How is PV treated?

The purpose of PV treatment is to reduce the active disease (flare) with medication that dampens the body’s immune response. Once new lesions have stopped developing, treatment continues until lesions have healed. The aim is then to maintain PV remission whilst minimizing medication. In some cases PV may remain in remission without medication. In other cases, low doses of medication may be required to maintain remission. Due to its chronic relapsing course, PV may reoccur and the treatment cycle begins again.¹

The standard treatment used in PV is a type of steroid, a corticosteroid, which is taken orally.¹ If only isolated lesions are present then topical corticosteroids may be used instead, which are applied directly to the affected skin, or corticosteroids may be injected into the affected lesions.¹ Oral corticosteroids are effective at reducing the immune response and may prevent the development of new blisters and lesions within a matter of weeks. Although, achieving complete remission from PV with steroids may take longer.²

Corticosteroids are widely used to treat a number of different conditions but, like many medications, their use is associated with a number of potential side effects when using high doses long term.² Once your PV is in remission, your doctor will stop steroid treatment by gradually reducing (tapering) the dose over time to minimize the likelihood of experiencing side effects.²

In some cases, corticosteroids alone are not sufficient to manage the symptoms of PV or the patients may not tolerate them. Additional therapies may be used in combination with steroids to minimize their use or may be used alone. Such additional therapies include immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatories, immunomodulating drugs or immunoadsorption to remove anti-desmoglein antibodies from the blood.¹ Some of the drugs may be taken orally but some may require a visit to a hospital for an infusion. Your doctor will explain which is the best treatment for you. Some of these treatments may have side effects and so monitoring by your doctor may be required.¹

Once drug therapy has brought PV into remission, your doctor will reduce your medication or stop it altogether. You will then be regularly monitored for PV flares to ensure that drug treatment is rapidly started if there is a relapse in symptoms.¹

In addition to the care provided by your doctor, you can also take actions to minimize your symptoms. Avoiding certain foods that may aggravate symptoms may reduce discomfort when eating and ensure you are still able to get adequate nutrition.³

Brushing your teeth may also be difficult but it is important to maintain good dental hygiene and regularly see your dentist. Using a soft tooth brush and gentle brushing may help. Pain relief using oral analgesics or topical pain relieving creams on the affected areas may also help you to manage the symptoms.¹ Your GP or pharmacist will help you chose the right pain relief medicine for you.