Diagnosing Lupus

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 Bactrim: List sulfa antibiotics (like Bactrim) in your allergy list if you have lupus Lupus patients are more likely to have allergies to antibiotics (plus, lupus and Bactrim are a bad combination)​ While lupus and Bactrim are …

Other Facts about DHEA and lupus – DHEA and lupus: DHEA stands for DeHydroEpiAndrosterone – It is produced by the adrenal glands – It is made from cholesterol (yes, cholesterol is a necessary …

I just realized that many websites discussing lupus and cancer are outdated, using old research information. So, I decided to write this article with up-to-date information. “Is lupus a type of cancer?” This is not an uncommon question when someone …

Lupus and Stress Management: The Science of Stress and the Immune System The video below goes over lupus and stress management, while also discussing how stress affects the immune system adversely.The Lupus Foundation of America filed this video of …

Research article shows that taking hydroxychloroquine decreases the risk of death by 83%: Impact of Antimalarial Adherence on Mortality Among Patients With Newly Diagnosed Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Population-Based Cohort Study Hoque MR, Aviña-Zubieta JA, De Vera MA, Qian Y, …

Centers for Disease Control 2022 Recommendations In February 2022, the CDC came out with its new vaccine recommendations. In this post, I will summarize the important changes for people who are immunosuppressed (such as people with systemic lupus erythematosus). …

Updated Part MARCH 2023: Ghalandari et al from the Netherlands reported their results of using Benlysta during pregnancy in the March edition of the journal Lupus. Benlysta During Pregnancy: Safe and Effective [UPDATE MARCH 2023] Can lupus patients get pregnant and …

Lupus and Sleep Problems are Common! Here are simple, effective strategies to improve your sleep Tips on better sleep Lupus and sleep problems are real. The lack of sleep has been associated with numerous problems such as fatigue, memory and …

Do you have lupus, then you absolutely want to learn about follow The Lupus Secrets so that you can learn practical tips for living with lupus? Do you know someone who has lupus? Are you a healthcare provider wanting to …

March 2023 Update on using Benlysta during pregnancy A March 2023 study found low B-cells at birth in the newborn baby of a woman who received Benlysta into the 3rd trimester… discussed below at this link. A research study …

  ​A gift for Christmas 2020, since I’m a 90-Day Fiancé fan. Angela wishes me a Merry Christmas and mentions my book. She looks great since her weight loss surgery and she must still be with Michael of Nigeria since …

Stopping Methotrexate for 1 Week as Effective as 2 Weeks after Flu shots [FEB 2023 Update) This was the study design of stopping MTX for either one week or two weeks after flu vaccines A February 2023 study shows that …

Not All Supplements and Vitamins for Lupus Patients are Safe Vitamins for lupus patients: “Ask Dr. T!” question of the week For example: do not take Echinacea It ​It is important to remember that lupus is a problem …

Mitochondria found to be abnormal in SLE patient by the NIH. Exercise repaired the mitochondria and energy levels improved: see Hasni et al, below February 2023 update: In 2022, the National Institutes of Health showed that exercise repairs mitochondria and …

The aiSLE DX Flare Risk Index test The Lupus Foundation of America, in its continuous quest to advocate for better care of lupus patients, just announced a new laboratory test that can help people who have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)…

Hot off the press SEP 2020! The future is very bright for lupus treatments!         The future is brighter for lupus patients! Benlysta for lupus nephritis We have 3 drugs that are vying for FDA approval soon: Benlysta for lupus nephritis, …

Multiple studies show that stress and trauma increase the risk of developing lupus as well as causing lupus flares. QUESTION: "New research is showing that childhood trauma may contribute to the development of lupus? I read a study where those …

UPDATED September 2021: I cannot wait to get my extra COVID vaccines … specifically my 3rd booster shot! 1/22/21 was a historical day for me! I got my 2nd Moderna vaccine! ​PLEASE… everyone… get yours as soon as you can!…

Proton pump inhibitor-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus: Clinical characteristics and outcomes In this post we’ll cover subacute cutaneous lupus due to proton pump inhibitors (PPI-induced SCLE). Poh YJ, Alrashid A, Sangle SR, et al. Lupus. 2022;31(9):1078-1083. doi:10.1177/09612033221104237 Subacute cutaneous lupus …

Lupus and Stroke and Heart Attacks: A bigger problem than we thought! We have known for a long time that a big problem for SLE patients: lupus and stroke and heart attacks. Diabetes has been considered an important cause of …

Anifrolumab FDA Approval to Treat Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) AstraZeneca announced its anifrolumab FDA approval on 8/2/2021. In this blog, learn how anifrolumab works, how it is given, and its potential side effects. If you are a patient with lupus …

Do not automatically stop hydroxychloroquine if your eye doctor tells you your patient has HCQ-retinopathy! Heed my practical advice below credit: By Wies6014 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, httpscommons.wikimedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=77634880 FEB 2023 UPDATE: Good news from a 2023 study… “…

