“How to treat lupus?”

I am sorry your son is ill but I hope that he can see a pediatric rheumatologist and get a treatment plan As you know, lupus can cause many different signs and symptoms. These can include fever, weight loss, lymph node enlargement, mouth ulcers, pleurisy and pericarditis, Raynauds phenomenon , neurological, kidney involvement ( different forms ), anemia and low platelet counts, etcetera The treatment really depends on what we call the manifestation; in other words we will treat the patient based on what organ systems are involved If someone has a rash and arthritis, we might use a drug called hydroxychloroquine or Plaquenil For more serious involvement, prednisone may need to be used and other immunosuppressive medication ( methotrexate, Imuran, CellCept, leflunomide, Benlysta, Saphnelo ) The outlook for patients with lupus today is better than it was 25 to 30 years ago I hope your son does well. Best wishes! Thomas P. Olenginski, M.D., FACP Staff Attending Physician - Geisinger Medical Center, Danville PA Department Rheumatology HiROC FLS Physician Champion BMD Committee Chairperson 570-271-6416 Fax: 570-214-2924

When treating lupus in children, a combination of medications and lifestyle adjustments is typically employed:

Medication:

Antimalarial drugs like hydroxychloroquine can be prescribed to prevent and manage symptoms.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) aid in addressing symptoms like pain, swelling, and stiffness.
In severe cases with organ involvement, cyclophosphamide might be used.

Lifestyle Changes:

The management focuses on controlling symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and inflammation.

Here are some websites that have really good resources; I hope this helps!

https://nyulangone.org/conditions/lupus-in-children/treatments/medication-for-lupus-in-children
https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/pediatric-lupus
https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/lupus
https://www.childrensnational.org/get-care/health-library/systemic-lupus-erythematosus
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/s/systemic-lupus-erythematosus
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127968/

Every patient's Lupus is different. I encourage you to speak to your child's rheumatologist further about this. Treatment is based on the different organ systems involved.

Consider a TV consultant. Gather all the lab data and see if your local Rheumatologist will do this.. there is a consultation cost.