do i have lupus or ms

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What is the difference between Lupus and multiple sclerosis?

At a glance, it can be difficult to tell lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS) apart. Both are chronic autoimmune diseases that can cause a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, muscle weakness, and confusion. But lupus and MS are very different conditions. Each has its own set of distinctive symptoms, causes, and treatments.

Do the symptoms of MS and Lupus go away?

The symptoms of both MS and lupus tend to flare up and go away. The symptoms that mark these flare-ups can vary and may get worse over time. In a person with MS, the immune system attacks nerve cells, damaging their protective sheaths. This makes it harder for the brain and body to communicate and may result in neurological symptoms, including:

How do doctors determine if you have MS or lupus?

Doctors usually determine that you have MS by eliminating other conditions, such as lupus. Both MS and lupus can be difficult to diagnose. It’s also possible to have overlapping diseases like lupus and another autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Should I talk to a neurologist about my lupus symptoms?

If you are experiencing any symptoms that align with either lupus or MS, talk to your neurologist. A doctor specialized in neurology will be able to provide a thorough exam, blood tests, imaging, and a professional differential diagnosis of MS or lupus. What Is Lupus? Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that affects roughly 5 million people worldwide.

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Can lupus and MS be confused?

While it's unlikely to have both MS and lupus, it's common for someone with MS to be incorrectly diagnosed with lupus because these diseases share common symptoms. Aside from lupus, MS actually has several other “mimic” conditions, including Lyme disease.

How can you tell the difference between MS and lupus?

While there are some similarities, and symptoms can overlap, MS and lupus are very different conditions. In general, a person with MS is more likely to experience neurological symptoms, such as numbness, blurred vision, and difficulty balancing. A person with lupus tends to have symptoms such as rashes and headaches.

Does lupus show on MRI?

Your doctor may order an MRI if it appears that lupus has affected the central nervous system, which includes the brain and the spinal cord, and is causing confusion or “brain fog,” depression, seizures, or psychosis.

What are the similarities between lupus and MS?

They are both relapsing-remitting disorders. Both lupus and MS can follow a pattern of remission and relapse which repeats. They can both cause brain lesions that look similar on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). While the nerves are the primary target of MS, lupus sometimes affects the nerves as well.

Can positive ANA mean MS?

An antinuclear antibody (ANA) test can help to confirm a lupus diagnosis, but other diseases, including MS, can also produce positive ANA results.

What does MS feel like in the beginning?

Numbness or Tingling A lack of feeling or a pins-and-needles sensation can be the first sign of the nerve damage from MS. It usually happens in the face, arms, or legs, and on one side of the body. It also tends to go away on its own.

What were your first signs of lupus?

SymptomsFatigue.Fever.Joint pain, stiffness and swelling.Butterfly-shaped rash on the face that covers the cheeks and bridge of the nose or rashes elsewhere on the body.Skin lesions that appear or worsen with sun exposure.Fingers and toes that turn white or blue when exposed to cold or during stressful periods.More items...•

Does lupus show in blood work?

No one test can diagnose lupus. The combination of blood and urine tests, signs and symptoms, and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis.

What is borderline lupus?

Borderline lupus, which can also be known as unspecified connective tissue disease, or probable lupus, or latent lupus, would define a patient who may have a positive ANA without a DNA or Smith antibody (blood tests used to diagnose lupus), who has arthralgias rather than arthritis, a brain fog or memory loss, and no ...

Do any blood tests show MS?

While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.

Can you have a clear MRI and still have MS?

Although MRI is a very useful diagnostic tool, a normal MRI of the brain does not rule out the possibility of MS. About 5 percent of people who are confirmed to have MS do not initially have brain lesions evidenced by MRI.

What does MS pain feel like?

Neuropathic pain happens from “short circuiting” of the nerves that carry signals from the brain to the body because of damage from MS. These pain sensations feel like burning, stabbing, sharp and squeezing sensations. In MS you can experience acute neuropathic pain and chronic neuropathic pain.

What blood tests would indicate MS?

While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.

Can you have MS with a negative ANA test?

This is especially when the ANA titer is in the mild to moderate range. Among the patients with MS, there was no difference in the disease severity between ANA-positive and negative patients.

Can lupus be found in a blood test?

No one test can diagnose lupus. The combination of blood and urine tests, signs and symptoms, and physical examination findings leads to the diagnosis.

Does lupus cause white spots on the brain?

Abstract. Introduction White matter hyperintense (WMHI) lesions are the most common finding in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

What is the difference between lupus and MS?

Other key differences between MS and lupus include: Risk factors: If you’re white, you’re at higher risk for MS but not lupus. If you’re of Black, Asian, Native, or Hispanic descent, you’re at higher risk for lupus but not MS. Pregnancy issues: Women with lupus find it harder to get pregnant. They have a higher risk of preeclampsia and miscarriages.

