Question
Hello my name is Sandra i am a 25yr old female. January of this yr i was diagnosed with SLE  My pcp ran my labs twice to make sure i had Lupus my ANA panels came out positive for it she then referred me to rhemutologist i began seeing him and in April he put me on Plaquenil well i began feeling more tired the fatigue was unbareable and the swelling in my hands was so bad that i could not even hold a fork to feed myself. About two months ago my hair started falling out and i was getting about 2 hrs of sleep each night, I went back to the dr a week ago he took me off of the Plaquenil and told me that my lupus wasnt that bad for it to be causing this. when he left the room i look at my chart from april to nov my sed rate had gone up very high from 20- 74 i have also been having vertigo numbness in my feet and numbness in my right hand . Should i get a second opinion or wait it out until my next labs are done?

Answer
Sandra,

Hair loss is not an uncommon side effect of lupus. It is also a possible side effect of Plaquenil.

The sed rate shows that you have inflammation in your body and is not an accurate reflection of how bad your lupus is.

It is a good idea to get a second opinion. It is also a good idea to keep a journal. Write in it any questions that come to mind between visits. It is hard to remember them all when you are in the room.

I wish you the best
Rusty

http://arthritis-symptom.com/lupus/index.htm