Due to the complexity of lupus, the treatment for the disease can take various forms, consisting of an extensive range of medications and therapies aimed at easing the lupus symptoms and preventing the occurrence of further complications. Due to the fact that the immune system has a major contribution to the occurrence and the progression of lupus, (harming the body’s own healthy cells and tissues instead of fighting against antigens) the disease can affect any part of the body, determining impairments of multiple body systems.

The treatment of lupus greatly differs from a patient to another, lupus sufferers receiving a certain type of medications according to their experienced symptoms and the seriousness of the disease. Thus, the treatment of lupus is often personalized, comprising many different types of medications and therapies. Lupus patients (especially patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus) are commonly administered combination treatments, targeted at countering the occurrence and aggravation of the multitude of symptoms characteristic to this type of autoimmune disease.

Although at present there is no specific cure for lupus, the existing treatments can greatly ameliorate the symptoms of the disease and minimize the risk of complications. Lupus often has an unpredictable pattern of progression, producing symptoms that come and go over time. Thus, most lupus treatments are aimed at prolonging the periods of remission and ameliorating the phases of relapse. Once a patient is diagnosed with lupus, he/she will receive a treatment according to age, gender, overall health condition, symptomatic intensity, as well as lifestyle. With the right medication plan, patients can keep the disease under control and even live normal and healthy lives. Today’s treatments are efficient in easing the symptoms of lupus and they also allow patients to carry on with their usual daily activities. Most patients with lupus don’t require prolonged hospitalization and bed confinement is rarely needed.

The treatment of lupus is individualized, aiming to meet the needs and symptoms of the patient. For instance, for patients who suffer from musculoskeletal conditions due to lupus, doctors commonly prescribe treatments with medications that reduce inflammation and pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are extensively administered to patients confronted with symptoms such as joint swelling, stiffness and pain, muscular weakness and fever.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can either be administered alone or in combination with similar medications. Due to the fact that such medications can produce serious side-effects, it is recommendable to avoid long-term use. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be administered only during the periods of relapse, when the symptoms of lupus suddenly increase in intensity. Popular NSAIDs are: ibuprofen, naproxen, sulindac, diclofenac, ketoprofen, diflunisal, nabumetone, indometacin and oxaprozin. In order to minimize their side-effects, you should respect your doctor’s exact instructions when using such medications.

Another type of commonly used medications are antimalarials. Originally prescribed in the treatment of malaria, these medications are also efficient in the treatment of lupus, as they tend to suppress a series of processes at the level of the immune system, neutralizing some of its undesirable effects on the organism. Antimalarials used in the treatment of lupus include: hydrochloroquine (Plaquenil), quinacrine (Atabrine) and chloroquine (Aralen). These commonly used lupus medications are prescribed to ease fatigue, joint inflammation and pain, skin rashes and inflammation of the lungs and heart. Unlike NSAIDs, antimalarials have less serious side-effects, rendering them appropriate for long-term treatments. Ongoing treatment with antimalarials can efficiently prevent the occurrence of flares.

Corticoid steroids are often prescribed in the treatment of lupus. Corticosteroided hormones such as prednisone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone are usually prescribed in small doses to reduce inflammation. Due to the fact that these medications can produce serious side-effects, they are only prescribed in short-term treatments. For patients confronted with severe forms of lupus, doctors usually prescribe immunosuppressive drugs such as azathioprine and cyclophosphamide. The main action of immunosuppressive medications is to minimize the damage caused by the impaired, overactive immune system at cellular level. Although immunosuppressive drugs are very efficient in easing the symptoms of lupus, they are known to cause dependency and thus they shouldn’t be prescribed in long-term treatments.

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It was shown that, even if it seems hard to believe, the initial signs of lupus may appear in the blood, a blood disorder can be the first sign that comes in patients having systemic lupus erythematosus.Systemic lupus erythematosus can show hematological symptoms like anemia, thrombocytopenia, low white blood cell counts and clotting disturbances. That is why, specialists in disorders of the blood can be of real help.

