Is there any relationship between alcohol and lupus?

Question

My wife & I spent a number of years "drunk" I stopped 3 years ago when diagnosed wirh stroke. She has only just stopped having been diagnosed with Lupus (SLE). I was wondering if the two were or might be related

Answer 1

I don't think so.

From http://www.uklupus.co.uk/new.html (well worth a read): -

What causes lupus?

The exact cause is unknown, but it is likely to be a combination of factors. A person's genetic make-up & exposure to certain trigger factors may provide the right environment in which lupus can develop.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupus_erythematosus#Causes: -

Lupus research has dramatically increased in recent years but the exact cause of the disease is unknown and there is still no consensus on whether it is a single condition or a group of related diseases. SLE is a chronic inflammatory disease believed to be a type III hypersensitivity response with potential type II involvement,[7] characterised by the body's production of antibodies against the nuclear components of its own cells. There are three mechanisms by which lupus is thought to develop: genetic predisposition, environmental triggers and drug reaction (drug-induced lupus).

Genetics
The first mechanism may arise genetically. Research indicates that SLE may have a genetic link. Lupus does run in families, but no single "lupus gene" has yet been identified. Instead, multiple genes appear to influence a person's chance of lupus developing when triggered by environmental factors. The most important genes are located on chromosome 6, where mutations may occur randomly (de novo) or be inherited. Additionally, people with SLE have an altered RUNX-1 binding site, which may be either cause or contributor (or both) to the condition. Altered binding sites for RUNX-1 have also been found in people with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Environmental triggers
The second mechanism may be due to environmental factors. These factors may not only exacerbate existing lupus conditions, but also trigger the initial onset. They include certain medications (such as some antidepressants and antibiotics), extreme stress, exposure to sunlight, hormones, and infections. Some researchers have sought to find a connection between certain infectious agents (viruses and bacteria), but no pathogen can be consistently linked to the disease. UV radiation has been shown to trigger the photosensitive lupus rash, but some evidence also suggests that UV light is capable of altering the structure of the DNA, leading to the creation of autoantibodies. Some researchers have found that women with silicone gel-filled breast implants have produced antibodies to their own collagen, but it is not known how often these antibodies occur in the general population and there is no data that show these antibodies cause connective tissue diseases such as lupus.
Drug reactions
Drug-induced lupus erythematosus is a reversible condition that usually occurs in patients being treated for a long-term illness. Drug-induced lupus mimics systemic lupus. However, symptoms of drug-induced lupus generally disappear once a patient is taken off the medication which triggered the episode. There are about 400 medications currently in use that can cause this condition, though the most common drugs are procainamide, hydralazine and quinidine.
Non-SLE forms of lupus
Discoid (cutaneous) lupus is limited to skin symptoms and is diagnosed via biopsy of skin rash on the face, neck or scalp. Often an anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) test for discoid patients is negative or a low-titre positive. About 10% of discoid lupus patients eventually develop SLE.

Answer 2

I have been diagnosed since 04 and no one knows how we get this. Alcohol plays a major factor on your internal organs which in our case will help your organs deteriorate faster. Lupus is an immune disease, although internal organ damage will happen I have never seen a study relating this to Lupus. Here is a great web site that you can go and read up on.Good Luck.

www.lupus.org

Answer 3

What was the reason for you spending a number of years DRUNK? I doubt the over indulgence in alcohol was the cause of either the stoke or lupus, but the reason for the alcohol might be?

Answer 4

No Lupus is an autoimmune disorder. Unless she was allergic to what the alcohol she was consuming was made from?