Raynaud’s Phenomenon Treatment
Most people with Raynaud’s does not need medical attention. The symptoms can be managed to avoid the events as much as possible the episode of vasospasm often be stopped by heating the affected areas when going outside or by placing the fingers or toes in a bowl with hot water.
The biofeedback, which trains the body to warm the extremities, may help some patients manage their symptoms. This mind-body method uses machines to help you learn how to increase voluntary control bodily processes that are typically involuntary, such as blood flow.
Medication may be prescribed for severe cases (more common in cases of secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon). Calcium antagonists (blockers), including nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat) and diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor) may decrease the severity and number of episodes of vasospasm. Also other drugs may be effective to widen (dilate) blood vessels and are usually prescribed for high blood pressure.
These drugs include nitroglycerin cream or ointment, hydralazine (Apresoline), prazosin (Minipress) or losartan (Cozaar). Recent studies suggest that sildenafil (Viagra) and other approved drugs for erectile dysfunction in men may improve symptoms of severe Raynaud’s phenomenon (such as ulcers or gangrene that do not heal) when other treatments fail.
In extreme and rare, they could cut the sympathetic nerves that control blood vessels through a procedure called sympathectomy or medications called prostaglandins could be placed intravenously (into a vein) to increase the supply of blood to the fingers and feet and to prevent affected tissues die.
New approaches for the treatment of Raynaud’s include erectile dysfunction drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra) and intravenous medications (such as iloprost).
However, these drugs are generally reserved for severe cases unresponsive to other treatments, more studies are needed to establish the role of these drugs in the treatment of Raynaud’s phenomenon. People with secondary Raynaud’s phenomenon may also need treatment for primary disease.