Research has enabled great progress in the symptom treatment du lupus. However, there is no definitive cure for this disease. Medicines improve quality of life by reducing the intensity of symptoms, reducing the risk of complications and extending life expectancy.

Ideally, treatment of the lupus with as little medication as possible and for the shortest time, to calm the flare-ups. Some people do not need any medicine, others use it only as needed or for short periods (flare-ups), but many people need to take treatment for a long time.

Drug treatments

Pain medication (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Acetaminophen (Tylenol®, Atosol®) and anti-inflammatory drugs²⁵ over-the-counter (ibuprofen, Advil®, or Motrin) can be used to relieve pain in joints, when the lupus is not too severe or the flare-ups are not too intense. However, doctors do not recommend that people with a more severe lupus take over-the-counter pain relievers on their own. These drugs can increase the risk of complications from lupus, especially kidney damage. It may take a while to find the right anti-inflammatory medication and adjust the dose with your doctor.

Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, especially prednisone and methylprednisone, are the most effective anti-inflammatory drugs for treating lupus, when the disease affects several organs. Used since the early 1960s against lupus, prednisone (Deltasone®, Orasone®) quickly became an essential drug for improving the quality of life of patients. It helps reduce inflammation and control symptoms, especially with flare-ups. However, corticosteroids taken in large doses or over a long period of time can cause a series ofSide effects, including the onset of bruising, mood swings, diabetes^25-26 , vision problems (cataracts), increased blood pressure and weak bones (osteoporosis). The dose is finely adjusted with the doctor so as to obtain as few side effects as possible. In the short term, the main side effects of corticosteroids are weight gain and swelling of the face and body (edema). Using calcium and vitamin D supplements helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Creams and local treatments. Rashes are sometimes treated with creams, most often with corticosteroids.

Anti-malarial drugs. Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil®) and chloroquine (Aralen®) – medicines also used to treat malaria – are effective in treating lupus when nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not enough. They reduce pain and swelling in the joints and help treat rashes. Either of these medications can be taken from spring to fall to prevent the onset of skin lesions. sun. Hydroxychloroquine is also used as a basic treatment to prevent relapses. The main side effects of these drugs are stomach pain and nausea.

Immunosuppressants. Immunosuppressive agents reduce the activity of the immune system directed against its own organs and tissues. These strong drugs are used in a small proportion of people when prednisone does not help with symptoms or when it causes too many side effects. They are needed when the lupus affects the functioning of waist or system nervous. The most frequently used are cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®), azathioprine (Imuran®) and mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept®). In some patients, methotrexate (Folex®, Rheumatrex®) can also be used at low doses as a maintenance therapy. These drugs also have their share of side effects, the most important of which are a greater susceptibility to infections and a higher risk of developing cancer. A new drug, belimumab (Benlysta) may be effective in some cases of lupus; its possible side effects are nausea, diarrhea and fever²⁵.

Other

Immunoglobulin infusions. Immunoglobulin (antibody) preparations are obtained from the blood of donors. Administered intravenously, they have an anti-inflammatory action since they partially neutralize autoantibodies, i.e. abnormal antibodies that turn against the body and are involved in the lupus. Immunoglobulin infusions are reserved for cases of lupus resistant to other treatments, such as corticosteroids.