How common is it to have both Lupus and Emotional issues?

Question

I've seen various sites talking about bipolar disorder and lupus, or severe depression and lupus, and I know that I, personally, was treated for bipolar disorder before they found out I was LA+. (I don't have lupus, I'm RO-, but I have lots of lupus-related symptoms, so I'm being treated for them.) I was just wondering, how common is it for people who have lupus to have emotional issues as well?

Answer 1

I have both! I'd say very common but I don't think much research has been done to really find out!

But here's what I found....

According to The Lupus Foundation of Americas pathetic website ...
Some psychiatric and medical studies state that 15 percent of those with a chronic illness suffer from clinical depression; others place this figure as high as 60 percent. Although clinical depression is certainly more common in people with chronic medical illness, (e.g., lupus) than in the general population, not every patient with a chronic illness suffers from clinical depression.

For patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), symptoms of depressive illness that quite naturally can be attributed to the lupus condition include:

inactivity
loss of energy and interest
insomnia
pain intensification
diminished sexual interest and/or performance.
What causes depression in lupus?

There is no one cause of clinical depression in lupus; rather, there are various and different factors contributing to depression in chronic illnesses such as lupus.

The most common cause is the emotional drain from the continuous series of stresses and strains associated with coping with the chronic illness and medical condition.
Other causes may be the many sacrifices and losses required by the continuous life adjustments that a patient with a chronic illness must make.
Various medications used to treat lupus, such as steroids (e.g., prednisone), may bring about depression.
Lupus involvement of certain organs (e.g., the brain, heart, or kidneys) can lead to clinical depression.
There also are many unrecognized or unknown factors (which may or may not be related to lupus) which may cause depressive illness.
Of course, there are people who would develop clinical depression whether or not they had lupus. In fact, it is the most common psychiatric condition seen in the general population-20 percent of women and 10 percent of men-as well as in medical practice.

Answer 2

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, some elements of Lupus, Psoriasis, a benign blood problem and am now in a wheelchair, due to Disc bulges. I am in contact with a lot of people who have Arthritis, including Lupus and they all seem to go through various stages of depression. I think the real problem being that the Medical profession build our hopes up and then they are dashed. I have spent years accepting I have the above conditions, call myself Autoimmune City and because I have accepted it, akin to having Asthma, part of my, part of my life and I have to cope with it in the best way I know how, people state 'How can you have such a positive attitude and be upbeat and laugh?' I am now wondering if the stereotype of Disease = Depression? We all have 'emotional problems' no one is perfeck, but like everything else in life the job is to deal with it, the best way you know how. If I feel myself slipping, I tend to go to You Tube and watch a old Comedy Tony Handcock Blood Donor, just laugh my head off. He for me was the best comedian ever and yet committed suicide! Just goes to prove anyone can have depression.

Answer 3

I've always read that depression is a symptom of lupus. I was diagnosed with lupus over ten years ago but I was never diagnosed with mild depression until this year. I think my depression came from a lack of energy and poor quality of life derived from the low energy. but now I'm taking something that aleviates my fatigue -- and my symptoms of depression are nearly ziltch now!

Answer 4

A scandal to who? Republicans and Conservatives are claiming those are scandals, however they did not vote for him within the first position. There had been a long way worse rumors and allegations made in opposition to the President related to Benghazi earlier than the election. Afterwords, the worst scandals went away. Again, how could that experience affected the Democratic vote? What, we went after the Tea Party?!? Democrats could have felt they deserved it. Again, the election could had been the identical.

Answer 5

Hi Im Chris, I have Lupus. Its a difficult question o answer. Lupus can and in me personally really affect the brain. The entire Central Nervous System in fact. I have had lupus since my teens, suffering with seizures, moments of deppression. At 27 I had a bout of Psycocis out of nowhere. The dr's said I was Bi-polar. But as two yrs progressed, physical signs came, and the Bi-Polar diagnosis went away. The moments of problems with depression etc still come and go. But they are very short. and usually with a Lupus flare, when Im too ill to go out for weeks or months.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, it can attack any part of your body. I don't know of many people attack everything at once, its usually a thing here and there. Also, you can have any number of autoimmunes that are similar to Lupus; sjorgrens, Rhuematoid Arthritis, Polymyalgia. all usually milder than SLE (Lupus).

There are 11 diagnostic critera for Lupus itself. Your dr's may be waiting to see what other critera you meet now, in the future or in your past.

Here is the critera

The 1982 Revised Criteria for Classification of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Criterion Definition
1. Malar rash Fixed erythema, flat or raised, over the malar eminences, tending to spare the nasolabial folds


2. Discoid rash Erythematous raised patches with adherent keratotic scaling and follicular plugging; atrophic scarring may occur in older lesions


3. Photosensitivity Skin rash as a result of unusual reaction to sunlight, by patient history or physician observation


4. Oral ulcers Oral or nasopharyngeal ulceration, usually painless, observed by physician


5. Arthritis Nonerosive arthritis involving 2 or more peripheral joints, characterized by tenderness, swelling, or effusion


6. Serositis a) Pleuritis--convincing history of pleuritic pain or rubbing heard by a physician or evidence of pleural effusion
OR
b) Pericarditis--documented by ECG or rub or evidence of pericardial effusion
7. Renal disorder a) Persistent proteinuria greater than 0.5 grams per day or grater than 3+ if quantitation not performed
OR
b) Cellular casts--may be red cell, hemoglobin, granular, tubular, or mixed
8. Neurologic disorder a) Seizures--in the absence of offending drugs or known metabolic derangements; e.g., uremia, ketoacidosis, or electrolyte imbalance
OR
b) Psychosis--in the absence of offending drugs or known metabolic derangements, e.g., uremia, ketoacidosis, or electrolyte imbalance
9. Hematologic disorder a) Hemolytic anemia--with reticulocytosis
OR
b) Leukopenia--less than 4,000/mm<>3<> total on 2 or more occasions
OR
c) Lyphopenia--less than 1,500/mm<>3<> on 2 or more occasions
OR
d) Thrombocytopenia--less than 100,000/mm<>3<> in the absence of offending drugs
10. Immunologic disorder a) Positive LE cell preparation
OR
b) Anti-DNA: antibody to native DNA in abnormal titer
OR
c) Anti-Sm: presence of antibody to Sm nuclear antigen
OR
d) False positive serologic test for syphilis known to be positive for at least 6 months and confirmed by Treponema pallidum immobilization or fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test
11. Antinuclear antibody An abnormal titer of antinuclear antibody by immunofluorescence or an equivalent assay at any point in time and in the absence of drugs known to be associated with "drug-induced lupus" syndrome



* The proposed classification is based on 11 criteria. For the purpose of identifying patients in clinical studies, a person shall be said to have systemic lupus erythematosus if any 4 or more of the 11 criteria are present, serially or simultaneously, during any interval of observation.

They have not updated it since 1982, it does need and should be updated again. I hope they do it soon.
I hope this has helped you.
Chris

Answer 6

Very because lupus and bi-polar affects the entire body including the nervous syptoms, please see a Rhumetologist to be sure.about Lupus