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Last Updated: Oct 6, 2009 - 12:07:30 PM |
How Can I Cope With Lupus?
You need to find out what works best for you. You may find that a rheumatologist has the best treatment plan for you. Other health professionals who can help you deal with different aspects of lupus include psychologists, occupational therapists, dermatologists, and dietitians. You might find that doing exercises with a physical therapist makes you feel better. The important thing is to follow up with your health care team on a regular basis, even when your lupus is quiet and all seems well.
Dealing with a long-lasting disease like lupus can be hard on the emotions. You might think that your friends, family, and coworkers do not understand how you feel. Sadness and anger are common reactions.
People with lupus have limited energy and must manage it wisely. Ask your health care team about ways to cope with fatigue. Most people feel better if they manage their rest and work and take their medicine. If you’re depressed, medicine and counseling can help.
How can a lupus patient help prevent disease activity (flares)?
SLE is undoubtedly a potentially serious illness with involvement of numerous organ systems. However, it is important to recognize that most patients with SLE lead full, active, healthy lives. Periodic increases in disease activity (flares) can usually be managed by varying medications. Since ultraviolet light can precipitate and worsen flares, patients with systemic lupus should avoid sun exposure. Sunscreens and clothing covering the extremities can be helpful. Abruptly stopping medications, especially corticosteroids, can also cause flares and should be avoided. Patients with SLE are at increased risk of infections, especially if they are taking corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications. Therefore, any unexpected fever should be reported and evaluated.
How is lupus diagnosed?
Since patients with SLE can have a wide variety of symptoms and different combinations of organ involvement, no single test establishes the diagnosis of systemic lupus. To help doctors improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of SLE, eleven criteria were established by the American Rheumatism Association. These eleven criteria are closely related to the symptoms discussed above. Some patients suspected of having SLE may never develop enough criteria for a definite diagnosis. Other patients accumulate enough criteria only after months or years of observation. When a person has four or more of these criteria, the diagnosis of SLE is strongly suggested. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of SLE may be made in some settings in patients with only a few of these classical criteria. Of these patients, a number may later develop other criteria, but many never do.
Lupus Nephritis
Lupus nephritis is an inflammation of the kidney caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease of the immune system. SLE causes harm to the skin, joints, kidneys, and brain.
NINDS Neurological Sequelae Of Lupus Information Page
Lupus (also called systemic lupus erythematosus) is a disorder of the immune system. Normally, the immune system protects the body against invading infections and cancers. In lupus, the immune system is over-active and produces increased amounts of abnormal antibodies that attack the body's tissues and organs. Lupus can affect many parts of the body, including the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, nervous system, and blood vessels. The signs and symptoms of lupus differ from person to person; the disease can range from mild to life threatening.
Patient Information Sheet #1, Living With Lupus
You have recently been diagnosed with a disease known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It has probably taken time to arrive at this diagnosis. Now that you know, you may feel relieved but also overwhelmed. You probably have a lot of questions about lupus.
Patient Information Sheet #10, Sexuality and Lupus
The constant pain and fatigue associated with lupus may make it difficult to cope with the physical and emotional aspects of sex. In addition, some medications used to treat lupus can cause problems. Some of these drugs may decrease your sex drive. Other drugs may lessen sexual arousal or make it difficult to achieve an orgasm.
Patient Information Sheet #11, Pregnancy and Lupus
Twenty years ago, medical textbooks said that women with lupus should not get pregnant because of the risks to both the mother and unborn child. Today, most women with lupus can safely become pregnant. With proper medical care you can decrease the risks associated with pregnancy and deliver a normal, healthy baby.
Patient Information Sheet #12, Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are often used to reduce pain and inflammation in patients who have mild systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Many different types of NSAIDs exist, some of which you can buy without a doctor’s prescription. These are called “over-the-counter?drugs. Examples of over-the-counter NSAIDs include aspirin, Motrin,¹ Orudis, and Anaprox. Tylenol is not an NSAID and is not used to reduce the inflammation of lupus.
Patient Information Sheet #13, Antimalarials
Antimalarials are very effective in controlling lupus arthritis, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, and other symptoms such as fatigue and fever. They are used to manage less serious forms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in which no organs have been damaged. Antimalarials are also very effective in the treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE).
Patient Information Sheet #14, Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are very powerful drugs that reduce inflammation in various tissues of the body. These drugs are used to treat many of the symptoms of lupus that result from inflammation. You can take this medication as pills or by injection. Corticosteroid creams or ointments are also available to treat skin rashes caused by lupus. Most lupus symptoms respond quickly to corticosteroids. Prednisone is a corticosteroid that is often used to treat lupus.
Patient Information Sheet #15, Azathioprine
Azathioprine is a drug that acts to suppress the work of the immune system. It is used mainly in organ transplantation to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ. The drug is also used in patients with lupus who have damage to their kidneys or other organs, muscle inflammation, or advanced arthritis. Azathioprine helps to reduce symptoms and damage to the affected organs. It can also help achieve a remission of the disease.
