Rheumatic Diseases: Why Are Mornings so Difficult?

Submitted by Sjogren's India on 24 September 2017

Dr. Sapan C. Pandya, MD DM Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology answers this and many other questions in this exhaustive talk with Kirtida Oza, Co-founder of Sjögren’s India. This online Webinar on “Rheumatic Diseases: Challenges and Hope” is aimed at enhancing awareness about lesser understood diseases.  

#Rheumatic Diseases Awareness Month

Dr. Sapan C. Pandya starts with a quick recap of lesser known Rheumatic Diseases including Scleroderma, Lupus, Inflammatory Myositis and Sjögren’s syndrome; and the symptoms of these conditions from dry mouth, dry skin to hardened skin conditions, shortness of breath, etc.

He highlights the need for early diagnosis to prevent complications since the window period of effective treatment is small  While these conditions are not curable, they are controllable. Treatment adherence is important for managing these conditions. Treatment options like Biologics, Palliation, NSAIDS, Immunosuppressants and Cortico-steroids are discussed.

The question-answer session covered a wide range of topics. Some of the questions covered were:

  • Do symptoms of rheumatic diseases aggravate during menopause? Are they likely to get early menopause?
  •  Women with rheumatic diseases and Pregnancy
  • Skin pigmentation due to hydroxychoroquine
  • What is Brain Fog and what can be done about it?
  • Why are mornings so difficult?
  • Calcium and Vitamin D supplements
  • How to handle fatigue and the role of exercise and Vitamin D?
  • How to manage drug interactions since various drugs are prescribed by different specialists?
  • State of Stem Cell Transplant for these conditions

Check out the video link below if you want to understand about Rheumatic Diseases and Connective Tissue Conditions. And let us know if you are keen on knowing more about any of these conditions.

Community
Auto Immune conditions
Muscle, Bone and Joint (earlier named Arthritis)
Condition
Lupus
Changed
Thu, 11/02/2017 - 08:07

Stories

  • Stay Positive and Believe in Yourself
    Usha Ravi Eppaturi, 49 has been living with Lupus for a long time and it took a while for her diagnosis. She talks about Lupus as well as other challenges with which she lives but remains undaunted. Please tell us a bit about your condition Identified with auto immune condition Lupus, with a relapse of AVN (Avascular Necrosis) which has left me with 3 artificial implants i.e. both my hip joints and right shoulder joint. When were you diagnosed? Diagnosed in September 1986 when I was 16 years…
  • Profile pic of a Lupus Patient
    Stay Focussed And Live Every Moment - Beyond Lupus
    K.S. Sangeetha, 29 from Chennai has been living with Lupus last 14 years. She even had to go through with a kidney transplant last year. Sangeetha talks about how she handled both conditions. Please tell us a bit about your condition I have a condition called lupus which is an auto immune disorder. I was diagnosed in 2005. What were the early symptoms? Early symptoms of Lupus were extreme hair fall, fatigue, persistent fever, swollen joints and severe joint aches. We also have no history of…
  • Find The Lupus Management Protocol That Is Right For You
    Ishita Biswas has Lupus (SLE) and Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) and shares with us how she deals with the challenges of each day to the best of her abilities. #DayInTheLife Series Mornings : My mornings begin with meditation. I try to wake up as early as possible, but I try to make sure that my body is not stressed by that. I am up mostly by 6:30 am. I feel starting your day with meditation is the best way to have a productive day, irrespective of the fact whether you have a chronic…
  • A woman in black and pink on a wheelchair in an outdoor setting
    I Felt Most Challenged When Lupus Affected My Spine
    Priya Bhargava was affected by Lupus as a teenager and had multiple disabilities. Yet she fought bravely and pushed forward to pursue all her dreams. Read how she empowered and transformed her life. She has boldly sidestepped Lupus, a chronic autoimmune condition that can cause inflammation throughout the body. Despite early onset of symptoms and multiple disabilities, she continued to dream big and break barriers. Her disease has never been her identity. She is multi-talented and known for her…
  • A young woman in a red dress standing next to a palm frond
    "Lupus Does Not Define Me"
    At 20, Ishita Biswas, a Lupus patient, has been through a lot of pain and medication. She has also had to battle the ignorance of people around her. But she has learnt to come to terms with her condition and even wants to reach out to others in similar situations. I am a 20 year old woman suffering from a condition called Lupus or SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) which is a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Since there…
  • A stock pic of a face with the butterfly shaped rash typical of Lupus
    Helping Patients Accept A Diagnosis Of Lupus - A Doctor's Perspective
    Dr. Chethana Dharmapalaiah, Rheumatologist at Aster CMI, Bengaluru shares her experiences on sharing a Lupus diagnosis with her patients, the stories of hope amidst all the despair.  I have been practising as a rheumatologist since more than a decade. I was barely exposed to a handful of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and an even lesser number of patients with lupus during my undergraduate training. No doubt the awareness has increased now amongst doctors across specialties and the…
  • A smiling black haired young woman with Lupus in a mauve coloured hospital gown
    "Do Not Let Lupus Limit You!"
    Shambhavi Chaudhary is a strong, young woman who refuses to be bogged down by Lupus, a rather inexplicable autoimmune condition. She shares her approach to facing the challenges head on despite the fear and uncertainty associated with Lupus.  As World Lupus Day approaches there are many organizations around the world effectively working towards lupus awareness, and I am often asked - Why do we need to talk about lupus? Why lupus awareness? I bet of all the weird and life threatening…
  • Creating A Patient Led Holistic Support System For Lupus in India
    The patient-led Lupus Trust India is creating a holistic support network for Lupus patients in India. As they prepare for awareness campaigns for World Lupus Day,  watch this space for the resources they are putting together.  Contributed by Suzanne Sangi Ask any Lupus patient in India how they felt right after their diagnosis, and you’re sure to hear them say “It’s the first time I heard about Lupus” or “It felt like I was the only one”. Why? Because in India, nobody talks about this…
  • A young woman, spectacled, shoulder length hair in a red dress in the foreground and holding a glass of wine. In the background are a few tables and blurred images of 2 people in blue shirt and green tshirt pulling chairs
    My Relationship with an Invisible Illness
    Suzanne Sangi is a 22-year-old who was recently diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic illness, which damages many parts of the body, including the joints, kidneys and heart. Here she talks about the pain that you can’t always see, and healing that you can always be a part of. For a long time, I have followed stories of women who have shared their experiences with chronic pain. I didn’t know that acknowledging pain would only be the starting point to what I would like to call the sparkling cloak of…
  • Image of Gopa a black haired woman looking at the camera, living with Lupus in Mumbai, India
    If You Stop Focussing On The Pain, It Gets Easier
    Gopa, 49 from Mumbai was diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis soon after her breast cancer treatment ended. She shares the complications that Lupus brought and the lifestyle changes that have helped her. Please tell us a bit about your condition  I have Lupus Nephritis (stage 5) and a blockage in the heart which is being treated with medicines. When were you diagnosed? What were the early symptoms? Well in 2000, I was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer and had treatment going on till 2002.…