Lupus Health Center

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Progression of lupus varies by the individual. Flares and remissions can occur abruptly, unexpectedly, and without clear cause. The major goal for ongoing treatment of lupus is prevention or management of damage to the body organs, including the arteries, kidneys, bones, and brain.

To control mild but continuing symptoms of lupus, treatment 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 corticosteroids if NSAIDs aren't effective in controlling your symptoms.

If your lupus symptoms are more severe and damage to organs is threatened, treatment may include:

• Corticosteroids in higher dose, for serious complications needing longer-term treatment.
• Medicine that suppresses your 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 if the condition gets worse

If you have severe complications of lupus that seriously impact your quality of life or are life-threatening or causing serious organ damage, you will likely need aggressive treatment, which may include:

• High-dose corticosteroids.
• Medicine that suppresses your immune system (immunosuppressants), necessary to prevent permanent damage to your organs and possible death.

Proper self-care is essential for the successful management of lupus. It improves your quality of life and may help delay flares (times when your symptoms get worse). For example, you may be able to limit symptom flares by protecting against sun exposure, avoiding and promptly treating infections, and keeping your stress level as low as you can. Stress reduction techniques include exercise and simplifying your schedule. Getting plenty of rest may offset the fatigue that is common in lupus.

Some people with lupus produce a protein (antibody) that attacks certain blood-clotting factors, which can cause the blood to clot easily. This condition, called antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, can lead to mild or severe blood-clotting complications. If you develop this condition, you may need anticoagulant medicine to slow blood clotting. This is especially important if you have already developed blood clots. Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is sometimes used to slow blood clotting.