The Symptoms and Treatment of Lupus Nephritis

Lupus nephritis is a kidney disorder caused by systemic lupus erythematosus which is an autoimmune disease, involving many organs of the body such as kidneys, heart, brain etc.

What are the lupus nephritis symptoms?

Protein in the urine. Developing lupus nephritis, patient will notice foamy urine which is caused protein leakage into the urine.

Get up to urinate during the night. A lot of patients complain about frequent urination at night which leads to a poor quality of sleep.

Edema. The loss of protein in the urine from lupus nephritis may then lead to fluid retention with weight gain. This is often the first symptom noticed of lupus nephritis. The swelling will be absent in the morning, but will gradually worsen as the person walks about during the day.

High blood pressure. High blood pressure may appear before or after lupus nephritis. In any case, it is a dangerous factor which speeds up the progress of lupus kidney disease. The tight control of blood pressure is a good way to reserve the kidney function.

The treatment of lupus nephritis

The goal of treatment is to improve kidney function and to delay kidney failure. Your doctor may prescribe medicines including corticosteroids, cellcept, or prednisone to suppress the immune system.

Dialysis or renal transplant may be needed to handle the symptoms of kidney failure when kidneys do not function at all.

Immunotherapy is a new therapy which has been the current treatment for lupus nephritis. (Learn more about Current Recommended Treatment for Lupus Nephritis).
Lifestyle and diet change is necessary for lupus nephritis in order to keep the lupus under control. For example, patients should avoid extreme of water restriction and water excess. Your physician will tell you if you are drinking too much or too little water.


Virtually, people can live a happy life as long as lupus is under control and kidney disease is treated with proper treatment.