I don't have to bring up new treatments. I've been blessed to have a Rheumatologist that cares. She will automatically ask if I want to add additional treatments for newer symptoms that I may be having. She last wanted to add Benlysta to my medicine regime. I respectfully declined so she increased my methotrexate to 9 pills 1 x per week and I take 200 mg of hydroxychloroquine twice a day. My pain level had decreased and my pharmacy bill is expensive enough. Thanks for the information.

The one caution I have as a physician is that there's insufficient experience with new treatments. It's often safest to wait until a drug has been out and in use for 2-3 years to ensure there aren't unanticipated side effects not detected in the studies. There have been many examples of this over the past several years—wonder drugs that turned out to have devastating side effects, including Vioxx for pain, Avandia for diabetes, etc.

For those who have failed other options, new drugs are worth considering, but older drugs with longer safety track records are often a better option. This is great information, especially for those who have failed most treatments. Thanks for sharing, Mrs.V!

@TeresaAimer2--The standard of care for those with lupus nephritis is to monitor the urine protein/creatinine and urinalysis every three months. Please be sure this occurs, and if your current doctors won't do this, please consider finding new ones! Nephritis can be asymptomatic (cause no symptoms), though frothy urine is a clue that there's protein in the urine. We may not see frothiness early in a flare, so the lab monitoring is crucial.

Mrs V from GA sometimes my rheumatologist will do a urinalysis but she didnt my last blood draw which was 2 weeks ago, but the labs that were abnormal were all the ones for kidney function when i looked it up, i dont think my rheumatologist ever comunicates with any of my other drs. Thats another reason i want to switch

I absolutely do and I come with more questions.

This November I have meetings with my rheumatologist and my nephrologist and I will ask them both!