For active or severe kidney disease the most widely used immunosuppressive is cyclophosphamide given intermittently by injection. In the olden days cyclophosphamide was given as a tablet but this produced more side-effects and most units have now converted to giving intermittent 'pulses'. This comes in the form of a drip given into the vein, usually given weekly for three weeks then monthly for 3-12 months. Doses vary from clinic to clinic but the more modern fashion has been to use lower doses than those previously used and this has the benefit of far less side-effects. These side-effects will be discussed in another fact sheet on treatment.
All immunosuppressives can affect the blood count and regular blood counts are mandatory.
Other immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporin-A are increasingly used but the two mainstays of treatment remain cyclophosphamide and azathioprine. If the kidney damage reaches a stage where toxic chemicals build up then dialysis is vital. Dialysis has been one of the major advances in 20th century medicine and either haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis has kept thousands of patients with renal failure stable. This includes a number of patients with lupus. The answer is very definitely yes.