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Guide to Behcets Disease (Behçets Disease)

By Carol & Richard Eustice, About.com

Updated: May 30, 2006

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

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Part 7 of 8 - What Medications Are Used To Treat Behcet's Disease?

Topical Drugs

Topical medications are applied directly on the sores to relieve pain and discomfort. For example, doctors prescribe:

  • rinses
  • gels
  • ointments

Creams are used to treat skin and genital sores. These medicines may include;

Oral Medications

Doctors also prescribe medicines taken by mouth to:

  • reduce inflammation throughout the body
  • suppress the overactive immune system
  • relieve symptoms

Doctors may prescribe one or more of the drugs described below to treat the various symptoms of Behcet's disease.

  • Corticosteroids prednisone is one of the corticosteroids prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation throughout the body for people with severe joint pain, skin sores, eye disease, or central nervous system symptoms.
  • Immunosuppressive Drugs also called DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs), these drugs (in addition to corticosteriods) help control an overactive immune system (which occur in Behcet's), reduce inflammation, and can lessen the number of disease flares. Doctors may also use these drugs when a person has eye disease or central nervous system involvement. Depending on symptoms, these include:

    Combination Therapy

    In addition, a combination drug therapy can be used (sometimes cyclosporine is used with azathioprine when one alone fails or prednisone along with an immunosuppressive is used in combination).

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