Psychosomatic Medicine 67:341 (2005)
© 2005 American Psychosomatic Society
USE OF HEROIN TO COPE WITH STRESS CAUSED BY A NEGATIVE LIFE EVENT IN A PATIENT WITH LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
RESPONSE
Maria I. Peralta-Ramírez, PhD
Campus Universitario de Cartuja; Facultad de Psicología de Granada; Universidad de Granada; Granada, Spain
We thank Dr. Gerevich, Dr. Bácskai and Mr. Farkas for their interest in our report. The authors emphasize the importance of self-medication with heroin as a way of coping in a young female patient with lupus. We agree that drug addicts take drugs when they feel sad and stressed; this includes the patients with lupus. However, it seems difficult to assume that a patient will abandon the consumption of drugs when the quantity of stress diminishes, because it goes against a heroin consumer’s profile and the associated consequences, like the withdrawal syndrome and tolerance. Contrary to our findings, the authors suggest that stressful life events could play an important role in the exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus, on the basis of a unique case. Moreover, in addition to the possible immunosuppressive effect of heroin, other important factors that influence in the course of lupus activity have not been considered, such as infections, treatment adherence, and so forth. Although the idea suggested by Dr. Gerevich, Dr. Bácskai and Mr. Farkas is interesting, further large studies are required.
