Donna Kaufman ON May 24, 2010 at 10:17AM
13 chimes
13 chimes
GF/bauergriffinonline.com
Lady Gaga seems to have an open-door policy when it comes to answering questions about her health.
Asked by CNN's Larry King June 1 if she suffers from lupus, a disease she mentioned in a previous interview, Gaga sought to set the record straight.
"Lupus is in my family, and it's genetic," answered the 24-year-old pop star. "It's funny, my mother told me the other day that my fans were quite worried because I talked about the fact that I was tested for lupus. And the truth is, I don't show any signs, any symptoms of lupus. But I have tested borderline positive for the disease. As of right now, I do not have it, but I have to take good care of myself."
Lupus is an often manageable, but sometimes fatal disease that can cause muscle pains, fevers, anemia, chest pains, sensitivity to light and extreme fatigue (see a full list of symptoms here).
In her interview with the London Times last month, Gaga discussed the death of a favorite aunt from the disease and talked about her own health issues. "I have heart palpitations and… things," she told the interviewer. "But it's okay. It's just from fatigue and other things. I'm very connected to my aunt, Joanne, who died of lupus. It's a very personal thing. I don't want my fans to be worried about me."
The Times writer questioned whether Gaga's recent onstage collapse, her weight loss and the concerts she's cancelled due to fatigue, may actually be flare-ups of lupus -- not an eating disorder, a drug problem or a nervous breakdown, as many have assumed. And Gaga insists that she's more interested in performing than any kind of self-harm: "I certainly don’t have an eating problem. A little MDMA [Ecstasy] once in a while never killed anybody, but I really don’t do drugs. I don’t touch cocaine anymore. I don’t smoke. Well, maybe a single cigarette -- with whiskey -- while I’m working, because it just frees my mind a little bit. But I care about my voice. The thrill of my voice being healthy on stage is really special. I take care of myself."
Asked by CNN's Larry King June 1 if she suffers from lupus, a disease she mentioned in a previous interview, Gaga sought to set the record straight.
"Lupus is in my family, and it's genetic," answered the 24-year-old pop star. "It's funny, my mother told me the other day that my fans were quite worried because I talked about the fact that I was tested for lupus. And the truth is, I don't show any signs, any symptoms of lupus. But I have tested borderline positive for the disease. As of right now, I do not have it, but I have to take good care of myself."
Lupus is an often manageable, but sometimes fatal disease that can cause muscle pains, fevers, anemia, chest pains, sensitivity to light and extreme fatigue (see a full list of symptoms here).
In her interview with the London Times last month, Gaga discussed the death of a favorite aunt from the disease and talked about her own health issues. "I have heart palpitations and… things," she told the interviewer. "But it's okay. It's just from fatigue and other things. I'm very connected to my aunt, Joanne, who died of lupus. It's a very personal thing. I don't want my fans to be worried about me."
The Times writer questioned whether Gaga's recent onstage collapse, her weight loss and the concerts she's cancelled due to fatigue, may actually be flare-ups of lupus -- not an eating disorder, a drug problem or a nervous breakdown, as many have assumed. And Gaga insists that she's more interested in performing than any kind of self-harm: "I certainly don’t have an eating problem. A little MDMA [Ecstasy] once in a while never killed anybody, but I really don’t do drugs. I don’t touch cocaine anymore. I don’t smoke. Well, maybe a single cigarette -- with whiskey -- while I’m working, because it just frees my mind a little bit. But I care about my voice. The thrill of my voice being healthy on stage is really special. I take care of myself."
