Treatment

Sweet's syndrome might go away without treatment. But medications can speed the process. The most common medications used for this condition are corticosteroids:

• Pills. Oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone, work very well but will affect your entire body. Unless you only have a few lesions, you'll likely need to take oral corticosteroids. Long-term use can cause side effects, such as weight gain, insomnia and weakened bones.
• Creams or ointments. These preparations usually affect just the portion of skin where they're applied, but they can cause thinning skin.
• Injections. Another option is to inject a small amount of corticosteroid right into each lesion. This may be less feasible for people who have many lesions.

You'll need to take the drug for several weeks to prevent relapse. If long-term corticosteroid use is a problem for you, ask your doctor about other prescription medications that might help. Some common alternatives to corticosteroids are:

• Dapsone
• Potassium iodide
• Colchicine (Colcrys, Mitigare)