  Will a COVID Booster Vaccine for Lupus Patients Increase Response Rates? We do not know, yet. However, the August 12, 2021 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine reported significant responses in immunosuppressed organ transplant patients. This gives …

Lupus by Lupus Warrior and Lupus Fighter Shanelle Gabrielle “​I still have a purpose … A reason to smile … I’m still living my life with no regrets.” ​You think you own me Squeezed my life in your palms Taken …

What do the following have in common? LupusA drawing by a 3-year-oldJulian LennonFlowers and gardening suppliesAlice in WonderlandPink Floyd They all are woven into the story of the Beatles’ famous song: Lucy in the Sky …

How to prevent and treat side effects from methotrexate: We have been using methotrexate to treat rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus since the 1990’s. It is generally a safe medication when used along with the other important …

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) can go into a lupus remission on medications or treatment Lupus patient: “My doctor told me last week that she has seen lupus go away in some patients. She said she thinks I am one of …

The American College of Rheumatology Provides Guidance for stopping drugs to enhance the COVID vaccine for immunocompromised patients COVID-19 vaccine: Please get yours! Revised 9/6/21 with new drugs to stop for vaccines per revised ACR recommendations How should we deal …

Some Immunosuppressant Drugs Cause Lower Antibody Levels after COVID Vaccine than do Other Drugs Home » Diagnosing Lupus A large study was published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases showing antibody levels after COVID vaccine in patients on immunosuppressants. These …

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If you are immunocompromised you should get a 5th COVID vaccine and Evusheld MoreThanLupus posted a Q and A. The answer is: The CDC now recommends that immunocompromised people should get a 5th COVID vaccine 4 months after your fourth …

The Latest Research Answers the Question: “Can discoid lupus turn into systemic lupus erythematosus?” Discoid lupus: note the round “disc” shape, the outer active inflamed border is pink, the central area has scar tissue “Can discoid lupus turn into systemic …

Why do lupus patients need to give a clean catch urine sample every 3 months? Doing a clean catch urine sample wrong can cause false results Around 40% of systemic lupus erythematosus patients develop kidney inflammation (nephritis) and need to …

Read on: learn how you to figure out your lupus disease activity And why it is important Why measuring lupus disease activity is so important Our goal in treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is to get it into remission and …

Melatonin For Lupus: What does the Research Show?       (Updated August 2021) Why do people think that melatonin for lupus patients is unsafe? Many people think that melatonin for lupus and other autoimmune diseases is unsafe. I believe …

UPDATE FEB 2023: Watch YouTube video about diagnosing lupus nephritis (LN) early, how it is diagnosed and what to do if you get LN. See the 1st video below with Dr. Donald Thomas, Aurinia, and Kaleidoscope Fighting Lupus video below…

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 …

The Autoimmune Protocol (AI protocol) is another term for the anti-inflammatory diet. The chart below was shown to help patients with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune Protocol (AI Protocol) used in 2020 rheumatoid arthritis study above The …

Lupus Nephritis Diagnosis in easy-to-understand language: FEB 2023 Update: See the 1st video below. It goes over the importance of diagnosing lupus nephritis as fast as possible, how it is diagnosed, what the symptoms of lupus nephritis are, what to …

What is Evusheld? It is a treatment to prevent COVID-19 infections. It is not a vaccine. It is made up of two different monoclonal antibodies.Evusheld reduces COVID-19 infections by 83%.Evusheld begins to wane after about 6 months. Therefore, …

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Please continue to protect yourself as you did before if you have lupus or another systemic autoimmune disease and are vaccinated against COVID-19 QUESTION OF THE DAY: Dr. T. I have lupus. I got both of my Moderna COVID vaccines. …

December 2022 update: Hydroxychloroquine is a disease-modifying agent for lupus (along with Benlysta). Antimalarial drugs can treat autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, Sjogren’s, and rheumatoid arthritis… ​ Here’s how! (described in easy to understand language) Malaria organism attaching …

Lupus Question of The Day: Is Benlysta for mild lupus nephritis? Ask Dr. T question and shortened answer about Benlysta in lupus nephritis Question of the Day: “I have lupus nephritis and just heard that Benlysta has been approved …

A potential new drug for lupus–​here are some early factsUPDATE: Anifrolumab (Saphnelo) was FDA-approved on August 2, 2021Saphnelo: The next FDA-approved drug to treat lupus Anifrolumab (Saphnelo) has the lupus community excited as the next …

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Ask Dr. T Question about lupus diet and vegetarians Lupus and Vegetarian Diet? Eating a Vegetarian Diet can be Part of an Autoimmune Protocol (AI Protocol) There are studies showing that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce lupus …

Lupus Lifestyle Changes are Important: Read here to learn about important dietary changes   Update in February 2023:      -Increasing the amount of selenium and zinc may be beneficial for lupus (see full discussion below above the image of tomatoes). Foods include:…

Lupus and taking probiotics: Should you take probiotics if you have lupus, and what are the best probiotics for autoimmune disease? Lupus and taking probiotics: My answer in short: “No” to pills; “Yes” to probiotic and prebiotic-rich foods! Lupus Question …