We know that lupus is so very unpredictable, and you never know when and where it will strike. I woke up one morning in excruciating pain, I was fortunate to have an appointment with the rheumatologist. I noticed that my mouth especially my tongue felt enlarged, felt raw and painful, it was so very painful to even brush my teeth. So, I’m dealing with muscle pain which felt as if it was penetrating to my bones, swollen tongue, raw mouth. All I could say is “Lord give me strength.”
Yes, I made it to my appointment barley able to move, barely able to sit down the pain, this type of pain I would not wish on anyone. My physician opens the door of the exam room, I told him to come on in and please help me with this pain. My physician replied, “Susan I can look at you and see that you are in pain and the desperation in your voice when asking for help.” My physician continued on with questions about how long I have been in pain, why I did not go directly to the ER, and never subject myself to dealing with pain without any medication.
I am the type of individual who does not go to the ER just to be going, I prefer to stay away from hospitals totally. When it came to my mouth, I informed the physician to take a look, as he was examining my mouth and tongue his face told the entire story. My physician went on to state “You will be placed on Prednisone 3 tablets daily for 3 days, also you will be on Nystatin 4 times daily until completed, we are going to have labs performed, we need to find out what is causing this to happen to you. Is it Lupus, your weakened immune system or the lymph nodes? We are going to run labs on you to see what is going on, so I sit and wait for the results to come in.
The Mayo Clinic asserts Oral thrush — also called oral candidiasis (kan-dih-DIE-uh-sis) — is a condition in which the fungus Candida albicans accumulates on the lining of your mouth. Candida is a normal organism in your mouth, but sometimes it can overgrow and cause symptoms.
Oral thrush causes creamy white lesions, usually on your tongue or inner cheeks. Sometimes oral thrush may spread to the roof of your mouth, your gums or tonsils, or the back of your throat.
Although oral thrush can affect anyone, it’s more likely to occur in babies and older adults because they have reduced immunity; in other people with suppressed immune systems or certain health conditions; or people who take certain medications. Oral thrush is a minor problem if you’re healthy, but if you have a weakened immune system, symptoms may be more severe and difficult to control.
Weakened immunity. Oral thrush is more likely to occur in infants and older adults due to reduced immunity. Some medical conditions and treatments can suppress your immune system, such as cancer and its treatments, organ transplantation and required drugs that suppress the immune system, and HIV/AIDS.
Individuals with lupus are at high risk for developing Candidiasis, sometimes called thrush or yeast infection and since my SLE (lupus) has been active I am at a higher risk factor, after doing my research I have found that lupus inflammation is linked to fungal infections. We know that I am not a medical doctor, but I have been on several courses of Prednisone which may have weakened my immune system even more. So, I continue to fight with my own body which is constantly attacking itself whenever it wants to without notice or forewarning.
Resource
Mayo Clinic
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