Drug-Induced Scleroderma

While scleeroderma is an auto immune disease the symptoms can also be caused by several different drugs. Scleroderma is a progressive disease that affects the skin and connective tissue (including cartilage, bone, fat, and the tissue that supports the nerves and blood vessels throughout the body).

There are two major forms of the disorder.

• The type known as localized scleroderma mainly affects the skin.

• Systemic scleroderma, which is also called systemic sclerosis, affects the smaller blood vessels and internal organs of the body.

There are several drugs that are known to cause drug-induced scleroderma. The most we known drug to cause scleroderma symptoms is L-tryptophan. This is an amino acid that was used commonly in the 1980's for the treatment of insomnia. It caused an out break of scleroderma type symptoms until it was pulled of the market.
 

Chemotherapy-induced Scleroderma

There are several chemo drugs known to cause drug-induced scleroderma.

• Bleomycin

• Doxorubicin

• Cyclophosphamide

• Gemcitabine

Other drugs that cause scleroderma

• Interferon Alpha

• Corticosteroids (steriods)

• collagen injections

• marijuana

• cocaine

• Paclitaxel (Taxanes)