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Medications and Lupus
Medications and lupus can be complicated, especially when a number of drugs form part of a treatment plan. We may use one medicine to calm lupus, another to control symptoms, and yet another to help prevent side effects.
The right …

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound for Weight Loss in Lupus: What Patients Should Know [SEP 2026 Update]
Many people with lupus ask me about the newer weight-loss and diabetes medicines such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, and Saxenda. These medicines are often called GLP-1 medicines or GLP-1 receptor agonists.
The big questions are understandable:
Are …

Early Signs of Lupus: What to Look For (May 2025 Update)
We must diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) soon after symptoms begin. The quicker we treat SLE, the less likely it is to cause organ damage. We are also less likely to have to use steroids, like prednisone, which cause side …

Lupus and The Exocrine Gland System: Sjögren’s Disease [Mar ’25 Update]
Lupus patients can have dry mouth, eyes, and skin. Most of the time, this is due to having an additional systemic autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s disease. These symptoms can lead to discomfort, infections, vision problems, and poor quality of life. …

Benlysta During Pregnancy: Safe and Effective [UPDATE July 2024]
July 2024 Update on Benlysta in Pregnancy
A review in the British Medical Journal discussed the recent studies showing more live births in lupus patients who continued Benlysta during pregnancy, fewer lupus flares, and no increase in birth defects compared …

Is Fibromyalgia an Autoimmune Disease? Research suggests “YES!”
Research Article:
Passive transfer of fibromyalgia symptoms from patients to mice
Goebel A, Krock E, Gentry C, Israel MR, Jurczak A, Urbina CM, Sandor K, Vastani N, Maurer M, Cuhadar U, Sensi S, Nomura Y, Menezes J, Baharpoor A, Brieskorn …

Is it Safe to Receive Botox or Filler Injections For Lupus Patients?
A lupus patient at Kelli Roseta’s “More Than Lupus” asks the question ” … is it safe to receive Botox or filler injections if you have lupus?” Thanks for posting this, More Than Lupus.

My answer regarding …

Lupus and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
What do the following have in common?
- Lupus
- A drawing by a 3-year-old
- Julian Lennon
- Flowers and gardening supplies
- Alice in Wonderland
- Pink Floyd
They all are woven into the story of the Beatles’ famous song: Lucy in the Sky …

Arthritis – “it’s a Pain in the App” [Coping with lupus]
Guest post: One method of coping with the struggles of lupus
Living and coping with the challenges of lupus can be daunting. It creates challenges that are unpredictable. These challenges can include pain, fatigue, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, and many …
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Dr. Don Thomas, MD
I am Dr. Donald Thomas, MD, a rheumatologist treating hundreds of lupus patients for over 30 years. Read my first blog post here to understand why I started this website and blog about “The Lupus Encyclopedia” and “The Lupus Secrets”.
Dr. Don Thomas also enjoys educating and empowering doctors, medical students, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and patients.