Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Someone You Know Has Lupus

Zero in fifty. Thursday, November 20, 1958 marked an unfortunate anniversary. It was 50 years ago the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last approved a drug to specifically treat lupus. Those drugs are:

· Aspirin
· Plaquenil
· Prednisone

Below is some devastating data regarding side effects that lupus patients face. Please help us find medicines that can give lupus patients a better quality of life. Click on the link to see how you can help. http://www.firstgiving.com/giftofloveforlupuscure

Plaquenil side effects
Side effects of treatment for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis may include:

Abdominal cramps, abnormal eye pigmentation, acne, anemia, bleaching of hair, blind spots, blisters in mouth and eyes, blood disorders.

Blurred vision, convulsions, decreased vision, diarrhea, difficulty focusing the eyes
Diminished reflexes, dizziness, emotional changes, excessive coloring of the skin, eye muscle paralysis, "foggy vision," halos around lights, headache
Hearing loss
Heart problems
Hives, involuntary eyeball movement, irritability, itching, light flashes and streaks, light intolerance
Liver problems or failure
Loss of hair, loss or lack of appetite
Muscle paralysis, muscle weakness and wasting, nausea,
Nervousness, nightmares, psoriasis (dry, scaly, red skin patches), reading difficulties, ringing in the ears, skin eruptions, skin inflammation and scaling, skin rash, vertigo, vomiting, weariness, weight loss

Prednisone side effects

Problems with your vision;
Swelling, rapid weight gain, feeling short of breath;
Severe depression, unusual thoughts or behavior, seizure (convulsions);
Coughing up blood
Pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate)
Low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling); ordangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure).