New diagnosis sub-acute cutaneous Lupus

Ginger B

New Member

Joined : Aug 2015

Posts : 1

Posted 8/28/2015 12:53 PM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone, When I saw this blog site I was immediately encouraged and hopeful. I have had a definite diagnosis few months. I am looking for any advice about severe depression when taking prednisone. My doctor has lowered my dose and added Imuran at 50 mg. Of course ,also take Plaquenil. I am afraid of Imuran and at first would not take it. But have been on for 4 weeks. I still have some burning and itching on scalp and breakouts on back and elbows. Have any of you been in a similar scenario? I have had depression linked to the daily stress of caring for my daughter who uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy. Since most of you seem to do alot of research, what have you found about the safety of Imuran? How about prednisone and depression? Help

Lynnwood

Forum Moderator

Joined : May 2005

Posts : 8160

Posted 8/28/2015 1:17 PM (GMT 0)

I took Imuran for about 6 months with no side effects. Unfortunately, it didn't do anything for me.

There are 3 meds that are considered somewhat the same level of treatment, these are Imuran, Cellcept, and MTX. It is not known which of these will work for a particular Lupus patient, instead it is a bit of trial-and-error.

When the Imuran didn't help me any, we moved along to Cellcept which has been my "miracle drug" that pushed my Lupus into a quiet phase. (Rheumatologists don't use the word "remission".)

I don't recall having any issues with depression that were linked to plaquenil. However, many of us do have depression that is linked to Lupus itself and to the changes it brings to our lives. It can be helpful to consult with a therapist who is familiar with chronic illness, even though these can be difficult to locate.

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