What are the treatments for lupus erythematosus

Regarding lupus erythematosus, some friends think that this disease is incurable, but this idea is actually wrong. There are currently several relatively mature methods for the treatment of lupus erythematosus. Whether it can be cured depends on the severity of the disease and the patient's physical condition.

The general principles of lupus erythematosus treatment are bed rest during the acute active phase, active treatment of infection, and active treatment of complications. Currently, both Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine have certain therapeutic effects on lupus erythematosus. The following is an introduction to its treatment principles.

Principles of Western Medicine Treatment

Treatment mainly focuses on relieving symptoms and inhibiting the pathological process. Due to the large individual differences in the disease, it should be tailored to each patient's condition.

1. Generally, patients should rest in bed during the acute active phase of treatment. Those in the chronic stage or whose condition has stabilized can return to work appropriately. Mental and psychological treatment is very important. Patients should have regular follow-up visits, avoid triggering factors and irritants, and avoid direct skin exposure to sunlight. Women of childbearing age should strictly practice contraception.

2. Drug treatment

(1) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs These drugs can inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins and can be used as symptomatic treatment for fever, arthralgia, and myalgia. For example, indomethacin has a good effect on fever, pleural and pericardial lesions of SLE. Because these drugs affect renal blood flow, they should be used with caution in patients with concurrent nephritis.

(2) The antimalarial drug chloroquine accumulates mainly in the skin after oral administration and can inhibit the binding of DNA to anti-DNA antibodies. It has a certain therapeutic effect on skin rash, photosensitivity and joint symptoms. Chloroquine phosphate 250-500 mg/d, long-term use can cause retinal degeneration due to accumulation in the body. Early discontinuation of medication may cause recurrence, and the fundus should be examined regularly.

(3) Glucocorticoids are currently the main drugs for the treatment of this disease. They are suitable for acute or fulminant cases, or when major organs such as the heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, and serous membranes are affected, or when autoimmune hemolysis or thrombocytopenia occurs with a bleeding tendency. Glucocorticoids are also used.

There are two ways of using it. One is a small dose, such as 0.5mg/kg/d, or even half of that dose can relieve the condition. The second is a high dose, which is maintained at 10-15 mg/d at the beginning. If the disease rebounds during dose reduction, the dose before dose reduction should be increased by 5 mg to maintain the condition. High-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy can be used for fulminant or refractory lupus nephritis and central nervous system lesions. 1000 mg/d intravenous drip, halved after 3 days, and then maintained with prednisone. In some cases, good therapeutic effects can be achieved, but its side effects such as high blood pressure and susceptibility to infection should be taken seriously.