For women who have lupus, menopause can be a confusing mixture of symptoms and problems. Many of the symptoms of menopause mimic lupus symptoms, therefore a woman entering menopause may have a hard time distinguishing the difference between the two, and therefore may delay important treatment. Understanding how menopause affects women with lupus and what the differences are in the symptoms can help you maintain proper medical care and diligence.
The Connection
Eighty to 90 percent of people who develop lupus are female. Research funded by the Arthritis Foundation examined the association between the development of lupus in women and menopause. The study included 121,000 females between 30 and 55 years of age. A second study used 116,000 women between 25-42. The study determined that women who began their periods before the age of 10 are twice as likely to develop lupus as are women who began their cycles after the age of 10. In addition, women who entered menopause before the age of 47 were also twice as likely to develop lupus as are women who go into menopause after the age of 47. The study determined that women who use estrogen, either as a contraceptive or as a hormone replacement therapy following menopause, double their risk of developing lupus.
Co-morbid Symptoms
Symptoms that are common to lupus patients and menopause patients include swelling and pain around the joints that often mimic arthritis, changes in the body's temperature readings that can be both higher and lower than normal, chest pains with attempting to take in a deep breath, loss of hair, eyes that feel dry, puffy skin that appears around the eyes or in the legs, inability to concentrate or think clearly, loss of sex drive and fatigue that can be severe.
Differences
While the symptoms of menopause and lupus can be strikingly similar, there are some subtle differences between the two. Symptoms of lupus tend to be more widespread throughout the body and more general in nature. The symptoms of lupus also vary more than the symptoms of menopause vary.
Lupus symptoms often become more intense shortly before a woman begins her menstrual period or while she is pregnant, which leads researchers to believe there is a strong hormonal tie to the disease. For women with lupus who enter periomenopause or menopause, those symptoms can become much more intense.
Good News
Most women who have lupus will discover that their flare-ups of lupus become less severe following menopause. This is believed to be caused by the reduced amount of estrogen in the body after going through menopause. This does not mean the lupus is cured, or eradicated from the body; medical supervision and treatment are still needed to manage symptoms. In addition, women who choose to take replacement hormone therapy may find that they have an increase in flare-ups or lupus symptoms, though that can be mild to moderate in intensity.
Warning
Though research indicates that lupus symptoms often decrease with age and menopause, as previously noted it does not mean that the lupus is cured. It is important to seek advice from your physician anytime you experience a change in the frequency, intensity or symptoms of lupus flare-ups. It is also important not to assume that such changes are actually caused by menopause and not lupus. Seeking medical advice will help determine the underlying cause of your symptoms and provide proper treatment.
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