Question
My daughter has been battling with lupus since age 19. She is now 41 years old. This year she had heart surgery to put in a paracardio window to relive the fluid building around her heart. The doctor said it was the most fluid he had every taken off a patient where they lived. She is still battling with lupus and has been on predisone far too long but if she get below 20mg she has a flare. It’s not lookin well. She now is beginning to have stress fractures and problems with acid reflux which have caused spots on her throat that the doctors are watching very carefully. My question is there treatment that you offer that may help my daughter?
Answer
There is no one single best treatment for lupus, and therapy must be tailored to the individual patient. In addition, some newer medications for specific aspects of lupus are now being tested in clinical trials. More information about scheduling an appointment to be seen at the Johns Hopkins Lupus Center can be found at: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/rheumatology/clinics/lupus_center.html
