Treatment Overview
Your treatment choices for lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) depend on how severe your symptoms are, whether your organs are affected, and how much your symptoms are affecting your daily life. Your treatment plans should be tailored to your individual needs and will change over time, as the disease flares or ebbs. There currently is no cure for lupus.
You may be able to control your symptoms with self-care and medicine. Self-care includes learning as much as possible about lupus, maintaining good communication with your doctor, and developing a healthy lifestyle. Medicines that may be used to treat lupus include acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, antimalarials, and immunosuppressants.
The chronic pain and fatigue associated with lupus can affect more than your health; many patients find that their condition interferes with their sexual relationships, as well. Reasons for that include lupus flare-ups, pain, fatigue, side effects from medication, and self-image issues. And that's on top of the day-to-day responsibilities that come with having a chronic illness, as well as the routine tasks of life. But don't give up on your sex life. There are things you can do to make it more...
Read the Lupus, Sex, and Relationships article > >
Initial treatment
The goal of treatment for mild lupus is to prevent symptom flares-when fatigue, joint pain, and rash get worse. Maintain a schedule of regular checkups with your doctor, instead of waiting until your disease flares. When flares do occur, the goal is to treat them rapidly to limit any damage to body organs.
Treatment for mild lupus includes:
- Avoiding the sun. If you must be in the sun, cover your arms and legs, wear a hat, and apply broad-spectrum sunscreen (covering both UVA and UVB rays) with a high sun protection factor (such as SPF 50) to protect your skin.
- Applying corticosteroid cream for rashes.
- Taking acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and getting plenty of rest for mild joint or muscle pain and fever.
- Taking antimalarial medicines, especially for skin rashes, but also for fatigue and joint and muscle pain.
- Taking low-dose corticosteroids if NSAIDs aren't effective in controlling your symptoms.
For more severe cases of lupus, treatment may include:
- Higher-dose corticosteroids, either in pills or by injection.
- Medicines that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants).
People with lupus have a greater risk of heart attack and stroke than people without lupus. To help prevent heart attack and stroke, your doctor will help you manage risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Good self-care is essential to managing lupus. A healthy lifestyle may reduce the frequency and severity of flares, resulting in an improved quality of life. Good self-care also helps decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. Self-care includes:
- Regular exercise.
- Education about lupus and self-care.
- Not smoking.
- Eating a healthful, balanced diet.
- Developing a support system of family, friends, and health professionals.
Treatment for the skin rash that many people develop with lupus starts with sunscreens, sun avoidance, and clothing to protect skin from the sun. If needed, Medicines may include antimalarials, corticosteroid creams and pills, and retinoids such as acitretin. Some treatments work for some people but not for others, and some treatments may have long-term side effects. More research is needed to determine which of these treatments is safest and most effective.
Ongoing treatment
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