Treatment, risks for women with lupus
THE particular medicine or combinations of medicines you receive for treating lupus will depend mainly on preference, severity and extent of the condition, which causes the body’s immune system to become hyperactive and attack normal, healthy tissue.
Internist Dr Jomo James said steroids, which more often than not are the mainstay of therapy, can do a lot of good, because they control the autoimmune disease. But they can also cause problems of their own.
“For instance, steroids can cause weight gain, make bones weak, make diabetes worse, or even cause diabetes,” Dr James shared.
On the question of women with lupus who may want to get pregnant, Dr James admitted that they are more likely than other women to have problems; however, they can still have healthy babies, once proper prenatal care is administered.
Dr James said for some women, having lupus increases the risk of:
1. Pre-eclampsia. Dr James said this is a serious condition that affects some pregnant women, and women with pre-eclampsia have high blood pressure and too much protein in their urine. He further stated that the condition can cause problems with the baby’s growth.
2. Giving birth to a premature baby (the baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy).
3. Having a baby that is smaller than normal.
4. The foetus dying after 10 weeks of pregnancy.
5. Lupus “flare”.
Having lupus can increase your baby’s risk of:
1. Having a disease called “neonatal lupus”
“This can sometimes happen when the mother has certain types of antibodies (proteins in the blood). Not everyone with lupus has these antibodies. Your doctor can test your blood for them. Sometimes neonatal lupus can cause the baby to have heart problems, although this is uncommon,” he explained.
2. Having learning disabilities
Dr James said there are some studies that show that children of mothers with lupus have a slightly higher risk of learning disabilities.
Additionally, the internist said women with lupus can reduce the risk of problems during pregnancy by seeing their doctors often and letting them know if they think anything is wrong.
“Your doctors will do tests throughout your pregnancy to check for any problems. If you would like to get pregnant, speak with your doctor or nurse before you start trying to get pregnant. There are ways for you to reduce the chances of having problems. For instance, it is important that you wait until you have not had lupus symptoms for at least six months,” he said.
Dr James said lupus cannot be cured and once diagnosed, it means you will have it for the rest of your life.
“It might be severe, or it might be mild. Either way, doctors and nurses today know a lot about how to handle the disease. You are likely to live a long time. And you might even find that your symptoms go away for long periods,” he said.