One of the most usual hematological abnormalities that can appear in persons having lupus is anemia. Anemia consists in a reduction in the number of red blood cells and it is recognized by some tests, such as, the hemoglobin concentration in blood, the hematocrit and the red blood cell count.It is known that anemia can have many causes, and in what concerns persons with lupus, anemia can appear because of a chronic inflammation, iron deficiency, prolonged uremia or hemolytic anemia. It is also known that fatigue, which is suffered by many patients having lupus can contribute to the apparition of anemia.

Prolonged uremia, which appears because of an impaired kidney function can lead to anemia. Anemia caused by prolonged uremia can be treated with androgens or erythropoietin, a recently developed hormone having role in the stimulation of red cell production. Sometimes, chronic uremia can determine the apparition of more severe forms of anemia, and that requires blood transfusions.

Prolonged inflammation, which is an important cause of anemia in patients that have lupus, hinders the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow. Because of this inflammation, iron, which is very important in the production of hemoglobin accumulates unused in the marrow tissue. The solution to restore normal red blood cell production is to ease the inflammatory condition.

Iron deficiency is another cause of anemia that can appear because of the blood loss from the body. Drugs that are used in the treatment of lupus can irritate the stomach and produce bleeding and from there results iron-deficient anemia. Iron deficient can become also women that have heavy or frequent menstrual periods.Anemic patients should take some tests for blood loss from the stomach or intestines. It is important to do that, because the source of bleeding must be found and treated.Iron deficient anemia can be corrected in a short time by taking iron tablets.

Hemolytic anemia is a condition that can appear in some people with lupus, usually due to antibodies directed against red blood cells. In this condition, auto-antibodies interact with the red blood cells, and the result is that the red blood cells are removed in the spleen or liver by scavenger cells.Usually, steroids like Prednisone are effective into treating this type of anemia, but there are cases of patients that do not respond to the treatment, and surgical removal of the spleen may be required. Also in severe cases, it is needed a blood transfusion.It is known that a deficiency of thrombocytes, which are tiny particles in the blood, essential for blood clotting causes thrombocytopenia. This leads to bleeding from the gums, nose, or intestines and excessive skin bruising. As some typical signs of thrombocytopenia, we can mention petechiae and pinpoint hemorrhages in the skin.In person with lupus, usually occurs immune thrombocytopenia. This appears because antibodies destroy the platelets, similarly with the destruction of the red blood cells in the autoimmune hemolytic anemia. As a treatment, we can mention steroids like Prednisone and in severe cases splenectomy may be needed.

It was discovered that patients that have lupus produce an antibody called the lupus anti-coagulant. It was seen that some patients with the lupus anti-coagulant tend to form clots abnormally condition called venous thrombosis. That is a paradox that science can’t explain yet.Sometimes, venous thrombosis can associate with pulmonary embolus, and particularly that situation requires treatment with anti-coagulant drugs such as heparin and Coumadin. Lupus anti-coagulant was also detected in cases of recurrent fetal loss, but it is not known if it causes the so-called habitual spontaneous abortion.

Patients with lupus can experience also some abnormalities , like granulocytopenia, which means there is a low granulocyte count, and lymphocytopenia- when there is a low number of lymphocytes. Usually, these abnormalities are harmless and without symptoms, but there can occur severe granulocytopenia, which is usually caused by a reaction to medication. In this case, there must be stopped the intake of the causative drug, and if there is an infection, treatment with antibiotics is required.

Nowadays, there is a great concern about the risk of getting AIDS by blood transfusions. It is good to know that there were developed tests for antibodies against the virus that causes AIDS, and all the blood donors are screened for such antibodies.Of course, the safest thing that can be done is to store your blood for later transfusion, but this is not always practical.It is also possible in some blood banks to designate a member of the family to donate blood for you, but it must be taken in consideration the possibility of blood incompatibility.

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