Anti-malarials

Unlike many other diseases, there is no cure for systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly called lupus. But doctors can offer those who suffer with lupus a number of treatment options. These options offer a measure of hope and a great deal of disease management, allowing sufferers to lead a relatively normal life.

One option is the use of medicines ranging from anti-inflammatory to investigational. The right medicinal choice is dependent on the nature of an individual’s disease. And a treatment course that begins with one drug can readily evolve into a new treatment course and different drug altogether.

Your doctor will chart a course for you, most likely based on three key factors: type and severity of lupus symptoms, your response to treatment, and the side effect risks involved with taking certain drugs.

Here, we’ll review anti-malarials, as well as give some examples of brand names lupus patients might encounter. Overtime, this resource will link to more detailed descriptions of the individual brand names, their side effects and other details.

As the name suggests, anti-malarials are used to treat malaria. But the drugs are also effective when battling the symptoms of lupus. They are particularly well-suited to fight the effects of arthritis associated with lupus, skin rashes and mouth ulcers.

Anti-malarials are given in both high and low doses, each carrying with it different sets of side effects, such as retina damage in high doses and muscle weakness in low doses. Most notably, pregnant women and women who are planning to become pregnant, should talk with their doctor before taking such drugs, as they have been linked birth defects.

For low doses:
• Abdominal pain
• Skin rashes
• Muscle weakness
• Mild blurring of vision (usually resolves on its own)

For high doses
• Retina damage (tests and screenings are conducted regularly to monitor this possibility).

Some common names of anti-malarial drugs:

• Plaquenil
• Aralen
• Atabrine

_{Treating Lupus. Handout on Health: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Revised August 2003.}