Dear Nancy,

Thanks for the suggestions-glad to meet another SLE person. I must apologize for my nursing abbreviations, which my husband fusses about any time they sneak thru; I was not sure who would answer. Please forgive. But you got the basic question and I appreciatie your reply. Saw my MD; synthroid increase has begun to take hold and I feel more like a living person again.  He felt the headache was a result of a flu like virus and managed to break the pain cycle, thank goodness. Given the SLE, you probably know as well as I do that things just take a bit longer to "bounce back". I have seen a migranine specialist, but the newer drugs were contraindicated once I had a few 'cardiac type episodes.' However, one of my seizure drugs is somewhat helpful, all of that being neuro.  I live in the South and the humidity and brometric pressure are true triggers. Then I found out that the bakery bread we had been enjoying had MSG in it, which is a horrible trigger for me. (I never thought to look.) I guess I just want it all to go away but most folks probably do!

Thank you so much,

inpain

Dear Nancy,

So many times I have wished for that "magic wand" or "silver bullet" myself! I do believe that each specialist sometimes thinks only in terms of their scope of practice. My family prac. at least pulls it all together as lupus related. Still, many times I have stayed in bed, "glued" to an ice pack at the nape of my neck! SLE is no fun and it is hard to see people think of it only as that thing that causes the"buttterfly rash", or tell me that they just take tylenol for their headaches. (As if---) I am so sorry you are flaring. Has it seemed to you that more people lately have autoimmune problems? If the pain gets too bad, I won't go to the hospital because they really undertreat. I just tough it out till Mondays. My doc gave prescription of anti-nausea med (phenergan) that at least helps with the nausea. Because of severe retinal problems and history of kidney failure,better now, we are saving the big gun meds till I MUST use them. But aspirin only takes you so far. I am so sorry about your ANA, hang in there. You are not alone.

inpain

PS--My sister has psorriatic arthritis and my mom's family has a great deal of rheumatoid. Is your family history this way? Just wondering.