Unexpected Lupus Flare

When I flare I’ll usually feel pain on my right hip or stiffness in my hands. But, this time I was feeling this radiating pain in my neck and upper back. I’m not even sure what triggered it. In 7.5 years I never felt anything like this. In the beginning, I tried so many things from massages from my husbands to heating pads, ice packs, Icy Hot, Tiger Balm, acupressure mats, Tynelol, Advil, whatever I had at home I tried it. But, nothing worked. I even tried doing some stretches that I saw on youtube and even asked social media for some help if there were any tips and tricks they used.

Living with constant pain

But, the pain was still there and it was just so bothersome. Sleeping became unbearable. I would toss and turn and tried sleeping on my side as much as I could. When I got up my whole body felt so achy and stiff. I wreaked of Icy Hot and Tiger Balm. By week 2, my neck also became so stiff probably because of my weird sleeping positions. It hurt so much every time I had to turn or pick up anything on the ground.

My husband was begging me to reach out to my doctor. I told him I just needed to ride this flare out and if it still hurt by next week I would call him. My flares usually last a couple of weeks so I figured this was the same. But he kept on insisting so I messaged my doctor. My doctor agreed to run labs to see if it was my lupus flare or if maybe it was something else. So, I scheduled an appointment and went to Quest.

Unexpected test results...

Surprisingly all my lupus markers were within range of my “normal” except for one test. The test was called NT-proBNP and it suggested mild to moderate heart stress. I didn’t feel any issues with my heart. So I was really perplexed with this. Since it was going on at the third week and I was still in pain my doctor suggested I should get some imaging and we would run labs again in my next in person visit in a couple of weeks. If the blood test was elevated again I would probably also need an echocardiogram.

I mentioned to him that I had a CT chest/abdomen/pelvis and neck scan already scheduled with my oncology team in the next 2 weeks and hopefully the results of that could shed some light onto my back and neck pain. If it did not and I was still in pain he would order more imaging, probably an MRI.

Easing the flare

Thankfully by the end of week 3 the back pain only occurred when I was asleep and only on my left side. When I woke up I was still feeling achy but as soon as I started to move the achy feeling would go away. By week 4 the pain was still there. But again only on my left side. Later on during the week I started to get the infamous butterfly rash. I went to bed without it but woke up with it, but the back and neck pain was gone.

I was so relieved but I didn’t want to celebrate just yet. I hoped this was the finish line of my flare and I kept monitoring my face and hoped that the pain would not appear again. In a few days my face rash calmed down and my back and neck pain did not come back. I was overjoyed. My flare was finally over and I could enjoy being pain free until the next time my body decided to flare up.

How long do your flares last?