Drug-induced lupus erythematosus

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Antibodies

Lupus, discoid on a child's face

Lupus, discoid on the face

Lupus, discoid - view of lesions on the chest

Usually, symptoms go away within several days to weeks after stopping the medication that caused the condition.

Treatment may include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat arthritis and pleurisy
• Corticosteroid creams to treat skin rashes
• Antimalarial drugs (hydroxychloroquine) to treat skin and arthritis symptoms

Very rarely, high doses of corticosteroids (prednisone, methylprednisolone) and immune system suppressants (azathioprine or cyclophosphamide) are used to treat persons with severe drug-induced lupus that affects the heart, kidney, and neurological system.

Protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen are recommended.

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Drug-induced lupus erythematosus is usually not as severe as SLE. Usually, the symptoms go away within a few days to weeks after stopping the medication.

You should avoid the medication in the future, or symptoms usually return. Routine eye exams are recommended to detect eye complications early.

• Infection
• Thrombocytopenia purpura -- bleeding near the skin surface, resulting from a low number of platelets in the blood
• Hemolytic anemia
• Myocarditis
• Pericarditis

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:

• Your symptoms do not improve after you stop taking the medication that caused the condition
• You develop new symptoms

Review Date: 05/31/2009
Reviewed By: Mark James Borigini, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).