Drugs That Cause Lupus Erythematosus

Lupus erythematosus is u na chronic inflammatory autoimmune character. It usually affects women of childbearing age more often than men. And it should be noted that the evolution of this pathology is unpredictable. Although the most characteristic thing is that it debuts in the form of shoots.

Being an autoimmune disease, the patient’s immune system is altered and cannot carry out its functions normally. Therefore, it identifies the healthy tissues of the body as foreign agents and attacks them by mistake.

As a general rule, most clinical cases with lupus erythematosus have an unknown cause.

However, there are special cases of lupus, such as neonatal (in newborns) or caused by drugs. This last subtype is also called pseudolupus and it develops an exaggerated reaction (hypersensitivity reaction) to a drug. In this way, it usually presents characteristics similar to systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE.

Signs and Symptoms of Medication Lupus

Generally, the administration of the problematic drugs for more than 3 months leads to the development of a set of symptoms.

The signs are usually similar to those of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and include:

• General fatigue
• Fever (which can vary in intensity).
• Visual disturbances (especially blurred vision).
• Loss of appetite or loss of appetite. As a general rule, it is related to weight loss in a limited period of time.
• Discomfort and presence of inflammation in the joints. It could also be a manifestation of arthritis derived from this disease.

Other symptoms that may occur (although less frequently) are the following:

• Pleuritic chest pain.
• Central nervous system related disorders.
• Renal disorders (affect the kidneys of the patient).
• Acne. Especially in areas most exposed to sunlight.
• Pericarditis or inflammation of the pericardium (envelope of the heart). This can lead to a series of complications in the functioning of the heart.

How is drug-induced lupus diagnosed?

On the other hand, to make the diagnosis correctly, the medical team will carry out a series of medical tests. In this way, the disease can be identified and other alterations with similar symptoms can be ruled out. We can highlight the following tests:

• Physical examination and evaluation of the patient’s medical history and family history.
• Routine tests such as blood or urine tests.
• Obtaining internal images. A chest X-ray is done to check for inflammation in the organs in the area.

• Electrocardiogram or ECG to check the condition of the heart.
• Panel of antinuclear antibodies or ANN.
• ANCA or antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody panel.
• Complete blood count (CBC) with differential.

To relieve symptoms, you may use:

• Antimalarial drugs.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Corticosteroid creams or ointments.
• If the patient has kidney and heart abnormalities, the doctor may prescribe other chemical compounds (depending on the disorder).

Medications that most commonly cause lupus erythematosus

Currently, clinical studies have been able to determine the drugs that generally induce this subtype of lupus. For example, we can include in this category:

• Isoniazid.
• Hydralazine.
• Procainamide.

On the other hand, there are other chemical compounds or drugs that cause this pathology less frequently:

• Capoten.
• Quinidine
• Levamisole.
• Methyldopa.
• Minocycline.
• Penicillamine.
• Sulfasalazine.
• Chlorpromazine.
• Antiseizure medications.
• Inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor alpha or TNF.

What to watch out for about medications and lupus?

Faced with this type of lupus erythematosus, a possible preventive measure would be avoid using the mentioned medications. However, the medical team will recommend the best treatment options and explain the possible side effects.

Lupus is a very complex disease with manifestations in several organs, with no apparent relationship between them. For this reason, although the most common drugs are indicated, it may be the case that a patient has an outbreak of medicated lupus after taking different drugs.