What are the symptoms of MS?

Common MS symptoms include electric shocks when you move your neck, vision problems, slurred speech, and bladder or bowel problems. These aren’t lupus symptoms.

What is the cause of MS?

MS is caused by immune cells that cross your blood- brain barrier and damage your central nervous system. In lupus, one type of immune cell, B cells, cause you to make autoantibodies that damage tissues and organs all over your body. Lupus and MS usually cause different symptoms.

How common is MS in women?

But it can also damage your nerves and brain. They’re both more common in younger women. The most common type of MS is up to 3 times more likely to happen to women than men, usually between ages 20 and 40. Lupus is also more common in women, and often first appears between your teens and mid-40s.

Is lupus a chronic disease?

Both MS and lupus are lifelong (chronic). You’ll live with them for good, and you’ll feel better or worse at times. Both conditions may go into remission for long periods of time. Your symptoms may mostly go away, then flare up again. They’re both autoimmune diseases.

Is lupus an autoimmune disease?

They’re both autoimmune diseases. In MS, your own immune system attacks your nervous system by mistake and damages your nerves. In lupus, your immune system attacks healthy tissues like your skin, joints, kidneys, heart, or lungs. But it can also damage your nerves and brain. They’re both more common in younger women.

Is lupus the same as MS?

Both MS and lupus are serious diseases, but you may not have the same experience or symptoms as someone else with the same diagnosis. New treatments are more effective at treating MS and lupus symptoms now. Your risk of serious complications or shortened life span is also lower than it was in the past.

What happens to the immune system when you have MS?

In a person with MS, the immune system attacks nerve cells, damaging their protective sheaths.

How long can you live with MS?

As the National Multiple Sclerosis Society state, these risks and complications may reduce the life expectancy of a person with MS by about 7 years, compared to the general population. The National Institute for Neurological Diseases and Stroke, however, say that most people with MS can expect to live as long as a person without MS.

What is a lumbar puncture?

During a lumbar puncture, a doctor removes a small amount of the liquid in the spinal cord and tests it for MS antigens.

Is lupus a symtom of multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis and lupus both involve the immune system, and they may cause similar symptoms at times. However, they are separate conditions with distinct characteristics. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) appear because the body attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This damage interferes with the way ...

Is Lupus a difficult disease to diagnose?

Lupus can be challenging to diagnose, as the symptoms are similar to those of many other conditions .

Where does lupus rash occur?

Many people develop a rash, usually on the cheeks and nose. This does not appear in every person with lupus, but it can make diagnosis easier.

Is there a test for lupus?

There is no standard diagnostic test for lupus or MS.

What is the difference between lupus and MS?

These differences are especially important as the treatments for the two diseases are usually quite different. MS is the most common neurological disease that strikes young people. About half of lupus patients will have central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) symptoms.

Why is it important to recognize the differences between lupus and MS?

It is important to recognize the differences between lupus and MS when making a diagnosis because the treatment for the two conditions is quite different.

What antibody test is used to detect lupus?

Antiphospholipid antibody testing is one way that doctors can start to distinguish lupus from MS. This antibody, also called lupus anticoagulant, increases the ability of the blood to clot. It's found in 50% of cases of lupus. 4 .

How long does Lupus live?

That prognosis has improved significantly. In 1955, only half of people with lupus were expected to live beyond five years. Now, 95% are alive after 10 years.

What organs does Lupus attack?

In lupus, the immune system may attack various organs in the body, particularly the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, or nervous system. (Some forms of lupus only affect the skin, such as a condition known as discoid lupus erythematosus .)

What are the symptoms of Lupus?

Two of the most common symptoms of lupus are rashes and joint pain. In contrast, rashes are uncommon with MS and the most common symptoms include: Double vision. Numbness. Tingling or weakness in one of the extremities. Problems with balance and coordination.

Is Lupus an autoimmune disease?

Both lupus and MS are chronic autoimmune diseases . Roughly 100 different autoimmune diseases exist, with many overlapping symptoms. 2  In these conditions, the immune system—instead of attacking an invader such as bacteria or viruses—attacks your own body.

What Is Lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that affects roughly 5 million people worldwide. Like other autoimmune diseases, lupus symptoms occur as the result of the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking the body’s healthy tissues, causing inflammation. This inflammation can have a negative impact on the heart, brain, lungs, skin, kidneys, joints, and blood cells.

What is the most common type of lupus?

The name lupus is most often used during diagnosis as a general way of referring to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Doctors refer to SLE as systemic because it typically affects several organ systems at the same time. SLE is the most common type of lupus (and the most severe), affecting about 70 percent of people with the condition.

What are the physical symptoms of MS?

Physical symptoms of MS may include muscle weakness, unsteady gait (walking), numbness and tingling sensations, and spasticity (stiffness or involuntary muscle spasms).

