Treatment

There's no cure for dermatomyositis, but treatment can improve your skin and your muscle strength and function.

Medications

Medications used to treat dermatomyositis include:

• Corticosteroids. Drugs such as prednisone (Rayos) can control dermatomyositis symptoms quickly. But prolonged use can have serious side effects. So your doctor, after prescribing a relatively high dose to control your symptoms, might gradually reduce the dose as your symptoms improve.
• Corticosteroid-sparing agents. When used with a corticosteroid, these drugs can decrease the dose and side effects of the corticosteroid. The two most common medications for dermatomyositis are azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran) and methotrexate (Trexall). Mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept) is another medication used to treat dermatomyositis, particularly if the lungs are involved.
• Rituximab (Rituxan). More commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, rituximab is an option if initial therapies don't control your symptoms.
• Antimalarial medications. For a persistent rash, your doctor might prescribe an antimalarial medication, such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil).
• Sunscreens. Protecting your skin from sun exposure by applying sunscreen and wearing protective clothing and hats is important for managing the rash of dermatomyositis.

Therapy

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor might suggest:

• Physical therapy. A physical therapist can show you exercises to help maintain and improve your strength and flexibility and advise you about an appropriate level of activity.
• Speech therapy. If your swallowing muscles are affected, speech therapy can help you learn how to compensate for those changes.
• Dietetic assessment. Later in the course of dermatomyositis, chewing and swallowing can become more difficult. A registered dietitian can teach you how to prepare easy-to-eat foods.

Surgical and other procedures

• Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). IVIg is a purified blood product that contains healthy antibodies from thousands of blood donors. These antibodies can block the damaging antibodies that attack muscle and skin in dermatomyositis. Given as an infusion through a vein, IVIg treatments are expensive and might need to be repeated regularly for the effects to continue.
• Surgery. Surgery might be an option to remove painful calcium deposits and prevent recurrent skin infections.