced.
783945
Well lots of people get sjogren syndrome if they have rheumatoid arthritis, and as far as having multiple illnesses i can understand that too for i also have sjogren syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, and also in my 10 year battle with cancer. All you can do is to try and take care of your self the best you can and that includes taking all medicine that is prescribed. while it may seem like your getting the short end of the stick, I always tell myself what does not kill you only makes you stronger.....so be invincible
331576
While you are having your blood checked for uric acid (which indicates gout) have it checked for rheumatoid factor (indicates rheumatoid arthritis). RA has the following symptoms: The joint can be: Warm to touch, reddened, swollen, deformed, stiff, painful. Hope that helps some.
44128
There's a good article about Lupus at http://www.hopkins-arthritis.som.jhmi.edu/other/lupus.html\n\n"The good news is that only two out of 100 children whose mother has lupus will get lupus. The genetic risk is small. It is not strictly a genetic disease."\n\nHope this helps.
698244
First off lets dispel any myths that might have been given by the patient who said she has SLE (systemic lupus) and then went on to say that SLE doesn't affect the internal organs like other 'lupus'.  SLE is SYSTEMIC which means by definition that it affects the entire body.  One with SLE can expect to have many differing symptoms as each persons case presents differently.  Some people experience joint pain and muscle weakness others have facial 'butterfly ' and body rashes, some have internal organ involvement such as kidney, heart, liver and brain and some have all the symptoms.  The most important thing to remember is that most of these issues can be controlled with medication.  Prednisone will help with the inflamation and plaqunil can assist with kidney damage, Cellcept can help with other internal organ involvement and sometimes other chemotherapy drugs may be indicated.  Lupus is a disease in which your immune system is overactive and kills good cells as well as the bad which leaves you open to getting infections because your immune system is overworked.  Lupus patients are considered immunocompromised.  For instance, my wife who was diagnosed with Lupus at 15, was recently bitten by a neighbors cat.  Where a person with a normal immune system could just put on some topical antibiodic cream and maybe take some oral antibodics, she spent three days in the hospital receiving IV antibodics because her immune system couldn't fight of the infection. \n\nSo what can you expect?  You can expect your good days and your bad ones.  You'll have days that you're fatigued and days which you feel great.  There'll be times when you don't want to get out of bed but you force yourself to go on.  You must follow the advice of your doctor and take the medications that they presricbe and keep an open dialogue with them.  Remember that you are ultimately responsible for your health care and you need to let the doctor know how certain medications are affecting you or how the Lupus is affecting you, be honest and open.  Also it may help to join a support group.  There are many out there just go to the Lupus Foundation website and they'll give you a meeting site in your area.  \n\nMy wife is a dentist.  Her Lupus sometimes makes her feel badly but she never ever lets it control her life.  She is a beautiful person and has accomplished much in her life inspite of her disease.  I wish you the best of luck.  If you have any more specific questions please do not hesitate to email us.
985792
There really aren't any recent advances in the TREATMENT of SLE however there are many many more studies in SLE and pregnancy.  At first it was thought that in no way should a woman with SLE get pregnant as it would almost surely cause a Lupus flare and put her life in jeopardy as well as that of her baby.  Newer studies show that the flare ups during prenancy are more a nomal part of the disease rather than a direct causal link to pregnancy.  In fact many doctors now believe that woman with Lupus may just be feeling what other women nomally feel during pregnancy...aching joints, swelling, backaches...all normal symptoms of pregnancy which can also be symptoms of a Lupus flare.  There is a warning here though...a woman with SLE must be checked for Antiophospholipid syndrome a Lupus associated disease that affects at least 50% of Lupus patients but that can go undiagnosed for years.  This disease causes DVT or blood clots which, during prenancy can be FATAL.  It is not recommended that a woman with both diseases attempt to get pregnant as the risk for stroke and embolism is drastically increased.  SLE patients can expect to deliver prematurely and can expect the normal complications from this type of birth, ie. Cerebal palsy, blindness and deafness (depending on the stage of gestation).  Other than that, many many women have had perfectly normal pregnancies and have had beautiful and healthy children.
82431
Think you mean Rheumatoid as in Rheumatoid Arthiritis.\n No, no cure but there are lots of things you can do to reduce the pain etc. There are lots of support sites on the subject. Type in rheumatoid arthiritis support, click search and you will find loads.
700925
First...there is no cure for Lupus but there are alot of charlatins out there that would love to sell you the "cure".\n\nBut yes, it is very possible for you to get pregnant and to do ok.  I would suggest that you are healthly in every other aspect and not starting this out in a flare.  I would also line up a perinatologist.\n\nAlthough a lupus pregnancy is considered high risk, most women with lupus carry their babies safely to the end of their pregnancy. Women with lupus have a higher rate of miscarriage and premature births compared with the general population. In addition, women who have antiphospholipid antibodies are at a greater risk of miscarriage in the second trimester because of their increased risk of blood clotting in the placenta. Lupus patients with a history of kidney disease have a higher risk of preeclampsia (hypertension with a buildup of excess watery fluid in cells or tissues of the body). Pregnancy counseling and planning before pregnancy are important. Ideally, a woman should have no signs or symptoms of lupus and be taking no medications for at least 6 months before she becomes pregnant.\n\nPregnancy counseling and planning before pregnancy are important.\n\nSome women may experience a mild to moderate flare during or after their pregnancy; others do not. Pregnant women with lupus, especially those taking corticosteroids, also are more likely to develop high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), and kidney complications, so regular care and good nutrition during pregnancy are essential. It is also advisable to have access to a neonatal (newborn) intensive care unit at the time of delivery in case the baby requires special medical attention.\n\nI have both Lupus and APS.  I often ask myself these same questions.  Is it fair to have a baby and be sick or possibly die on them.  And being that both you and your mom have Lupus there is a strong familia trait in your family...chances are your baby will develop it.  So, no kids here.  Chances are I will adopt.  I have too many medications that I would have to stop.\n\nAnd since APS is often triggered in Lupus patients during pregnancy, I will give you that page too.
622815
There is no definitive cause for Lupus like there is for cancer. It can be caused by diet, cleaning products, personal products or any number of combinations of these. Something is causing your body not to respond like it should and that is usually toxins in your environment.