Fran
I do not have lupus, but have been dealing with an intense and complicated set of symptoms for several decades, some of which definitely fall under the heading of fibromyalgia. Among the difficulties is a shutdown of blood circulation in my lower legs, so I can sympathize with your problems. Since I am not experienced with lupus, my suggestions may not be of any help, but they are offered to give you an alternative or two to discuss with your doctor. First--may I say "YES, it IS worth it! No matter how difficult your fight, you still have the option of choosing not to be a sick PERSON. Yes, you have a sick, or challenged, or disabled, or unreliable physical body, but that is very different from BEING a sick person. Seeing these health problems as merely interesting facts among all facts about humans (some people insist on wearing red shoelaces; some people have one eyebrow arched and one eyebrow flat; some people have tons of money and are always in debt; some people have compromised health in this or that way; some people bray like donkeys when they laugh and others titter like six drunk mice....)will really help you get your equilibrium back and give you the breathing space to confront your problems calmly and thoughtfully, and give you a better change to improve some of them or at least live with them more comfortably. End of neighborly advice!!!! Now--a couple of things that have helped me: please check with your doctor first, in case I'm suggesting something that isn't so good for lupus sufferers, OK??? I do not have itching on my legs so much as constant tight pain and, by end of day, serious swelling, like a filled water balloon is expanding inside the sides and front of my lower legs. I have found that a 50%/50% mix of peppermint oil and virgin olive oil, rubbed gently but firmly into the lower leg skin helps keep the outside of my leg more pliable and, since peppermint is an herb which helps to expand blood circulation in the capillaries, also help delay the swelling and gives the leg a "bit more room to breathe." (Again, that's why I want you to check with the doctor first, because I don't know the relationship between lupus and blood circulation.) If you doctor says it's OK to try this mixture as a massage of your legs and feet, you might try it for a few days to see if it helps at least with the itching. If not then I'd discontinue immediately. The second thing I'd like to have you think about is whether you are drinking soda pop of any kind, especially cola drinks. My besetting sin is our local convenience store's fountain mode of Diet Pepsi (MUCH better tasting than the bottled or canned kind). I keep my intake strictly regulated, having one pint only during the week if I want it, sometimes none at all, and then splurging on the weekend with 1 quart to a 3 pints before Monday morning. I do this because I have a chronic staph infection called folliculitis, which keeps my skin continually susceptible to infections in individual pores. I have noticed--don't ask me what the real science is, because I don't know, although a suspect something like the phosphates in cola drinks--I've noticed that if I overindulge in my cola intake, that my staph infection levels flare up measurably and that not only do the number of infection site increase but I begin itching fiercely in the same locations. Stop drinking soda pop--the folliculitis sites drop to a manageable number and low intensity; goof up and exceed my safe limit; up flares the lesion count again. So if you are, by any chance, drinking ANY kind of soda pop, whether 7 UP, Orange Crush, Coca Cola or Pepsi, may I recommend that you just bite the bullet any way you have to and STOP that intake cold turkey. Go to ice water or anything your doctor recommends to get away from soda pop (both the sugared and the sugarless could be affecting your metabolism, if your intake is what most people think of as normal these days, so one is not a better choice for you than the other). I would also recommend the book "Protein Power" by the Drs. Eades; their research is, I believe, sane and helpful and is not based on just milking the public for anything they can get quick by writing another health book. I've increased my light protein (fish especially--salmon when I can get it on sale; imitation crab pieces, etc. and equally high on lean chicken pieces while staying low on red meats), decreased complex starchy carbohydrates and increased salad-type greens and veggies. While I've lost no weight (other factors are operating there, not just diet), I have improved control over my long-insufferably-wonky digestive system, and that is worth the extra effort right there. In any case, if you are a soft drink person, please seriously consider getting it out of your life right now and staying off it for at least three months and see whether there isn't noticeable improvement. It's very much worth the attempt. Please keep reading about lupus and don't even let the idea that you are not worth fighting for yourself into your mind. There's only one of you on the planet--that makes you unique. Find out something you can contribute or just something you can be interested enough in to research and learn about on your own. It will be a haven of normalcy and external growth that will pay you back a hundred fold for your efforts. Good luck!