ABC on Symptoms and Treatments

Although there isn’t a cure for scleroderma, there are effective treatment options that can help alleviate symptoms and slow down disease progression. Current prescription and over-the-counter medication are designed to treat scleroderma by targeting:

Inflammation
Autoimmunity
Vascular disease
Tissue fibrosis.

As a medical doctor or health care professional caring for persons with scleroderma, it is important to ensure patients understand the nature of the medications they may be prescribed and how they work to help control disease symptoms from progressing. Patient knowledge is powerful, as it reduces fear and increases compliance, resulting in a higher percentage of successful treatment.

The following guide includes a list of drugs commonly prescribed by doctors in Canada to treat patients with scleroderma. The list is provided for informational purposes only, and is not to be taken as an endorsement of any drug by Scleroderma Quebec.

Many of these drugs are prescribed by doctors, but have not been proven useful and should be used only with caution and supervision. It is important to consider, that not every medication is appropriate for every patient. As a medical doctor familiar with your patient’s medical history, health status and disease progression, you will be able to determine the most appropriate treatment options.