The treatment for lupus
Because the disease has a strongly individualized and fluctuating character, the treatment prescribed in order to control it is adapted to its nature. To obtain the best results of the treatment for lupus, the affected persons should also follow some “rules”: to keep away from the solar light, to get plenty of rest, not to smoke, to have a healthy alimentation and to do physical exercises.
The treatment for lupus controls the symptoms of the disease and also stops it from evolving, but it may also generate risky side effects. Depending on every particular case, on the affected organs and on how serious the symptoms are, the adequate type of medicine is prescribed to each patient.
More than one treatment scheme and frequent changes of dosage may be required because of the fluctuating character of lupus.
The most frequently used medicines in the treatment for lupus are:
- * Corticosteroids are very powerful against the inflammations generated by lupus. But their side effects are equally powerful and may include osteoporosis, hypertension, easy bruising, weight gain, high risks of infection and diabetes. Many of these side effects are common to the damaging actions of lupus. To decrease the risk of the side effects of the corticosteroids, the doses should be as small as possible and the duration of the treatment – very short. They are usually prescribed to be taken one every 2 days. To efficiently control both lupus and the side effects of the corticosteroids, they are usually administered in association with other medicines. Supplements which contain vitamin D and calcium are also recommended, to reduce the corticosteroids' possible damage on the bones.
- * Antimalarial drugs. Malaria and lupus are very different diseases. But the drugs that treat the first one proved themselves effective for lupus patients, too. Antimalarial medicines prevent many of the flares; they treat lesions of the skin and problems of the articulations and even the mucosal ulcers caused by lupus. One such drug, Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) was proved to be safe to use by pregnant women with lupus because it doesn't affect the unborn baby.
- * Nonsteroidal anti – inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help to relieve the pain and inflammation of the articulation. Such medications are: aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, etc. these drugs should not be taken without the approval of the health care professional, because they have sometimes severe side effects in the persons affected by lupus. They may even generate drug – induced lupus.
- * Immunosuppressants are very effective because they block the damaging actions of the immune system. Such medications are cyclophosphamide (cytoxan), azathioprine (imuran), chlorambucil (leukeran), methrotrexate (rheumatrex), mycophenolate mofetil (cell cept) and cyclosporine (sandimmune and neoral). This class of drugs is only used for cases of severe systemic disease or failure of organs, because their side effects are terribly damaging and may include anemia, low number of leukocytes and put the patients at increased risks for infections and even cancer.
Not even corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs are able to prevent kidney failure in 100 % of the cases. When such situation occurs, dialysis or even transplant is required.
The latest research in the treatment of lupus
The latest studies have focused on finding new treatments able to prevent some of the lupus symptoms on genetic level. Unfortunately, these medication will need years of tests and further research in order to constitute a step forward in the treatment of this disease.
The possible effects of the already existing medications are also being studied on lupus. One such drug is rituximab, currently used to treat cancer. It is considered able to help patients with lupus because it decreases the number of leukocytes in the organism. Lupus itself is characterized by a lower than normal number of leukocytes, but the remaining ones seem to be an active part of the autoimmune system's attack on the organism. The clinical trials proved rituximab to significantly reduce lupus symptoms without involving severe side effects, but this kind of treatment still needs further research in order to determine the benefits and disadvantages of rituximab against lupus.