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Pulmonary Fibrosis (cont.)

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How is pulmonary fibrosis treated?


Since some types of lung fibrosis can respond to corticosteroids (such as prednisone)or other medications that suppress the body's immune system, these types of drugs are sometimes prescribed in an attempt to decrease the processes that lead to fibrosis. These drugs do not help idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, other causes of lung fibrosis may be responsive to immune suppression.



Only a minority of patients respond to corticosteroids alone, so other immune-suppressing medications are used in addition to corticosteroids. These include

The anti-inflammatory medication colchicine has also been used with limited success. Other trials using drugs such as gamma interferon, mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept), and pirfenidone have not met with much success in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis causes decreased oxygen levels in the blood. A decrease in blood oxygen level (hypoxia) can lead to elevated pressure in the pulmonary artery (the vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs to receive oxygen), a condition known as pulmonary hypertension, which can in turn lead to failure of the right ventricle of the heart. Therefore, patients with pulmonary fibrosis are frequently treated with supplemental oxygen to prevent pulmonary hypertension. In some cases, new agents used to lower the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery have had limited benefit.

There is also evidence that patients suffering from pulmonary fibrosis may be at increased risk for blood clots that travel to the lung (pulmonary emboli), and therefore anticoagulation (blood thinning) therapy may be indicated.

Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 1/8/2014

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