Patient Information Sheet #16, Cyclophosphamide
Cyclophosphamide is a drug used to treat a number of cancers, and it is used to treat patients with lupus when major organs, such as the kidneys, are affected. It is also used to treat severe inflammation that has not responded to corticosteroids. In lupus, the immune system is too active. Cyclophosphamide slows down the immune system so that disease activity can be reduced.
Patient Information Sheet #2, Preventing Fatigue Due to Lupus
Fatigue is a very common complaint of all people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), even when no other symptoms of active disease are present. The fatigue of lupus isn’t just being tired. You may feel an extreme fatigue that interferes with many aspects of your daily life. You may find that you are unable to participate in your normal pattern of daily activities, such as working, caring for your family and home, or participating in social activities. The exact cause of this fatigue is not known.
Patient Information Sheet #3, Exercise and Lupus
Because lupus causes joint pain and inflammation, muscle pain, and fatigue, the very thought of exercising can be a challenge. In addition, because lupus is a disease that requires a large amount of rest, you might wonder why exercise is so important. Although rest is important in managing fatigue, too much rest can be harmful to muscles, bones, joints, and overall fitness.
Patient Information Sheet #4, Preventing a Lupus Flare
Your doctor has put together a treatment plan that is designed specifically for you and your lupus. This probably includes physical and emotional rest, aggressive treatment of infections, good nutrition, and avoidance of direct sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light. Your doctor may have also prescribed medications to control disease symptoms and other health problems that you might have.
Patient Information Sheet #5, Serious Conditions Associated With Lupus
Although lupus can be well controlled in many people, serious medical conditions caused by or associated with the disease can still occur. It is important that you know about these conditions and how they may make you feel so that you can call your doctor right away. The sooner a problem is detected and evaluated, the sooner it can be treated to prevent or reduce damage to your body’s organs.
Patient Information Sheet #6, Joint Function and Lupus
Joint pain or arthritis is experienced by 95% of people with lupus at some time during the course of their disease. In fact, joint pain is usually the first symptom of lupus. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, the arthritis of lupus tends to be temporary. It is also less damaging to the joints. The joints most commonly involved are those of the fingers, wrists, and knees.
Patient Information Sheet #7, Skin Care and Lupus
Skin problems are very common in people with lupus. Some skin rashes and sores (also called lesions or ulcers) are very specific to lupus, while others can occur in other diseases as well. A sensitivity to and too much exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays of sun and some types of artificial light are responsible for aggravating some rashes and lesions. Many types of skin conditions are common in lupus.
Patient Information Sheet #8, Fever and Lupus
Fever is often a part of lupus. For some people with lupus, an intermittent (coming and going) or continuous low-grade fever may be normal. Other people, especially those on large doses of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or corticosteroids, may not have fever at all because these drugs may mask a fever.
Patient Information Sheet #9, Nutrition and Lupus
Good nutrition is an important part of the overall treatment plan for your lupus. A well-balanced diet provides the necessary fuel for your body to carry on its normal functions. Although there are no specific dietary guidelines for people with lupus, there are some nutrition issues that you should know about. If any of these issues become a problem for you, talk with your doctor or nurse. They will be able to provide you with additional information and can refer you to a registered dietitian if necessary.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Lupus?
Lupus may be hard to diagnose. It’s often mistaken for other diseases. For this reason, lupus has been called the “great imitator.” The signs of lupus differ from person to person. Some people have just a few signs; others have more.
What Causes Lupus?
We don’t know what causes lupus. There is no cure, but in most cases lupus can be managed. Lupus sometimes seems to run in families, which suggests the disease may be hereditary. Having the genes isn’t the whole story, though. The environment, sunlight, stress, and certain medicines may trigger symptoms in some people. Other people who have similar genetic backgrounds may not get signs or symptoms of the disease. Researchers are trying to find out why.
What Is Lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune (AW-toe-ih-MYOON) disease. Your body’s immune system is like an army with hundreds of soldiers. The immune system’s job is to fight foreign substances in the body, like germs and viruses. But in autoimmune diseases, the immune system is out of control. It attacks healthy tissues, not germs.
What People With Lupus Need to Know About Osteoporosis
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, a disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy cells and tissues. As a result, various parts of the body ¨C such as the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, and lungs ¨C can become inflamed and damaged. There are many different kinds of lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the form of the disease that is commonly referred to as lupus.
What are the symptoms and signs of lupus?
In discoid lupus, only the skin is involved. The skin rash in discoid lupus often is found on the face and scalp. It usually is red and may have raised borders. Discoid lupus rashes are usually painless and do not itch, but scarring can cause permanent hair loss. Over time, 5 to 10% of patients with discoid lupus may develop SLE.
What is the treatment for systemic lupus?
There is no permanent cure for SLE. The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and protect organs by decreasing inflammation and/or the level of autoimmune activity in the body. Many patients with mild symptoms may need no treatment or only intermittent courses of antiinflammatory medications. Those with more serious illness involving damage to internal organ(s) may require high doses of corticosteroids in combination with other medications that suppress the body's immune system.
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