Your treatment choices for lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) depend on how severe your symptoms are, whether your organs are affected, and how much your symptoms are affecting your daily life. Your treatment plans should be tailored to your individual needs and will change over time, as the disease flares or ebbs. There currently is no cure for lupus.

You may be able to control your symptoms with self-care and medication. Self-care includes learning as much as possible about lupus, maintaining good communication with your health professional, and developing a healthy lifestyle. Medications that may be used to treat lupus include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, antimalarials, and immunosuppressants.

Initial treatment

The goal of treatment for mild lupus is to prevent symptom flares-when fatigue, joint pain, and rash get worse. Maintain a schedule of regular checkups with your health professional, instead of waiting until your disease flares. When flares do occur, the goal is to treat them rapidly to limit any damage to body organs.

Treatment for mild lupus includes:

• Avoiding the sun. If you must be in the sun, cover your arms and legs, wear a hat, and apply broad-spectrum sunscreen (covering both UVA and UVB rays) with a high sun protection factor (such as SPF 50) to protect your skin.
• Applying corticosteroid cream for rashes.
• Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and getting plenty of rest for mild joint or muscle pain and fever.
• Taking antimalarial medications to treat fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, and lung inflammation.
• Taking low-dose corticosteroids if NSAIDs aren't effective in controlling your symptoms.

For more severe cases of lupus, treatment may include:

• Higher-dose corticosteroids, either in pills or by injection.
• Medications that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants).

Good self-care is essential to managing lupus. A healthy lifestyle may reduce the frequency and severity of flares, resulting in an improved quality of life. Self-care includes:

• Regular exercise.
• Education about lupus and self-care.
• Not smoking.
• Eating a healthful, balanced diet.
• Developing a support system of family, friends, and health professionals.

Treatment for the skin rash that many people develop with lupus starts with sunscreens, sun avoidance, and clothing to protect skin from the sun.¹⁰ If needed, medications may include antimalarials, corticosteroid creams and pills, and retinoids such as acitretin.¹¹ Some treatments work for some people but not for others, and some treatments may have long-term side effects. More research is needed to determine which of these treatments is safest and most effective.

Ongoing treatment

Progression of lupus varies by the individual. Flares and remissions can occur abruptly, unexpectedly, and without clear cause. The major goal for ongoing treatment of lupus is prevention or management of damage to the body organs, including the arteries, kidneys, bones, and brain.