Lupus Treatment With Antimalarials
Although they are originally designed to treat malaria, antimalarials drugs proved also the have positive effects in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
In case of systemic lupus erythematosus, they keep the skin rash under control and manage to do what some NSAIDs fail: to relieve muscular and articular pain and control fever and fatigue.
This type of medicines are the first ones to be used against skin rash and they also have a history in the control of muscular and articular pain caused by lupus.
In association with NSAIDs and corticosteroids, they help both to treat the disease and to decrease and decrease the doses and, thus, the risky side effects of other medications.
Antimalarial medications have the following side effects: damage of the retina, rash, diarrhea and nausea, but they rarely occur.
In order to prevent the retina from being damaged monitoring of vision is necessary. In the beginning your eyes will be examined, if you are on Hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine. In case you have used them for more than 90 days, regularly eye exams need to be performed. The ophthalmologist will ask you to use eye tests at home (like an Amsler grid) or even decide that you need annual eye examination. In case eye problems appear, the dosage will be reduced or even interrupted.
For patients in which antimalarial have positive effects, the dose will only be decreased or frequency – reduced, in order to prevent your eyes from being permanently reduced. In case antimalarials are ineffective for half a year, the treatment is stopped. A dose adjustment is also necessary for people with kidney or liver problems.
A woman that has lupus and considers the possibility of becoming pregnant should talk to her doctor about the use of Hydroxychloroquine, although no major risks have been signaled.