Treatment
Treatment options for lupus and fibromyalgia are completely different.
Fibromyalgia treatment focuses on reducing pain and improving sleep. If your pain is the result of another chronic condition, your doctor may want to treat that condition first.
Common treatment options for fibromyalgia include:
- pain relievers
- antidepressants to reduce pain and improve sleep
- anti-seizure medications to treat pain symptoms
- physical and occupational therapy to promote flexibility, improve mobility, and strengthen your muscles
- counseling to improve mental strength and promote strategies to better cope with fibromyalgia symptoms
Lupus treatment focuses on reducing inflammation and managing pain.
Common treatment options include:
- painkillers
- antimalarial drugs to reduce lupus episodes
- steroids to reduce inflammation
- immunosuppressants to reduce autoantibody activity in the immune system
Outlook
Lupus and fibromyalgia are both incurable diseases, but they can be treated. They share a few similar symptoms, but lupus can cause more life-threatening complications if left untreated. It’s not uncommon for both of these disorders to occur simultaneously.
If you’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, lupus, or both, talk with your doctor about treatment. You can take an active role in your treatment by staying up to date with research findings.
