😎It is that time of year in the Northern Hemisphere! #SLE #lupus and many #Sjogrens patients should be wearing sunscreen all year round, but especially Spring and Summer! In this article, I simplify things.
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/sun-protecti...
🔥The modern, most accurate method of dosing hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is by using drug levels and not by body weight.
acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/top-tips-on-...
Best way to dose HCQ is to measure whole blood levels, goal: 750 – 1150 ng/mL.
🫄Article by Dr. Siegel & Dr. Sammaritano supports #Benlysta & #Saphnelo in pregnancy.
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/successful-l...
I use biologics, such as Benlysta and Saphnelo, during pregnancy. I try to stop the biologic late in the 2nd trimester in order not to affect the newborn's immune system.
Family members of people with autoimmune diseases are at increased risk of developing these disorders, but there are things they can do to lower their chances. Give your family members a copy of my recommendations: www.lupusencyclopedia.com/how-to-preve...
There is a strong link between poor sleep and lupus. If you have an autoimmune disease like #SLE, #lupus, or #Sjogrens, getting enough good-quality sleep is really important. Learn more here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uP0...
Thanks to KALEIDOSCOPE FIGHTING LUPUS
🔥Our goal in treating #SLE #lupus is complete remission from active lupus inflammation and completely OFF steroids! However, that is not possible in many patients. In that case, we low disease activity is second best.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFeJ...
😡 Almost all the labs we rely on to diagnose and follow disease activity in #SLE, #lupus, #Sjogrens are over 55 years old!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWit...
This leads to delayed diagnoses, mistakes in diagnosis, and mistakes in properly identifying disease activity and response to medications.
Link to our PDF article on how to dose hydroxychloroquine.
Link to the pdf article: 1drv.ms/b/c/37bf2c37...
Online Link:
acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Article published in Arthritis, Care, and Research has not gone through copy editing. This is a "Full Access" article.
If you have #Sjogrens, come join us at the 2026 yearly Sjogrens Foundation National Patient Conference. Register at Sjogrens.org/get-involved/national-patient-conference
Do you have #Sjogrens? Come join us at our yearly virtual National Patient Conference, where you will learn a ton about Sjogren's, what it is, how it is treated, and go away with a ton of practical advice you can put to use immediately in your own life:
sjogrens.org/get-involved...
😍 Know someone newly diagnosed with #SLE #lupus? Or someone who is unsure how to take the best care of their lupus? Share the link to my article on this topic, which gives practical advice on what to do and I explain in simple terms "What is Lupus"
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/how-to-succe...
🔥 #SLE #lupus and #Sjogrens often occur together. The @SjogrensOrg just posted a very nice summary, patient-education piece on this topic:
sjogrens.org/understandin...
😍 I can't believe it is almost Valentines Day!
www.morethanlupus.com/post/decodin...
From More Than Lupus
⚡️Most #SLE patients will have cutaneous #lupus where it attacks their skin.
CLICK: www.lupusencyclopedia.com/types-of-ras...
I recommend that most lupus patients with cutaneous lupus also see a "medical dermatologist" regularly and especially see them for any unusual, new rash.
😍New AAO recommendations for HCQ screening
👉CLICK: www.aaojournal.org/article/S016...
Previously: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual field (VF10-2) 10-2 as the screening tests of choice.
NEW RECOMMENDATION:
OCT plus a wide-pattern fundus autofluorescence (FAF)
😍New AAO recommendations for HCQ screening
👉CLICK: www.aaojournal.org/article/S016...
Previously: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual field (VF10-2) 10-2 as the screening tests of choice.
NEW RECOMMENDATION:
OCT plus a wide-pattern fundus autofluorescence (FAF)
👉 I've known for years that chromatin antibodies fluctuate predictably with #SLE #lupus disease activity in some of my patients. Now a study confirms this:
lupus.bmj.com/content/13/1...
💊Study shows adding quinacrine (mepacrine and Atabrine) to hydroxychloroquine, immunosuppressants, steroids improves disease activity and was safe in #SLE #lupus.
Link to "How to Prescribe Quinacrine:
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/quinacrine/
Link to the study:
lupus.bmj.com/content/12/2...
❤️🔥 #SLE #lupus:
lupus.bmj.com/content/12/2...
Moderate disease activity fullfills at least 1 of the following
Clinical SLEDAI: score between 4 and 8, excluding C3, C4, dsDNA.
Physician Global Assessment: > 1 and up to 2 on a 0–3 scale.
+ NO Severe SLEDAI and non-SLEDAI manifestations.
👁️ It is Winter time when dry eyes in #Sjogrens #SLE #lupus can worsen. There are many easy tricks to help your dry eyes. If those fail, ask your doctor about the products in the image. See my post here:
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/dry-eyes-and...
👉 Winter is the time of year when the air is typically very dry, leading to dry, itchy skin: a common problem for #SLE #lupus #Sjogrens. There are easy tricks to help dry, itchy skin:
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/dry-skin-in-...
The Lupus Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Health Care Providers, edition 2
⚕️ RHEUMATOLOGISTS & PATIENTS: Learn practical tips and tricks for managing #SLE #lupus and understanding this disease.
tinyurl.com/2u5nddcu
🩸Be proactive when you have #lupus #SLE #Sjogrens. After lab draws, go online to look at results. Look up each abnormal lab to learn more about how they may relate to your situation. ALWAYS ask your doctor as well. "How do these pertain to my situation?":
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/lupus-lab-te...
❄️ It is that time of the year! Dry, itchy skin!
#SLE #lupus and #Sjogrens patients are especially affected. I updated my dry skin care blog with tips from a dermatologist specializing in dry skin. I updated the recommended soaps:
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/dry-skin-in-...
👁️ Many #SLE #lupus patients have dry eyes that worsen during Winter. Often, it is due to also having #Sjogrens (occurs in one fourth of SLE patients and most are undiagnosed).
I updated my dry eye care post and included newer and better therapies:
www.lupusencyclopedia.com/dry-eyes-and...
