What Medicines Cause Drug-Induced Lupus?
Lupus-inducing drugs are typically those used to treat chronic diseases. No obvious common denominator links the drugs that are likely to cause lupus. The list includes medicines used to treat: • Heart disease • Thyroid disease • Hypertension • Neuropsychiatric disorders • Certain anti-inflammatory agents and antibiotics. At least 38 drugs currently in use can cause DILE. However, most cases have been associated with these three: • procainamide (Pronestyl) • hydralazine (Apresoline) • quinidine (Quinaglute). The risk for developing lupus-like disease from any of the other 35 drugs is low or very low; with some drugs only one or two cases have been reported. What Is The Likelihood of Developing DILE? • It usually takes several months or even years of continuous therapy with the medication before symptoms appear. • For the high-risk drugs such as procainamide and hydralazine, only 5-20 percent of people treated for one to two years at currently used doses will develop drug-induced lupus.
