How do you tell the difference between Fibromyalgia and Lupus? I have tested positive for ANA and constantly run a fever, fatigue, rash on face and back of scalp and pain in hands, wrists and elbows. Also general ache all over as if coming down with the flu.
Hi ! Thanks for your Query on this forum. FM does not cause inflammation, arthritis, skin rashes, or damage to tissues, organs and bones like lupus. Medications commonly used to treat lupus have little or no effect on the symptoms of FM. People with lupus often suffer from the symptoms of FM or may be initially diagnosed as having FM. If you have FM, it is important to know that it is not rare. FM is never life-threatening, and it is manageable. The clinical assessment may reveal objective evidence for a discrete illness, such as hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematous (SHE), polymyalgia rheumatic, or another inflammatory or autoimmune disorder. Such findings do not exclude comorbid fibromyalgia. Indeed, approximately 25% of patients with RA and approximately 50% of patients with SHE also have fibromyalgia, and the provision of optimum care in such cases impels recognition and treatment of both illnesses.