What is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the connective tissue. It affects multiple systems including the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, heart, and the peripheral blood cells.

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What is it like to have Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?

Common Symptoms Patients' Latest Severity My Current Severity  
Severity
Severe
Moderate
Mild
None
Butterfly (malar) rash None Mild Moderate Severe
Joint pain None Mild Moderate Severe

What do patients take to treat Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and its symptoms?

Commonly prescribed and frequently used treatments

Treatment name Efficacy Overall rating of side effects # of Evaluations
Hydroxychloroquine
(Hydroxychlor, Plaquenil)
79
Prednisone
(Encorton, Deltasone, Pronizon)
46
Naproxen OTC
(Equate Naproxen, Good Sense Naproxen Sodium, Kroger Naproxen Sodium, Members Mark Naproxen Sodium)
12
Mycophenolate
(CellCept)
9
Azathioprine
(Imurek, Azasan, Azapress, Imurel)
9
Belimumab
(Benlysta)
7

These charts show data from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients' latest treatment evaluations

Who has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus at PatientsLikeMe?

<20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+
Current Age
Distribution of females vs. males
Gender
97% Females
3% Males
Age at first symptom
Age at first symptom # of patients Proportion
0-19 yrs 361
20-29 yrs 423
30-39 yrs 386
40-49 yrs 185
50-59 yrs 51
60-69 yrs 7
70+ yrs 0
Diagnosis status
Diagnosis status # of patients Proportion
Diagnosed 1680
Not Officially Diagnosed 76

These charts show data from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients who have completed their condition history