Anxiety, Chronic Stress, and Lupus Symptoms

What causes anxiety? People with lupus have a high likelihood of also having anxiety, which can be caused by many things. One common factor is chronic stress. This is recurring levels of high stress that a person feels. Lupus symptoms, particularly when they fluctuate, add exactly this type of stress to Lupus Warriors. Chronic stress can make it so that the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for intense emotions and responding to stress (such as fight or flight,) have trouble “turning off.” In a 2009 study, 326 Caucasian women with SLE were given the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, a telephone interview used to assess psychiatric disorders. Nearly 65% of the women had symptoms of depression or anxiety. The study also found that many people with lupus also experienced included major depressive disorder (which can include anxiety), social phobia, panic disorder, bipolar I disorder, GAD, and others. A 2018 study looked a little closer, finding that the severity of lupus symptoms, including pain and fatigue, is linked to the severity of anxiety and depression. Anxiety can also be a side effect of medications, including some common lupus treatments. A few medications that have been linked to anxiety include: aspirin acetaminophen prednisone steroids caffeine Speak with your lupus treatment team if you are experiencing anxiety as your current treatment plan may be exacerbating symptoms.

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