Just wondering if anyone has tried or know or anyone that has tried anything natural that has put their lupus in remission? I'm searching for natural remedies for mine as I'm not too quick to take drug therapy.

Also I have 3 daughters 12, 4, and 7 months and worried they may have lupus too. Or at least 1 out of the 3 may. How old should they be before you get them tested?

The only thing I have heard of that seems to have any merit is DHEA. My rheumy wants me on it, but I am putting it off until after I try to conceive. But I do plan to try it afterward. You should look up the study that was done with DHEA regarding lupus. I have also read some interesting info on Omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory, but they have not been tested specifically on lupus patients. I am considering taking an Omega-3 supplement at some point after I read up on it more. But I would still say that none of these has been proven to work as well as the drugs, I am sad to say. Just depends on what level of lupus you have as to whether you can determine if the drugs are worth it.

I know it is very hard to accept that you have to take all these chemical compounds into your body to help control your disease. I am on prednisone and plaquenil and there are probably stronger, more toxic drugs in my future because of kidney involvement, though I pray that this will not come to pass. All drugs are basically poisons and toxins that are taken at low levels or for restricted periods of time, whose benefits have been determined to outweigh their side-effects. Up the dosage and the length of time and the toxicity goes up also. The idea of what taking this prednisone for decades will do to my body is not pleasant, but there are worse fates. Hopefully, more acceptable drug therapies will appear on the market. Though I must say I have a lot of doubts about the process of getting a drug through development and testing and on the market, as the route from development to FDA approval has shown itself to be very imperfect. It is the consumers who suffer when adequate trials are not done and drugs get on the market that later are shown to do great harm. How to find a suitable compromise between speed-to-market and safety? There are no good answers for this predicament as we try to extend our lives and treat our disease without poisoning our bodies in the process.

You may also want to look into EPA fish oil concentrate. It can help to modulate the out-of-control cytokines that promote inflammation.

Literature reviews suggest that certain nutrients have potential to affect lupus. It's been known for many decades that alfalfa increases lupus symptoms & should be avoided. Sat fat & omega 6 fats promote inflammation & pain. Avoid a high fat diet. Excess protein may also aggravate lupus.

Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and selenium, in addition to the fish oil have potential to modulate & alleviate symptoms.

Curcumin, derived from turmeric, may also be helpful.

There have been numerous anecdotal reports that tracking down & eliminating food intolerances is helpful to some.

Certainly, finding ways to reduce stress, and learning stress-reduction techniques, is beneficial.

Best wishes.

I have been taking DHEA at 200mg per day for about a month. I started it while on my fourth round of Medrol. Research articles suggest that it has a steroid-sparing effect, meaning that by adding DHEA you can slowly reduce the amount of steriods you are taking, if you are on a daily maintenance dose. I, however, took it during a bad flare, hoping to kick up the effect of the Medrol. For me, it really worked! I've been off the Medrol for a month, flare is gone, and I continue to to 150 to 200mg per day of DHEA. Sometimes it causes my face to break out but is worth it to feel GREAT! Along with it, I take 3 to 6 Udo's Flaxseed Oil Omega 3 caps (don't like fishy fish oil), which I swear keep my hair and nails from breaking off/falling out during flares (though not completely). I also take half a 100mg Provigil in the morning and another half in the afternoon for energy. Works great with the DHEA. I have not found that the compound pharmacy DHEA works any better or reliably than the Natrol DHEA which is much cheaper. My other wonder drug discovery is Cymbalta antidepressant. It deals with the cytokines, it is approved for diabetic myalgia or some such so therefore has some pain relieving properties useful for lupus pains, and most importantly, I have had no Reynaud's frozen feet or hands since I started taking it. Oh, and I started drinking "Smart Water" because it contains magnesium/potassium and electrolytes, to try and make up for my bad eating habits/lack of appetite.

Of course I won't give up the 400mg/day of brand name Plaquenil.

So far all of this is working better than anything in three years. But it has only been a month or so. Hopefully this will give you some ideas. Good luck with your pregnancy!

Jennifer