Drug-induced lupus erythematosus history and symptoms

Drug-induced lupus may develop a few weeks to several months after starting the drug, which may make the diagnosis difficult. Further, it is not possible to differentiate DIL from SLE based on clinical features alone, although DIL tends to be milder and renal or CNS involvement, vasculitis, leukopenia, and pericarditis are rare.

1-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441889/

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus manifests in three clinical syndromes:

• systemic drug-induced lupus erythematosus.
• subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.
• chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

Symptoms of drug-induced lupus erythematosus include:

• Joint pain/arthritis
• Fever
• Inflammation of the heart and lungs
• Elevated blood pressure
• Skin rashes
• Fatigue and weakness
• Muscle pain
• Loss of appetite
• Facial butterfly rash
• Sensitivity to sunlight
• Chest pain
• Swollen lymph nodes

These signs and symptoms are not side effects of the drugs taken which occur during short term use. DIL occurs over long-term and chronic use of the medications listed above. While these symptoms are similar to those of systemic lupus erythematosus, they are generally not as severe unless they are ignored which leads to more harsh symptoms, and in some reported cases, death.

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