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| *Women health>>>Lupus |
What to expect with Lupus? |
I have a friend鈥檚 whose adult daughter has been diagnosed with Lupus. She would like to know what to expect. We know that it is something that isn鈥檛 very predictable or typical but I am looking for what is 鈥渕ost鈥?typical from most patients and what usually happens over the next 20 years or so. Right now only her joints are affected and she is able to work just fine. She isn鈥檛 in much pain but more of what she would describe as 鈥渄isfomfort occasionally.鈥?They just put her on medication (immunosuppressive) that didn鈥檛 work and have added a more powerful med (Imuran) that may make her sick. She was diagnosed with: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a chronic, potentially debilitating or fatal autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body鈥檚 cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. SLE can affect any part of the body, but often harms the heart, joints (rheumatological), skin, lungs, blood vessels and brain/nervous system. Lupus is treatable, mainly with immunosuppression, though there is currently no cure for it. The standard treatment has been a limited group of drugs (primarily corticosteroids, anti-malarials, and chemotherapy drugs). Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine sulfate) is currently the only FDA approved anti-malarial for treating SLE. In 2005, CellCept became accepted for treatment of lupus kidney disease. Treatment: SLE is a chronic disease with no cure. There are, however, some medications, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants which can control the disease and prevent flares. Flares are typically treated with steroids, with DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) to suppress the disease process, reduce steroid needs and prevent flares. DMARDs commonly in use are the antimalarials (e.g. hydroxychloroquine or methotrexate) and azathioprine. Hydroxychloroquine is used for constitutional, cutaneous, and articular manifestations. Cyclophosphamide is used for severe glomerulonephritis or other organ-damaging complications. Renal disease produces the most significant morbidity. Patients who require steroids frequently may develop obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis. Hence, steroids are avoided where possible. Measures such as avoiding sunlight (to prevent problems due to photosensitivity) may also have some effect. Thanks all, and especially DaBoomvang! inflammation of the lining of the lungs. painfuls coughs, sore ribs. can't remember anything else. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law both have lupus and have been functioning well for years. They both have Masters degrees and are active, vibrant women. Mom takes methotrexate shots for the joint pain, which is associative rheumatoid arthritis. Sis has other immuno issues like low thyroid. Otherwise they are managing very well. Hope your friend keeps her spirits up and gets plenty of rest when she needs it. Those things will help more than anything. God Bless! check the internet there is a site- check under Lupus or medical and they have a list of symptoms and names of services. just found it. www.lupus.org Lupus Foundation of America My cousins grandma died of this. It is not a good thing and one of the last diseases I would choose if I had to pick one. Your body detects a part of your DNA (which is in every cell of your body) as foreing material, like it does when you get a virus. So it kills anything it recognizes as foreing and in SLE that is everything. She was in terrible pain the last year of her life. For the first part of the last year she would have about 3 good days out of 4 bad days. On the bad days she was in soo much pain and she would be really mean to everyone without really meaning to be. Then towards the very end she barely ever felt good. I've heard that most people with SLE die from kidney failure but her's was a rare type. |
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