GoodRx Guide
Lupus: Your GoodRx Guide
Comprehensive information for you or a loved one — including treatment options and discounts on popular medications.
Definition
Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a life-long disease that can affect any part of your body. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body — causing inflammation and damage.
There are four different types of lupus:
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): This is the most common type of lupus, and is the main focus of all the information here.
Cutaneous lupus: This causes only the skin-related symptoms of lupus.
Drug-induced lupus: This type of lupus is caused by medication you might be taking for something else. The symptoms usually go away when you stop taking the medication.
Neonatal lupus: When a person with lupus gives birth to a baby, the newborn can sometimes have lupus symptoms. These symptoms usually go away within 6 months.
People with lupus tend to have symptoms that come and go over time (flare-ups). Though there’s no cure for lupus, medications and good care help many people with lupus live long, full lives.
Looking to save on BENLYSTA (belimumab)?
BENLYSTA is for people 5+ with active SLE (lupus) or active lupus nephritis on other lupus medicines. Not for people with severe active central nervous system lupus.
Do not use BENLYSTA if you are allergic to belimumab or any ingredients in BENLYSTA.
The most important information about BENLYSTA
Immunosuppressive agents, including BENLYSTA, can cause serious side effects. Some of these may cause death.
• Infections:
fever, chills, pain or burning with urination, urinating often, coughing up mucus, or warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body. Infections could be serious, leading to hospitalization or death.
• Allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions:
itching, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, trouble breathing, anxiousness, low blood pressure, dizziness or fainting, headache, nausea, or skin rash. Serious allergic reactions can happen the day of, or in days after, receiving BENLYSTA and may cause death.
• Mental health problems and suicide:
thoughts of suicide or dying, attempt to commit suicide, trouble sleeping (insomnia), new or worse anxiety or depression, acting on dangerous impulses, other unusual changes in your behavior or mood, or thoughts of hurting yourself or others.
Before receiving BENLYSTA, discuss with your healthcare provider if you:
• think you have an infection or have infections that keep coming back. Do not use BENLYSTA if you have an infection unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
• have or have had mental health problems such as depression or thoughts of suicide.
• have recently received or may need a vaccination. If you are receiving BENLYSTA, you should not receive live vaccines.
• are taking any medicines, including prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
• are allergic to other medicines.
• are receiving other biologic medicines.
• have or have had any type of cancer.
• have any other medical conditions.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is unknown if BENLYSTA will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether to prevent pregnancy while on BENLYSTA. If you choose to prevent pregnancy, you should use an effective method of birth control for at least 4 months after the final dose of BENLYSTA.
• become pregnant while receiving BENLYSTA, talk to your healthcare provider about enrolling in the BENLYSTA Pregnancy Registry. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-877-311-8972 or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/benlysta-belimumab/
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is unknown if BENLYSTA passes into your breast milk.
Possible side effects of BENLYSTA
• Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). PML is a serious and life-threatening brain infection. PML can result in death or severe disability. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you notice any new or worsening medical problems: memory loss, trouble thinking, dizziness or loss of balance, difficulty talking or walking, or loss of vision.
• Cancer. Medicines that affect the immune system, including BENLYSTA, may increase your risk of certain cancers.
The most common side effects of BENLYSTA are nausea, diarrhea, fever, stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, persistent cough, trouble sleeping, leg or arm pain, depression, headache, and pain, redness, itching, or swelling at the site of injection (when given subcutaneously). These are not all the possible side effects of BENLYSTA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Please see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for BENLYSTA.
What is BENLYSTA?
BENLYSTA is a prescription medicine used to treat people 5 years of age and older with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) or active lupus nephritis (LN) (lupus-related kidney inflammation) who are receiving other lupus medicines. It is not known if BENLYSTA is safe/effective in people with severe active central nervous system lupus.
It is not known if BENLYSTA, given under the skin, is safe/effective in:
• children with SLE under 5 years of age or weighing less than 33 lbs
• children with LN under 18 years of age
It is not known if BENLYSTA, given in a vein (intravenously), is safe and effective in children less than 5 years of age.
BENLYSTA IV is available as 120 mg in a 5-mL single-dose vial and 400 mg in a 20-mL single-dose vial. BENLYSTA SC is available as a 200 mg/mL single-dose autoinjector and prefilled syringe.
Trademarks owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.
©2024 GSK or licensor.
PMUS-BELWCNT240036 October 2024
Produced in USA.
Causes
Lupus is caused by a combination of genetics and environmental factors
Certain genes can put you at risk for lupus. If others in your family have lupus or other autoimmune conditions, that could increase your risk. Factors in your environment — including viruses that you have been exposed to — can also affect whether or not you will get lupus.
Some people are more likely than others to get lupus
Lupus is much more common in women than in men. And, although people of any ethnicity can get lupus, it is more common in people who are:
Black
Hispanic/Latino
Asian American
American Indian
Native Hawaiian
Pacific Islander
Lupus can appear at any age, but people usually start getting symptoms between the ages of 15 and 44. It is more likely to start earlier — and to be more severe — in people of color.
