What are the warning signs of lupus nephritis at 50?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am 50 and have lupus nephritis, and usually I can tell when I am having a bad day, but lately I have been more worried about missing something serious. Sometimes it is hard to tell if symptoms are just normal ups and downs or signs of a flare getting worse. I really do not want to wait too long and end up with kidney damage.

What warning signs should I be paying attention to?
When do most people know it is time to call their doctor?

Please help

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your query and can understand your concern.

Lupus nephritis can sometimes be challenging to monitor because many patients do not experience obvious symptoms, especially in the early stages of a flare. While symptoms such as

High blood pressure.
Swelling in the legs, feet, or around the eyes.
Unexplained weight gain due to fluid retention.
Reduced urine output.
Foamy urine.

These may occur, and lupus nephritis often progresses silently.

Therefore, regular laboratory monitoring is essential to detect changes before significant kidney damage develops. These include

CBC (complete blood count).
ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate).
CRP (C-reactive protein).
Sr. creatinine (serum creatinine).
Urine analysis, 24-hour protein in urine
anti-dsDNA (anti-double-stranded DNA)
C3, C4 (blood proteins are serological markers that can be affected by nephritis flares).

Follow-up should be done every three months with a new laboratory workup, and preventive measures include

Avoid nephrotoxic agents
Avoid analgesics.
Good hydration

Just stay regular on your follow-up and perform routine checkup investigations every three to four months, and we will be able to detect if there is a possibility of a lupus nephritis flare and thus intervene immediately with the proper induction therapy.

I hope I have answered your question.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Thank you.