Scleroderma - Treatment for Raynaud's Phenomenon

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Endothelin receptor agonists have also been shown to help with Raynaud's phenomenon.

PDE5 Inhibitors. Recently approved PDE5 inhibitors, which include sildenafil (Rovatio) and tadalafil (Adcirca), help improve symptoms and blood flow, and speed ulcer healing in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon. This treatment for ulcer healing is still experimental, but is approved for pulmonary hypertension. Under different names (Viagra, Cialis), these drugs are also used to treat erectile dysfunction.

Surgical Treatments for Problems of the Hands

Sympathectomy and Hand Surgeries. Sympathectomy uses procedures that block or remove the nerve responsible for narrowing blood vessels in the hand. The result is increased blood flow in the hand.

The local anesthetics lidocaine or bupivacaine may be very effective in temporarily restoring blood flow and reducing pain.

For finger ulcers that won't heal and are resistant to standard treatments, sympathectomy surgery may be done.

Review Date: 01/04/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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