Treatment:

There is no cure for SLE. Treatment is aimed at controlling symptoms. Your individual symptoms determine your treatment.

Mild disease that involves a rash, headaches, fever, arthritis, pleurisy, and pericarditis requires little therapy. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) are used to treat arthritis and pleurisy. Corticosteroid creams are used to treat skin rashes. An anti-malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine) and low dose corticosteroids are sometimes used for skin and arthritis symptoms.

You should wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen when in the sun.

Severe or life-threatening symptoms (such as hemolytic anemia, extensive heart or lung involvement, kidney disease, or central nervous system involvement) often require treatment by a rheumatologist and other specialists. Corticosteroids or medications to decrease the immune system response may be prescribed to control the various symptoms. Cytotoxic drugs (drugs that block cell growth) are used to treat people who do not respond well to corticosteroids or who might require long-term use of high doses of corticosteroids.

Support Groups:

For additional information and support, see lupus resources.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome for people with SLE has improved over recent years. Many of those with SLE have mild illness. Women with SLE who become pregnant are often able to carry the pregnancy safely to term and deliver normal infants, as long as there is no severe kidney or heart disease present and the SLE is being treated appropriately.

The presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies may increase the possibility of pregnancy loss.

The 10-year survival rate for lupus patients is greater than 85%. People with severe involvement of the brain, lungs, heart, and kidney do worse than others in terms of overall survival and disability.

Complications:

Some people with SLE have deposits of antibodies within the cells (glomeruli) of the kidneys. This leads to a condition called lupus nephritis. Patients with this condition may eventually develop kidney failure and require dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Other complications include:

• Hemolytic anemia (destruction of the red blood cells)
• Infection
• Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart)
• Seizures
• Serositis: pleural or pericardial effusions (fluid around the lungs or heart)
• Thrombocytopenia (severely low blood platelets)

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of SLE. Also, call if you have SLE and symptoms got worse or if new symptoms develop.