Symptoms
Lupus causes a wide range of symptoms
The immune system attack in lupus can target different areas in your body, so there is a wide range of symptoms. That said, most people with lupus have some symptoms in common. This includes:
On-and-off fever
Feeling very tired
A skin rash across the cheeks and nose (butterfly rash)
Joint pain
Lupus usually follows an on-again, off-again pattern. It never goes away completely, but many people with lupus go through good times with few symptoms (called remission) and bad times with many (called flare-ups).
Lupus can cause severe problems
Over time, the damage caused by lupus can have a big impact on your health. Some of the more serious effects of lupus can even shorten your life. Here are the most common complications of lupus:
Diagnosis
If you’re concerned about lupus, talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms. Though there’s no one single test that can diagnose lupus, your provider can help put the pieces of the puzzle together.
If your provider suspects you might have lupus, they will order a lab blood test to look for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in your blood. These are antibodies that are present in almost all people with lupus.
In fact, according to the American College of Rheumatology, if your ANA test is negative (meaning you don’t have it) you probably do not have lupus.
But if ANA is detected, you might have it. In this case, the next step will be getting other tests that can help your provider make a diagnosis. At this point, your primary care provider might also suggest that you see a rheumatologist — a doctor with extra experience diagnosing and managing lupus.
Other tests and procedures that can help with diagnosis include:
Additional blood tests
Urine test
Biopsy
Lung function test
Electrocardiogram (EKG)
Ultrasound
X-ray
CT scan
MRI
Medications
Even though there’s no cure for lupus, good treatments are available. Medications can help you live a full life with lupus, by preventing and treating lupus flares and protecting your body from further damage.
Lupus medications can keep your immune system under control, and reduce inflammation:
Antimalarial medications: like hydroxychloroquine
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): like ibuprofen
Corticosteroids: like prednisone
Immune-modulating medications: like cyclophosphamide and belimumab
In many cases, people with lupus are treated with daily hydroxychloroquine, and with short-term prednisone added on when needed. Other medications may be added, depending on your symptoms and your overall health.
Your provider may also recommend medications that can help with specific symptoms, or lupus-related health problems. Examples include:
Antidepressants: for depression or anxiety
Cholesterol-lowering medication: to protect your heart and blood vessels
Blood thinners: to prevent blood clots and strokes
Topical medications: for skin rashes and sores
Living
Living with lupus can be challenging, just like any long-term health condition. It’s important to take steps to support your mental and physical health.
For people to manage lupus, it can be helpful to:
Stop smoking
Protect your skin from the sun
Stretch and get regular exercise
Keep up with regular follow-ups with your medical team
Learn to manage stress
Get enough good-quality sleep every night
Keep up with regular vaccinations
Connect with the lupus community
Common concerns
No. Lupus is not contagious. Spending time with a person who has lupus does not put you at risk of catching it.
Once you have lupus, you will always have it. Some people get many flare-ups and develop symptoms that rapidly worsen. Other people get one flare-up and then never have another, and then go on to lead a relatively normal life.
You can, although there are risks involved. Talk to a healthcare provider who has experience in this area — ideally, before you get pregnant — to make sure you know what you need to do.
Some lupus medications can be dangerous to take during pregnancy, so you might need to make adjustments to your treatment if you get pregnant.
A small number of babies born to people with lupus will develop neonatal lupus. This condition can require treatment to prevent serious problems, but most babies outgrow it before their first birthday. Occasionally, babies born to people with lupus can experience heart damage.
As we grow and age, the cells in our bodies naturally die and break apart. These dying cells and their contents, including old DNA, are quickly cleared away by normal body systems.
Lupus occurs when these dead cells aren’t cleaned up quickly enough. Your immune system detects the dying cell material and develops an immune response against it. Then, in the future, your immune system becomes activated quickly when it encounters these materials again. This leads to inflammation — and the immune attack that can result in organ damage.
References
American College of Rheumatology. (2019). Lupus.
Aringer, M, et al. (2019). 2019 European League against rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Arnaud, L., et al. (2020). Long-term outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: Trends over time and major contributors. Rheumatology.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Lupus in women.
Eastham, A. B., et al. (2014). Cutaneous lupus erythematosus. JAMA.
Fanouriakis, A., et al. (2021). Update on the diagnosis and management of systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis.
Hospital for Special Surgery. (2019). Understanding laboratory tests and results for lupus (SLE).
Johns Hopkins Lupus Center. How lupus affects the body. (2021).
Lech, M., et al (2013). The pathogenesis of lupus nephritis. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Lupus Foundation of America. (2020). Benlysta: What you need to know.
Lupus Foundation of America. (2013). Diet and nutrition with lupus.
Lupus Foundation of America. (2021). Find support near you.
Lupus Foundation of America. (2013). How lupus affects the muscles, tendons, and joints.
Lupus Foundation of America. (2021). Risk factors for developing lupus.
Lupus Foundation of America. (2021). What is neonatal lupus?
Lupus Foundation of America. (2021). What is lupus?
MedlinePlus. (2020). ANA (antinuclear antibody) test.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2017). Lupus and kidney disease (lupus nephritis).
Somers, E. C., et al. (2014). Population-based incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus: The Michigan Lupus Epidemiology and Surveillance program. Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Yen, E. Y., et al. (2018). Lupus-an unrecognized leading cause of death in young females: A Population-based study using nationwide death certificates, 2000–2015. Arthritis & Rheumatology.
