Lupus Erythematosus?
I have been diagnosed with SLE: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, but for the moment it remains cutaneous. What are the chances for the disease to spread and attack other tissues? And if that does happen, is there any medication that can prevent the disease from permanently damaging the organs?
I'm so scared, please help.
Once you have this disease, do you have it for life?
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In some patients with cutaneous lupus, it does also turn into systemic lupus. Most cases of systemic lupus are mild to moderate and are controlled by medication and lifestyle changes. The majority of people with systemic lupus will live a relatively normal life span if they follow their treatment regimen (90%+). You said you have been diagnosed with systemic lupus. That means it is more than cutaneous. Many patients have both.
The medications which control lupus are immunosuppressive drugs. Prednisone is the first line of defense in calming a flare, or period of disease activity. But prednisone can cause some problems at high doses and if taken for long periods of time. Most of us take hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) twice a day for life. This is preventive. For many patients the hydroxychloroquine is enough. If you have organ issues, then additional immunosuppressive drugs will be prescribed depending on what organ is involved.
Lifestyle choices that help are:
1. Eat a nutritious, balanced diet that is high in fruits and vegetables (at least 5 servings a day) and low in animal fat. Most of the time, avoid highly processed foods or fast food.
2. Get some physical exercise on a regular basis.
3. Learn stress management. Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation are all good tools.
4. Learn about lupus so you can better manage it.
5. Develop healthy and open communication with your physicians.
6. Follow your treatment regimen and don't be afraid to ask questions.
7. Talk to others with lupus. I am 56, have systemic lupus with organ involvement, and lead a very full and happy life. :-)
8. Stay out of the sun PERIOD!
There is no cure for lupus. You will have it for life. That said, you can learn to manage the lupus, work with your doctors and have a good life. Sure, it will be a little different from those who do not have lupus. You are the one who creates your new life with lupus. It is possible! (
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How much should people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus pay for the insurance in USA?
im not an american n im with Systemic Lupus Erythematosuscan. can i buy insurance there?? if i can, how much should i pay for irt?? after i having insurance, how much should i pay when i go see the doctor and get the medicine??
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Answers to your three questions in the order you asked them:
1. Yes, you can.
2. More than $1/year, but less than $10,000/year.
3. Depends on your specific insurance plan.
Hope that helps! lol. (
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Can Systemic LUPUS Erythematosus cause swelling in ONE HAND ONLY?
The fingertips of my right hand are swollen, even turning purplish yesterday. My left hand is fine - no change. And my feet aren't swelling, either. Just the finger tips of my right hand.
Or it might be scleroderma.
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You might need a venus doppler test to see if you have good blood flow to that hand. Blue finger tips indicate poor blood flow. (
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What gene causes lupus erythematosus and what protein is involved?
Researchers have identified more than six genes that MAY be involved. Go to www.lupus.org and read the blogs. You will find the very newest information there. (
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What types of cell surface protein malfunction cause Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Cystic Fibrosis?
This site will have answers to all of your questions!
http://www.medicinenet.com/systemic_lupus/article.htm#1whatis (
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why is the butterfly rash in systemic lupus erythematosus was called such?
other than being shaped like a butterfly, are there any other mechanisms on why this butterfly-like appearance or rashes becomes visible on the affected patients? I hope you could help me. thanks!
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Only 30% of patients with lupus have a butterfly rash.
Since Lupus is a system disease, meaning inside. Lupus can affect kidneys, joints, blood etc. As eczema it's an autoimmune disease.
I know I'm off topic....
The butterfly rash will get worse with sunlight as most lupus patients are photosensitive, like having sensitive skin, it'll act like a sunburn.
It's an anti-inflammatory action of the body. (
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Can Systemic lupus erythematosus appear in teens?
im 13, and i have some odd things going on with my body. I sometimes get a burning, tingling sensation in my arm and legs, my face gets hot easy, i get really light head and have rainbow flashes in my eyes, and feel my pulse in parts of my body (as a heavy, uncomfortable beating). i look up my "symptoms" and lupus came up. im scared i have it. could lupus appear in teens? if not then what could i have?
Well, i probably should have mentioned i have depression and severe anxiety, but the flashes in my eyes im still worried about. Maybe low blood pressure?
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Yes, lupus is often diagnosed in teenagers. My wife was diagnosed at age 15 and my daughter was diagnosed at 13. However, they actually exhibited signs of Lupus whereas the signs/symptoms you are talking about really aren't specific to Lupus. You need a complete evaluation by a doctor. (
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Why hydroxychloroquine is said to be very effective in treating Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?
Antibodies "tag" your healthy cells as if they were invaders. Macrophages come and attach to the tag and try to destroy your healthy cells. Hydroxychloroquine changes the ph on the cells which interrupts the errant immune response. (
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what is the treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus?
some say there is no treatment for it, Is it true?
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Hi
All the answers so far are giving you the correct answer. Our usual first treatment is anti malarials which calm the immune system, after that we may progress to steroids if the anti malarials don't work and after that more agressive treatment is chemotherapy.
Lupus can be controlled or at least helped by diet & exercise. We clinically trialled the low GI diet with much success - lots on the web about that - and also exercise - whatever you feel you can do. I personally have systemic lupus and control mine with the low gi diet and exercise (I go to the gym) and I take no drugs whatever.
