Prednisolone controls Lupus... but side effects destroying her skin elasticity causing deep depression. SOS!?

My friend has Arthritis + Lupus, LES. She takes Prednisolone, which causes side effects as moonface she already has.





Now she developed heavy acne in her neck. To makes things worse, her legs, arms, shoulders and stomach are loosing their skin elasticity, since her collagen is altered. Common movements produce pain, and on top, her skin looks so thin and unflexible, that you think it will tear at any second.





You can see superficial damage on her tommy as if she had given birth to 3 babies at once. Not exaggerating. Her legs and shoulders got scares and bruises. Her depression grows and we are so scared.





Doctors are treating the Lupus, but dont see any importance on the described side effects, since thats the drugs effect. But I believe ANY woman needs to feel good about herself, and each time people stare wierdly at her, i feel like I' m being whipped.


If this conditions had some medication or treatment, she'd be able to go back to normal life, work and friends. SOS!

Prednisolone controls Lupus... but side effects destroying her skin elasticity causing deep depression. SOS!?
Lupus is difficult to treat. As long as I've been studying it, it seems to evade answers. The reason is that it is a disease like AIDS, it destroys the body. Sometimes it attacks the brain, sometimes the kidneys, eyesight etc. The ONLY thing that can slow down this awful disease is Prednisone. Prednisone will immediately shock the system into stopping this self-destruction, depending on the dose. The adreanal glands produce approximately 7 mg of steroids that the body needs in order to help the hormones stay in balance. When the human body begins to take Prednisone, the Adrenal glands shut down, forever. There has never been a study that supports the theory that the Adrenal glands can re-start-up, once they have been shut down or driven to sleep. Therefore, the Prednisone MUST keep coming. The difficult balance is to keep the disease at bay, while keeping the body healty enough to fight the common cold. When the human body is suffering with an infection, too high a dose of Prednisone can mask the infection, making the patient believe that they feel wonderful while the truth is that their body is being invaded with infection. Your friend sounds like she has been taking Prednisone for a long time. Her doctor should be notified and he should try to adjust the amount of Prednisone as soon as possible. If your friend is "flaring," the only thing that will immediately bring the flare into control, is massive doses of Prednisone, after which it is usually brought down by 25mg a day until she is back on a usual dose. Good Luck!
Reply:Hopefully the prednisone treatment will stop fairly soon - this is often a short-term way to kick the Lupus back down, and the side effects do wear off once all the prednisone is out of her system. At this point, she likely can't address the side effects, so why not consider a massage or other ways that can make her feel good during this interim period? Main thing to know is that the side effects aren't permanent, so do other things that make her feel good instead of focusing on the side effects she can't change.
Reply:I have lupus also.


Lupus is an overactive immune system. The direct opposite of AIDS. Lupus is autoimmune, AIDS is not. Lupus can attack any organ system.


Prednisone is not the only drug to control lupus. Prednisone is only one drug. There are several drugs that are routinely used to treat lupus. Many of the drugs used to treat RA are used in lupus.


Your friend needs to voice her concerns to her doctor. As for her depression, an anti-depressant might be useful. Anti-depressants can help with sleep and pain levels so they're frequently prescribed even when depression isn't noted.





Rheumatologists are very quick to prescribe steroids despite their horrible side effects. They're a "quick fix". I refuse to use steroids on a daily basis- the side effects do not outweigh the good. I do use dose packs as needed but that's not very often. I'm in pain management so I don't need steroids to help with the pain.





Depending on the symptoms, there are several medications available. But she needs to talk to her current doctor or even better, find a new one.





To successfully treat lupus, a multiple modalities need to be used- prescription medication, diet, exercise, massage, sleep help, hormone treatment if needed, etc. Treating this disease must come from multiple areas... popping 1 or 2 pills won't work. (I take 14 a day)





I would also recommend that your friend find a family physician to overlook her entire body and allow this doctor to coordinate her treatment. The rheumatologist only looks at the lupus.


In the end, it's up to the patient to decide if he/she will take the medication prescribed.
Reply:i suffer from Lupus too and had to be on prednisone for 9 years! i can relate to the problems she is going through. The best advise i can give is to moisurize skin up to 3 times a day. When she starts getting off the prednisone she will lose weight fast which will cause stretch marks.





Prednisone is not the only drug that controls lupus. Ask the doctor whether or not she can go on Plaqunil. I am on this drug and the only side effect from this is slight tanning of skin which isnt as bad as the weight gain and skin problems from prednisone.
Reply:Unfortunately, if the lupus is flaring badly, prednisone is the primary treatment. She can look bad or she can die. It's that simple. The doctors will lower the prednisone as the lupus comes under control.





There are other immunosuppressive drugs, each with its own dreadful side effects. There have been no new drugs for lupus in 40 years.





For many lupus patients there is no return to normal life. Lupus is not curable, but sometimes it can be controlled. Life will never be the same again.





Consider a counselor for depression. If you look for counselors who work with cancer patients and the terminally ill (although lupus is not usually fatal) they will be better equipped to help her through this. Antidepressant medication may be necessary for a while. Prednisone also alters mood, sometimes severely.





The "acne" may be lupus skin involvement which would be worse without the prednisone.





We lupus patients hope and pray for something that will help us without the horrific side effects. Go to www.lupus.org and click on the "take action" link to help us out.