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Drugs used in lupus

Stomach pain in lupus

Lupus Stomach Medications: Gastrointestinal Symptoms

October 17, 2023

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and problems are common in lupus patients and can significantly impact their quality of life. This article will explore lupus stomach medications and strategies for managing GI symptoms effectively.

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NOTE: Johns Hopkins University Press, publisher of 

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Managing Bone Health With Drugs

Managing Bone Health With Bisphosphonate Drugs

September 5, 2023

Individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at increased risk of broken bones (fractures) due to osteoporosis. Increasing bone strength with bisphosphonate drugs is important. This article discusses bisphosphonate drugs used in lupus patients. 

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NOTE: Johns Hopkins University Press,

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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.

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Participate in this lupus survey if you live in the USA [Survey is closed]

The Lupus Foundation of America wants to learn more about the difficulties in being diagnosed with lupus Click
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Do I need a 5th COVID Vaccine AND Evusheld if I have lupus? [December 2023 UPDATE]

December 2023 Update: Yearly Fall COVID shots and a replacement for Evusheld The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has
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Early Signs of Lupus in Females

Lupus, an autoimmune disease, predominantly affects women. Around 90% of lupus patients are women, while 10% are men.
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Top Tips on Taking Hydroxychloroquine for Lupus [Ultimate Guide February 2025]

Taking hydroxychloroquine for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is considered the most important drug for lupus. It is the
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Is Lupus Hereditary?

Is Lupus Hereditary? “Yes” Around 200 genes have been identified that increase the risk of getting lupus. This
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Lupus Mottled Skin & Symptoms (Feb 2025 Update)

One skin issue associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is “mottled skin,” with livedo reticularis being one of
Bisphosphonate drugs and lupus

Bisphosphonate Drugs and Lupus

Many SLE patients have fractures in their spine (vertebral fractures), and around half do not realize it. After
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Lupus and Dry Skin

Lupus often manifests its effects on the skin. One potential problem is dry, itchy skin. Fortunately, a lot
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How to collect a urine sample properly for testing (UPDATED January 2025)

    It is essential for lupus patients to regularly collect an accurate clean catch urine sample  
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Saphnelo vs Benlysta? What is the Best Medicine for Lupus? [January 2025]

Update March 2024 Saphnelo is the only FDA-approved drug for SLE to have a randomized, placebo-controlled long-term extension
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Dry Eyes and Lupus: Eye Doctor Tips and Tricks

Dry eyes are very common in lupus patients, especially those with Sjogren’s disease. Around 25 to 30% of
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Botox Injections and Lupus

If you have lupus and are considering Botox injections for cosmetic or medical purposes, it’s important to understand
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Provocative Advice: Lupus Patients need COVID Vaccines [2021]

Evaluation and recommendations by noted lupus experts: Lupus patients need COVID vaccines Hot off the press from Lupus
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Lupus and Thyroid Medications

Lupus and thyroid disease go hand in hand. The thyroid gland, which is situated at the front of
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Dr. Donald Thomas gets his extra COVID vaccines: It was easy!

UPDATED September 2021: I cannot wait to get my extra COVID vaccines … specifically my 3rd booster shot!
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Lupus Headaches: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs and systems. One of
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Lupus and COVID vaccine: Tested in the clinical trials = safe and effective!

Lupus and COVID vaccine: Dr. Thomas recommends not waiting to his patients, read below… Research regarding the COVID
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The Lupus Encyclopedia, edition 2: Now Available!

The Lupus Encyclopedia, edition 2: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Health Care Providers is now available at
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Anifrolumab FDA approval to treat systemic lupus [Saphnelo]

Anifrolumab FDA Approval to Treat Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) AstraZeneca announced its anifrolumab FDA approval on 8/2/2021. In
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Early Signs of Lupus: What to Look For

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. Early diagnosis is key
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Lupus and the Urinary System

Kidney inflammation (lupus nephritis) occurs in around 45% of people who have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therefore, lupus
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Lupus and the Respiratory System

The respiratory system, also known as the pulmonary system, plays a crucial role in exchanging gases essential for
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COVID Vaccine for Immunocompromised Patients and What Drugs to Stop [December 2023 UPDATE]

The American College of Rheumatology Provides Guidance for stopping drugs to enhance the COVID vaccine for immunocompromised patients
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Lupus Stomach Medications: Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and problems are common in lupus patients and can significantly impact their quality of life.
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DHEA and Lupus: Research shows it to be useful and good in some

Other Facts about DHEA and lupus – DHEA and lupus: DHEA stands for DeHydroEpiAndrosterone – It is produced
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Weight Loss & Exercise in Lupus: the science & patient view

Weight loss & exercise provide many benefits to lupus patients. Healthcare providers consider exercise as “free medication” with
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Fatigue in Lupus and Sjogren’s [December 2023 Update]

Abnormal mitochondria may play a role in fatigue in lupus: Exercise and NAC supplements appear to help February
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COVID Vaccines, Evusheld & Stopping Drugs for Shots [FEB 2023 Update]

  Stopping Methotrexate for 1 Week as Effective as 2 Weeks after Flu shots [FEB 2023 Update) This
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Symptoms of Lupus in Men

While lupus is more common in women, 10% of lupus patients are men. Understanding the symptoms of lupus
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Anticardiolipin Antibodies and Lupus [February 2025 Update]

Anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA), a type of antiphospholipid antibody, can thicken the blood and potentially cause devastating blood clots
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“Do I need a mask after vaccination?” Now here is the truth

Please continue to protect yourself as you did before if you have lupus or another systemic autoimmune disease
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Voclosporin for Lupus Nephritis: Great results in The Lancet

Note the impressively higher response rates in the blue bars (Lupkynis + mycophenolate + steroids) compared to pink
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Good Advice on Lupus and Bactrim [per sulfa antibiotic research]

Lupus and Bactrim: List sulfa antibiotics (like Bactrim) in your allergy list if you have lupus Lupus patients
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Anti-inflammatory Diet for Autoimmune Disease: New Research (AI Protocol)

The Autoimmune Protocol (AI protocol) is another term for the anti-inflammatory diet. The chart below was shown to
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How does Hydroxychloroquine work for Lupus (SLE)? [February 2025 Update]

Did you know that using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to help lupus patients was discovered by accident? Since that accidental
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3 Ways to Stop Lupus Kidney Disease Progression [Jan 2025]

It is indeed possible to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with lupus and
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Lupus Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Lifestyle changes advice [January 2025]

Eating a diet high in foods that decrease inflammation while avoiding or minimizing foods that increase inflammation can
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Methotrexate for lupus: help it work better and prevent side effects [January 2025]

Methotrexate is one of the safest and most effective drugs for lupus. Since the 1980s, it has been
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Diabetes Drug Pioglitazone Helpful for Lupus [Suggests NIH study]

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The Direct Coombs test is also known as the direct Coombs antibody test and the direct antiglobulin test
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https://www.lupusencyclopedia.com/book-photos/#tendon…
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Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect multiple organs and systems,
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This blog post will give advice on how to prevent lupus and other autoimmune diseases. I will first
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The Lupus Secrets [Practical Tips for Living with Lupus]

Do you have lupus, then you absolutely want to learn about follow The Lupus Secrets so that you