If you have more questions please feel free to contact our nurse online who can help.
http://lupus.org.uk/onlinenurse.htm (
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What is the difference between lichen planus (LPP)& lupus erythematosus (LE)?
I would also like to know what is blaschkoid LE. are both LP & BLE autoimmune diseases ? What are the remedies ?
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More detailed info can be found at: http://www.maxillofacialcenter.com/BondBook/mucosa/lichenplanus.html
Lichen planus is a lichenoid autoimmune mucositis with a clinically different but microscopically similar dermal counterpart. On the skin the disease is usually of shorter duration, approximately 3 years, and does not have the ulcerating and blistering effects seen frequently in oral lesions. In the mouth lichen planus has several clinical variants with considerable cross-over between variants, and with occasional shifting from one variant to another. Some of these variants are thought to represent an elevated cancer risk but there is ongoing debate as to the validity of this hypothesis.
Some cases have obvious etiologic associations, usually a systemic medication or mucosal contact with dental materials or certain spices, but the etiology in most cases remains unknown. There is no strong association between oral and dermal lesions and most persons with oral involvement never have skin involvement. Oral lichen planus can be found in 1/1,000 adults (Table 1).
Discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus may present with oral keratotic and ulcerative lesions which are clinically identical to lichen planus and show a strong histopathologic similarity as well. Elongated, thin rete ridges are more likely to be associated with lupus, as is deep extension of the subepithelial lymphocytic band, especially with lymphoid aggregates present. Rete hyperplasia in lupus may, in fact, be so extensive that dyskeratosis occurs and the epithelium takes on the localized appearance of pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia. Thickened or degenerated endothelium with perivascular infiltrates is, of course, very helpful for the identification of lupus vasculitis, but these changes are often missing in oral examples. Cutaneous lupus lesions usually show a positive IgG and IgA reactivity along the basement membrane, and a patchy band of complement reactivity may be seen on immunofluorescence. Circulating anti-nuclear antibodies may also be present in cases of systemic disease, but an extensive discussion of the extraoral characteristics of lupus is beyond the scope of the present chapter.
Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus is the final lesion to differentiate from oral lichen planus. Extremely rare in the mouth, this typically genital mucositis may be clinically indistinguishable from oral lichen planus. The epithelium is uniformly atrophic, often extremely so, and only a thin layer of surface keratin is seen. There is typically extensive subepithelial fibrosis or hyalinization and a lesser inflammatory infiltrate is noticed; the infiltrate is often separated from the epithelium by a hyalinized band. Subepithelial hyalinization is also a feature of systemic sclerosis or scleroderma, amyloidosis and oral submucous fibrosis. Congo red birefringence and thioflavin T fluorescence can help to rule out amyloidosis, but differences in clinical features may be needed to rule out the other disorders.
There is no cure for this disease and therapy is only palliative. Fortunately, oral lichen planus lesions wax and wane, and are typically asymptomatic. For those patients suffering from tenderness and sensitivity to acidic foods, topical or systemic prednisolone is usually effective but should be used sparingly because of the potential systemic side effects. Persons affected with oral lesions seldom develop skin lesions, although the clinician should be on the lookout for evidence of lupus erythematosus during follow-up examinations, especially in patients with arthritic joint pains.
For patients with atrophic or ulcerative or bullous forms of the disease, an examination for early oral cancer should be performed every 4-6 months. This follow-up may entail repeat biopsies of areas of unhealing ulceration, induration or deep erythema. The estimated risk of malignant transformation, if real, is less than 2% over a 10 year period. Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus of the mouth carries no malignant potential, as it does in the genital region.
2nd part of your question:
Widespread Blaschkoid lichen planus by
Heather A Klein MD, Richard A Krathen MD, Sylvia Hsu MD
Dermatology Online Journal 12 (7): 17:
this info can be found here: http://dermatology.cdlib.org/127/case_presentations/blashkoid/klein.html
Lichen planus is a cutaneous and mucous-membrane disorder of unknown etiology characterized by pruritic, planar, polygonal, purple papules that upon close examination have a white lacy reticular surface. Several variants have been described, including linear lichen planus sometimes following Blaschko lines. Blaschko lines, distinct from Voight lines, Langer lines, and the lines of innervation of the spinal nerves, follow a V-shape on the back, an S-shape on the abdomen, an inverted U-shape on the upper chest, and a linear pattern down the front and back of the lower extremities [1]. Long et al. reported linear lichen planus following Blaschko lines, as in our patient [2]. This patient's lesions were not confined to one side of the body, but rather began on the right side of the chest and spread to the trunk, arms, left thigh, left foot, and third finger of both hands.
This patient was given a 3-week course of prednisone 40 mg daily with clinical and symptomatic improvement, at which time the patient was tapered off prednisone over the next few weeks.
Blaschko's lines, also called the Lines of Blaschko, are an extremely rare and unexplained phenomenon of human anatomy first presented in 1901 by German dermatologist Alfred Blaschko. Neither a specific disease nor a predictable symptom of a disease, Blaschko's lines are an invisible pattern built into human DNA[citation needed]. Many inherited and acquired diseases of the skin or mucosa manifest themselves according to these patterns, creating the visual appearance of stripes.
The cause of the stripes is thought to result from mosaicism; they do not correspond to nervous, muscular, or lymphatic systems. What makes them more remarkable is that they correspond quite closely from patient to patient, usually forming a "V" shape over the spine and "S" shapes over the chest, stomach, and sides. (
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