With the proper treatment, can you live through scleroderma?

I have heard of people dying of scleroderma and i was wondering if i ever get it, will i be able to survive with proper treatment?

Ms. Jollie:
Yes, should you develop this disease, you will may survive with proper treatment. There are several forms of Scleroderma, some more aggressive than others. My second wife died of Scleroderma in 1986 and I received my diagnosis last fall. I go to the Medical University of South Carolina for treatment, have an excellend rheumatologist and primary care physician, undergo acupuncture and practice meditation. There has been significant progress in the medications available in even the last 5 years, according to my physician in South Carolina. I believe the key to living with this disease is to be optimistic and to be happy. I may be sick, but I don't haven to suffer or live in fear.

check with doctor.

Scleroderma is a rheumatic disease which should be treated with antibiotics and antiinflammatory medications.

Scleroderma can be deadly.

NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, and codeine are all used to relieve the pain of scleroderma.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming are also helpful for most patients.

Scleroderma patients should consult an Orthopaedist or a Rheumatologist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays.

Are there any other cases of arthritis, scleroderma or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Scleroderma is usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 65% of patients with scleroderma. For more info, please join our group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...

My mother was diagnosed with Scleroderma in 1992. Although not the healthiest, she is still with us today.