Drug-induced lupus erythematosus (patient information)
For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Jinhui Wu, MD
Please Join in Editing This Page and Apply to be an Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [2] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.
Overview of drug-induced lupus erythematosus
Drug-induced lupus erythematosus is a side-effect of long-term use of certain medications. The most commom medications that cause drug-induced lupus erythematosus are procainamide, hydralazine and quinidine. Symptoms of drug-induced lupus erythematosus are similar to systemic lupus erythematosus. After stopping the medication that caused the condition, most patients may recover.
What cause drug-induced lupus erythematosus?
Drug-induced lupus erythematosus is caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to a medication. Several following medications are known to cause drug-induced lupus:
How do I know if I have drug-induced lupus erythematosus and what are the symptoms of drug-induced lupus erythematosus?
Symptoms of drug-induced lupus erythematosus always occur after taking the drug for at least 3 to 6 months. Common symptoms are similar to systemic lupus erythemathosus.
- Fatigue and weakness
- Low fever
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Facial butterfly rash
- Sensitivity to sunlight
- Chest pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
Treatment options
Generally, symptoms of drug-induced lupus erythematosus may disappear within several days to weeks after stopping the medication that caused the condition.
- Stop the medications that caused the problem.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): NSAIDs may be used to control inflammation and pain in patients with pain and other symptoms. Usual drugs include ibuprofen, naproxen and indomethacin. Usual side effects are pain, bleeding and ulcers in upper gastrointestinal tract.
- Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids can be used to control many symptoms such as pain and rash. Side effects of corticosteroids may include a decreased ability against infection, worse healing in the wound and osteoporosis.
- Antimalarial drugs: These drugs can be used to treat rash and arthritis in patients with drug-induced lupus erythematosus.
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Prognosis of drug-induced lupus erythematosus is better than systemic lupus erythemathosus. Symptoms usually disappear within several days to weeks after stopping the medication that caused the condition.
Copyleft Sources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000446.htm
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1065086-overview
http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/drug-induced-lupus.html