participate. The National Institutes of Health has a website you can search to find trials. You can also visit LupusTrials.org to find lupus trials. You should always discuss any clinical trial with your doctor to help you decide if it is a good choice for you.
Myth: Being in a clinical trial will not help me.
Fact: If you have lupus, the treatment and care you get in a trial may improve your symptoms or make you feel better.
Many clinical trials use new treatments that are not available to the public. Some of these treatments may help you more than anything currently available. But, it is always possible that the treatment might not work, or you might get a placebo, which does not have any medicine in it.
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Myth: I might be given a placebo without my consent instead of the medicine I need.
Fact: Before agreeing to be in a trial, you are told if you might receive a placebo.
A placebo looks like a treatment, but does not have any medicine in it. Researchers use placebos to help make sure any changes in the participants’ health are actually caused by the trial treatment.
You do not get to choose if you get the trial treatment or the placebo, and you may not know if you get the placebo until after the trial. If you need medical treatment and your trial includes a placebo, the placebo would be given in addition to standard medical treatment.
Not all trials use a placebo. If there is a chance you may get a placebo and you do not want it, you do not have to join that trial.
Myth: Being in a clinical trial costs a lot and is not covered by my insurance.
Fact: There are often no costs to you for being in a trial.
You might have trial-related expenses such as travel, parking, hotel, or childcare. But, the researchers usually reimburse these expenses. Before you agree to be in a trial, it is important to speak with the trial team and your insurance company about any costs you may have to cover.
To find a clinical trial, visit LupusTrials.org for all current lupus trials and to search for ones that may be right for you.