# if a drug causes a disease, will switching drugs end the disease?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-drug-causes-a-disease-will-switching-drugs-end-the-disease/201756>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 15, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-drug-causes-a-disease-will-switching-drugs-end-the-disease/201756 "2003-09-15T17:46:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-drug-causes-a-disease-will-switching-drugs-end-the-disease/201756/1 "2003-09-15T17:46:58Z")

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My father was just diagnosed with lupus. His doctor suspects that the lupus was caused by one of Dad’s blood pressure medications.

If a disease is caused by a drug, and if he were to switch drugs, would the disease then go away? Or does this mean the drug more triggered the disease than caused it and now he’s stuck with it?

Does it depend on the disease and the drug?

He’s supposed to be asking his doctor, but he’s leaving on a month-long trip tomorrow and not seeing her until his return, and I don’t want to wait to find out.

Julie

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**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-drug-causes-a-disease-will-switching-drugs-end-the-disease/201756/2 "2003-09-15T18:37:45Z")

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From [this site](http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/11/1823_50615.htm?lastselectedguid=%7B5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348%7D) (bolding mine):

> [@](#):
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> The term “lupus” almost always refers to SLE, but other rarer forms of the condition include discoid lupus erythematosus, which primarily affects the skin, and drug-induced lupus, caused by medications such as the antiarrhythmia drug procainamide (Procan) and the antihypertensive drug hydralazine (Apresoline). **Medication-induced lupus goes away once the drug is discontinued.**

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-drug-causes-a-disease-will-switching-drugs-end-the-disease/201756/3 "2003-09-15T19:43:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Algorithm \*  
> \*\*From [this site](http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/11/1823_50615.htm?lastselectedguid=%7B5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348%7D) (bolding mine): \*\*

Thanks, Algorithm.

I had looked online but hadn’t found anything that answered that question. I much appreciate it!

Julie