Dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis – General Information

Dermatomyositis – Symptoms

Dermatomyositis – Treatment

Generally, there is no cure for the Dermatomyositis disease, but the available treatment option can improve the appearance of the skin, the strength and function of the muscles. If the treatment is started in an early stage of the disease it proves to be more effective, because later on, without treatment, the disease tends to develop severe complications. The treatment options can include corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, antimalarial drugs or physical therapy, surgery and pain relievers. The corticosteroids treatment reduces the skin or muscle inflammation by suppressing the immune system, which reduces the secretion of antibodies. The most common corticosteroid prescribed by the doctors is Prednisone. In most of the cases, at the beginning of your treatment with corticosteroids, the doctor administers you a high dose, which can be decreased if the signs and symptoms of the disease improve. To achieve visible improvement of the skin, the treatment with this medicine has to be taken at least six months, but there are cases in which the therapy can be used for many years. If the corticosteroids therapy is applied for a long term, it can lead to the appearance of severe side effects which can include osteoporosis, weight gain, diabetes, vulnerability in developing infections, mood swings, cataracts, high blood pressure, a redistribution of body fat and muscle weakness.

To prevent the appearance of such side effects, doctors usually prescribe food supplements such as calcium and vitamin D, bisphosphonates, alendronate prescribed as Fosamax or risedronate as Actonel . Another therapy for Dermatomyositis disease is the one using immunosuppressants. The most common prescription drugs are Azathioprine or Imuran and Methotrexate or Rheumatrex , which are applied if the patient’s body resists to the corticosteroid therapy. There are cases in which the immunosuppressants medicines are used in combination with corticosteroids, and prove to have fewer unpleasant side effects. To improve the symptoms caused by the Dermatomyositis, doctors can also prescribe immunosuppressants such as cyclophosphamide as Cytoxan and cyclosporine as Neoral or Sandimmune.

When the patient experiences symptoms like persistent rash, the doctor can recommend antimalarial drugs to treat it. The common antimalarial medicines are hydroxychloroquine prescribed as Plaquenil and chloroquine phosphate prescribed as Aralen. Physical therapy plays an important role in treating Dermatomyositis. By applying this type of therapy, the patient can improve his strength and flexibility of the muscles. Keeping a generally active condition is essential for such patients. When the patient experiences the pain caused by the build up of calcium deposits, the main treatment option is the surgical approach, used to remove these deposits. Another way to treat Dermatomyositis is the pain reliever therapy. The most common pain relievers recommended by the doctors are aspirin, ibuprofen prescribed as Advil or Motrin, and acetaminophen prescribed as Tylenol. If the pain persists after the administration with these medicines, the doctor can recommend a stronger pain reliever called codeine. There are many other procedures that are theoretically effective and consist in plasmapheresis, which is a plasma exchange, radiation therapy and so on.