How is chilblain lupus treated?

How is chilblain lupus treated?

For mild chilblain lupus symptoms, you may only need to protect yourself from cold temperatures. If you smoke, your provider will also encourage you to quit. Smoking constricts your blood vessels, which can make chilblain lupus symptoms worse.

Your provider may prescribe medications for moderate to severe chilblain lupus. Common medications include:

• Antibiotics, such as dicloxacillin (Dycill®) or erythromycin (Ilosone®), treat bacterial skin infections.
• Antimalarial agents, such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil®), fight fatigue, reduce inflammation and decrease joint pain.
• Calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus (Prograf™) or mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept®), decrease inflammation by lowering your immune system response.
• Calcium channel blockers, such as nifedipine (Adalat®), encourage your blood vessels to open.
• Steroid ointments, such as fluocinolone acetonide (Synalar®) or hydrocortisone butyrate (Locoid®), decrease swelling and lower inflammation.
• Systemic steroids, such as prednisone (Deltasone®), are swallowable pills that reduce inflammation and swelling.