Suggest Treatment For Symptoms Of Lupus

Posted on Wed, 27 Apr 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 Answered on

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I want to know if I'll probably develop LUPUS. I'm a 54yo female w/a hx of primary Raynaud's & primary Sjogren's. I have a dx of degenerative osteoarthritis. My Dr. prescribed Plaquenil for my arthralgia which helps a lot. My mother had RA, secondary Raynaud's & Sjogren's & I have a 1st cousin w/SLE & my 53 yo sister was just dx w/acute onset Adult Type I DM (not sure applicable?) My main concern is d/t the fact that my C3 & C4 always tests (simultaneously) abnormal/low (going on 5yrs). Also relevant to hx: my liver panels are good (don't drink or abuse drugs), etc...

Answered by Dr. Dr. Shruti Rijhwani (42 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes there is a possibility.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Madam,

Thank you for posting your query on HCM.

Well looking into your query there is a possibility that you may develop lupus because you have a strong family history of autoimmune diseases . Although just having low complement levels doesn't indicate lupus, but we need to do specialised tests for Lupus like ANA , ENA profile , antiphospholipid antibodies , coombs test etc . These tests are warranted in your case. These tests may give us a fair idea as to what is going on.

You can talk to your doctor regarding this .

Take care.

Dr. Shruti

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad