Can my wife take medications for lupus during pregnancy?

Question

Hello doctor,

My wife is 7.5 months pregnant (third trimester). She has been diagnosed with lupus before conceiving. Now she is taking Deflazacort 24 mg and taking the Injection Cardinex. She is continuing so. Is it safe to consume Deflacort 24 mg at this phase? She also has an allergy. What shall be her diet chart? Can she take red meat, liver (cow, goat, chicken)? What foods are restricted with lupus?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You have not mentioned the symptoms of your wife. The treatment of lupus depends on the symptoms and severity of the disease. Some SLE medicines cannot be given during pregnancy. Medicines like Hydroxychloroquine, steroids, and Azathioprine are relatively safe and given according to the severity of symptoms. Your wife's reports are normal except for ANA (antinuclear antibody) positivity (attachment removed to protect patient identity).

If your wife is mildly symptomatic without any major organ involvement, the dose of Deflacort can and should be reduced. Also, she should be started on the tablet Hydroxychloroquine at 200 to 300 mg HS. If her symptoms are moderate to severe, a tablet of Azathioprine can be added. Please mention her present and past symptoms in detail to advise a better treatment plan. About food, no specific food is prohibited. Avoid raw and store-bought food to avoid infections and try to maintain a healthy weight.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.