Treatment

There's no cure for sarcoidosis, but in many cases, it goes away on its own. You may not even need treatment if you have no symptoms or only mild symptoms of the condition. The severity and extent of your condition will determine whether and what type of treatment is needed.

Medications

If your symptoms are severe or organ function is threatened, you will likely be treated with medications. These may include:

• Corticosteroids. These powerful anti-inflammatory drugs are usually the first line treatment for sarcoidosis. In some cases, corticosteroids can be applied directly to an affected area — via a cream to a skin lesion or drops to the eyes.
• Medications that suppress the immune system. Medications such as methotrexate (Trexall) and azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran) reduce inflammation by suppressing the immune system.
• Hydroxychloroquine. Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) may be helpful for skin lesions and elevated blood-calcium levels.
• Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors. These medications are commonly used to treat the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. They can also be helpful in treating sarcoidosis that hasn't responded to other treatments.

Other medications may be used to treat specific symptoms or complications.

Other treatments

Depending on your symptoms or complications, other treatments may be recommended. For example, you may have physical therapy to reduce fatigue and improve muscle strength, pulmonary rehabilitation to decrease respiratory symptoms, or an implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator for heart arrhythmias.

Ongoing monitoring

How often you see your doctor can vary based on your symptoms and treatment. Seeing your doctor regularly is important ? even if you don't need treatment.

Your doctor will monitor your symptoms, determine the effectiveness of treatments and check for complications. Monitoring may include regular tests based on your condition. For example, you may have regular chest X-rays, lab and urine tests, EKGs, and exams of the lungs, eyes, skin and any other organ involved. Follow-up care may be lifelong.

Surgery

Organ transplant may be considered if sarcoidosis has severely damaged your lungs, heart or liver.