Early scleroderma is not yet curable, but early through active general treatment, as well as glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants and vasodilator drugs can alleviate the symptoms, reduce complications, and prolong the survival of patients.
1. General treatment: patients need to pay attention to keep hands and feet warm in daily life, quit smoking, balanced nutrition, and avoid emotional stress.
2. Drug therapy: commonly used drugs include glucocorticoid, immunosuppressant and vasodilator drugs.
(1) Glucocorticosteroids: can reduce early or acute skin edema, but can not prevent skin fibrosis; at the same time glucocorticosteroids and scleroderma with increased risk of renal crisis, need to comply with the doctor’s instructions to use and monitor blood pressure. Common drugs such as prednisone, dexamethasone and so on.
(2) Immunosuppressants: combined with glucocorticoids can improve the efficacy and reduce the dosage of glucocorticoids. Commonly used drugs such as cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, azathioprine, etc., mainly used in patients with visceral involvement. This kind of drugs can appear liver and kidney function damage, blood system abnormalities and other adverse reactions, need to follow the doctor’s instructions, and close monitoring, regular review.
(3) vasodilator drugs: patients with this disease often have Raynaud’s phenomenon, finger ulcers and other manifestations, treatment drugs include nitrocalcium channel blockers, such as nifedipine; severe Raynaud’s phenomenon can be considered to apply prostacyclin analogs and other drugs, such as bezprolium and so on.
Early scleroderma patients are advised to go to the rheumatology and immunology department of the hospital as soon as possible, under the guidance of the doctor for standardized treatment. Drugs should be used in accordance with the doctor’s instructions, do not self-medication.