Do High Levels of Estrogen Impact Lupus Patients?

Like many patients, women with SLE have to be given their contraceptive options on a case by case basis. Doctors take medical history and autoantibody test results into consideration when prescribing birth control.

The anxiety around birth control is a two part issue: the first part is that lupus flare ups and how the estrogen contained in oral contraceptives would impact their frequency. The second part is how the estrogen may affect the probability of blood clots, or thrombosis.

Women who have lupus may already have an increased chance of thrombosis, which would mean doctors would be negligent if they prescribe birth control pills. Women in those instances would be better candidates for progesterone-only alternatives, like the progesterone pill, as well as the shot and an IUD, as none of those are associated with an increased risk of blood clots.