‘I love having lupus’: Katherine Ryan says the autoimmune condition has forced her to de-stress

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “My joints were sore, I had fevers that I couldn’t explain and, most noticeably, I had a really bright coloured rash on my face.” At the time, in 2007, Ryan had recently moved to the UK from Canada, a change that she now sees left her “stressed”, a possible trigger for the condition. Katherine Ryan first felt symptoms of lupus in 2007 Though lupus can cause issues such as rashes, hair loss, joint and muscle pain as well as inflammation of organs and eye problems, Ryan’s symptoms cleared after eight months on the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free “For me, stripping the stress away from my life and eating an autoimmune protocol diet really cooled my autoimmune response. Since then it has never flared again.” Though Ryan didn’t take medication for 10 years, she began taking hydroxychloroquine again in 2020 after experiencing a series of miscarriages, suspecting that her autoimmune system was responsible.