Systemic Sclerosis treatments

Treatment for systemic sclerosis will be tailored to your individual needs, depending on what type of scleroderma you have and how it is affecting your body.

Your treatment should also follow a clear plan that has been agreed between you and your doctor. This plan should reflect your goals and wishes as far as possible.

Holistic care

Because scleroderma is a rare condition, and treatment can be complex, your care should be managed by a specialist team. This team will ideally have people from different health professions, who can give you support and bring their skills to different aspects of your care.

Medications

While they’re not the entire answer, medicines might play an important role in your treatment. Many different medicines are used to manage scleroderma, so it helps to think about them in groups, based on what aspects of the condition they work on.

There are medicines that aim to:

• regulate your immune system
• ease skin symptoms
• help with Raynaud’s and finger ulcers
• protect your heart, lungs and kidneys
• help with digestive problems
• help with sexual problems

Everyone’s experience is different, but all medicines can have side effects. Your doctor will talk you through the risks and benefits. Your team is also there to adjust your medicines or manage side effects if they do happen.

Non-drug treatments

Non-drug treatments are also important. These can include physiotherapy, occupational therapy and in some cases surgery. There are treatments to improve the appearance of your skin, and ways to cover up problem areas with cosmetics if you want to.