Day 15: Understanding Lupus Treatments

I’m still in New York, balancing Lupus Awareness Month with Bella duty, so email distributions and posts may come at different times of the day, as long as they make it before the day ends. 😅

On a Personal Note

Today, I slept with Meadow from 9 to 12, and it was glorious. It reminded me that rest, real, deep rest, is part of healing, too.

Day 14

Yesterday, I shared that there is no single treatment plan that works for everyone with lupus. Today, let’s take a closer look at some of those treatments and what they actually do.

The medications we use in lupus management are more than just symptom control—they’re part of a long-term strategy to reduce flares, protect organs, and preserve quality of life.

Here are a few of the most common classes of medications:

🟣 Corticosteroids (like prednisone)

Used to quickly reduce inflammation during a flare, especially if organs are at risk. While they’re powerful, they come with long-term risks—so doctors try to use the lowest effective dose, for the shortest time possible.

👉🏽 If you missed yesterday’s deeper look into steroids: https://linke.to/lupusandprednisone

🟣 Antimalarials (like hydroxychloroquine/Plaquenil)

Often used as a long-term maintenance drug. They help manage joint pain, skin rashes, and fatigue, and may even reduce the frequency of flares. These medications are generally well tolerated, but require routine eye exams.

🟣 Immunosuppressants (like methotrexate, CellCept, Imuran)

Used to quiet an overactive immune system, especially in more severe cases or when organs are involved. These medications can reduce flare severity but also lower the body’s ability to fight infection.

Each one plays a different role, and many people (like me) are on a combination of these meds at different times.

Lupus management is rarely linear. It’s a series of adjustments, close monitoring, and shared decisions between patients and providers.

We’ve raised $2,969.55 so far this month and continue to raise funds and share knowledge through May 30 for Lupus Awareness Month.

If today’s email gave you a better understanding of lupus, please consider sharing it or supporting the cause:

👉🏽 https://linke.to/2025lupuswalk

If you’d like me to go deeper into this topic in a future blog post, feel free to reply to this email—I’d love to hear from you.

xoxo

Jowanna

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

📧 Email: [email protected]