It’s very difficult to admit to being depressed and by that I don’t mean just feeling a bit sad for a day or two. You may feel guilty and think you should ‘pull yourself together’, especially if there’s nothing that you can think of that accounts for why you feel this way.

You can join in with an organised fundraising events and raise funds for us.

Please ensure you let the team know you are fundraising for the Lupus Trust.

At Christmas we may eat foods that we don’t eat normally so it’s worth a reminder that some food/drinks can interact with certain medications.

Every lupus patients is different and although most see a rheumatologist they may find that their rheumatologist may refer them to other doctors with different specialisations. Here are the other doctors you may be referred to.

Dr Oge speaks about the flu vaccine and explains why she is encouraging people with Lupus to get their winter vaccinations and avoid hospitalisation.

Dr Oge Ilozue is a practicing GP and Clinical Advisor for the NHS Vaccination Programme

Information is always popping up regarding foods and supplements that may trigger lupus flares. The information is sometimes conflicting and not all of us are affected by the same things, but if you are having flares it might be worth looking at whether any of the following is triggering flares and eliminating them from your diet.

A recent global survey conducted by the World Lupus Federation reported that 91% of survey respondents were taking or have taken oral steroids to treat their lupus. Over 7,700 people living with lupus from more than 100 countries participated in the survey..

When a new patient asks for advice one of the first things I say is treat your body well, it needs your help. High up in the list of things I personally think is very important for your body (lupus or not) is good nutrition.

As we say in our section on diet there’s no particular diet that is recommended for lupus but there are foods that can help your lupus or on the opposite side of the coin make you sick.