Lupus Symptoms

En Español

Although no two cases of lupus are alike, there are symptoms—things that a person with lupus feels or experiences as opposed to a doctor testing for—that many with the disease notice.

Common complaints include the following:

• Swollen, stiff, and painful joints
• Fever over 100 degrees F
• Fatigue
• Rashes on the skin and/or sensitivity to the sun
• Swelling around the ankles
• Chest pain with deep breaths
• Unusual hair loss
• Pale or purple fingers from cold or stress
• Mouth ulcers, often painless

In some cases of lupus, several of these symptoms develop at once in what is called a “flare.”