Alternative treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE

Although their efficiency was not proved, many people with lupus try alternative treatment methods, like fish oils, chiropractic treatment or special diet.

There are, although non – medical therapies able to help you have a better life and deal with your disease more easily. These are the therapies that make you relax:

Lupus experimental therapy

Modern research is focusing on therapies that will be able to stop the progress of systemic lupus erythematosus by blocking the actions of the immune system against the organism. Such therapies are biological treatments and stem cell transplantation.

The first one, biological treatments, doesn't completely suppress the immune system; it only stops some actions of the autoimmune process in lupus. Antibodies and nucleotides are used to produce a blockage of the autoimmune reaction in its initial phase; experiments have been and are currently being performed in this sense. The last few years brought to the record studies involving 13 biological agents, such as anti – C5B, CD154 and CTLA – 4. Very promising in the reduction of lupus activity is LJP395, but further experiments are required.

Stem cell transplantation is a procedure that consists in the transplant of healthy cells – stem cells in order to replace the bone marrow cells that have been damaged. The bone marrow normally produces stem cells, which are immature cells that eventually reach maturation or may even divide. Once they reach maturation, stem cells become leukocytes, platelets or red blood cells. This therapy still needs to be studied.

DHEA, an androgenic dietary supplement, is only effective in its pharmaceutical – grade. The opinions on the efficiency of DHEA are different, but some studies attribute it the ability to make corticosteroids less necessary and to have a positive effect on bone density; it is also considered to ameliorate the symptoms of lupus.

This remedy may also have side effects, such as hair loss in men, acne and facial hair growth in women. DHEA is a hormonal treatment, so you must ask your doctor whether it is appropriate for you and check your DHEA blood level twice per year.

Intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) may be effective against lupus that destroys your platelets.

Plasmapheresis is only used in extremely severe lupus cases that do not respond to other treatments. This procedure involves the removal of certain parts of the blood and it is still being studied.