What is relapsing remitting MS?

This type of MS is identified by an initial relapsing-remitting MS disease course , which is then followed by progressive worsening of symptoms. This occurs with or without new relapses, minor remissions, and symptom plateaus. According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), roughly half of people with relapsing-remitting MS develop secondary progressive MS within 15 to 20 years of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

How long does it take for lupus to go away?

Although similar to SLE, drug-induced lupus is temporary. It tends to disappear within months after discontinuing the medication causing it.

What is mymsteam?

Talk With Others Who Understand. MyMSTeam is the social network for people with multiple sclerosis and their loved ones. On MyMSTeam, more than 163,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with multiple sclerosis.

What is the body system that is affected by multiple sclerosis?

However, instead of causing inflammation across several body systems, MS targets one: the central nervous system (CNS). In people with MS, the body’s defenders (white blood cells) attack the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord.

What is the Lupus Foundation?

The Lupus Foundation of America works to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through programs of research, education, support and advocacy.

Can you use the Lupus questionnaire as a substitute for medical advice?

This questionnaire cannot diagnose lupus and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice and diagnosis. The Lupus Foundation of America will not collect or share your health information with third parties.

Can you use the Lupus questionnaire to diagnose lupus?

Use this questionnaire to learn more. This questionnaire cannot diagnose lupus and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice and diagnosis. The Lupus Foundation of America will not collect or share your health information with third parties. Get lupus resources and updates.

How many symptoms are there for Lupus?

The American College of Rheumatology has developed a list of eleven symptoms for lupus. If your doctor determines that you have at least four of those symptoms, and there is no other reason why those symptoms would be present, then you may have lupus. Read more about the ACR symptoms by exploring the Symptoms category here – ...

How many people get lupus from their original doctor?

Only 14% reported getting a diagnosis from their original doctor. While this may suggest that seeing more doctors will hasten your diagnosis, keep in mind the complexities involved in reaching a lupus diagnosis. Each new doctor will need to conduct a thorough review of your current and past symptoms.

How long does it take for lupus to fade?

With lupus, symptoms may seem to appear and fade over time.

What percentage of people with Lupus experience psychosis?

3-5% of people with lupus experience psychosis, a severe mental illness and break with reality caused by inflammation in the brain. Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE) is a chronic disease where a person's…

Can a doctor diagnose Lupus?

Any physician can diagnose you with lupus including your primary care provider (PCP), hospitalists, or pediatricians. However, rheumatologists are experts in diagnosing and treating autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Even with that expertise, a diagnosis is not guaranteed as many symptoms are not specific to lupus, ...

Does lupus affect periods?

Because changing hormone levels effect the immune system in a big way, menstruation cycles, also known as periods, can seriously effect lupus symptoms. Systemic Lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that…

Does Lupus cause strokes?

People with lupus have a higher risk of developing strokes and experiencing lingering neurological effects. A recent study found that 3.1% of Lupus Warriors experienced any type of stroke Lupus affects every…. Living with Lupus.

How do you know if you have MS?

People with MS might hear this phrase a lot -- the disease can damage the part of your brain that controls speech. Here are the main symptoms: Slurred words. Nasal speech, or sounding like you have a cold. Long pauses between words or syllables, called scanning speech.

Why do people with MS have bladder problems?

About 80% of people with MS have bladder problems at some point. It happens because MS lesions interfere with nerve signals that help to control the bladder. You may notice that you:

What is MS hug?

Brief, intense pain that runs from the back of the head to the spine. Burning or aching across the body, which is also called the “MS hug”. Aches caused by stiffness or muscle spasms. Pain can happen for many reasons.

When do you start to feel MS symptoms?

First, keep in mind that most people have the first signs of the disease between the ages of 20 and 40. You can also keep track of your problems: MS symptoms tend to come and go or get worse over time. It helps to know what else can explain some of the signs you might be feeling.

Is MS fatigue bad?

But a number of things can make you feel exhausted, including a sleep disorder, depression, or too little iron in your blood. MS fatigue tends to be worse than run-of-the- mill sluggishness.

Is MS fatigue worse than sluggishness?

MS fatigue tends to be worse than run-of-the-mill sluggishness. You may not have the energy to do even simple things, like cook dinner or take the dog for a walk. Other signs include: You feel wiped out every day. You’re tired in the morning, even after a good night’s sleep, and it gets worse as the day goes on.

Lupus and MS Basics

Similarities

• Lupus and MS are very different diseases, but they have several things in common: 1. They are both autoimmune conditions. 2. We don't know the exact causes. 3. They are clinical diagnoses, meaning there isn't a lab test or imaging study which can confirm the diagnosis for certain. Rather, the diagnosis of lupus or MS relies on a set of characterist...

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