Because patients present with Antisynthetase Syndrome very differently, a diagnosis is often hard to make. The antibodies that a patient makes is necessary to know to diagnose and treat Antisynthetase properly, so a lot of testing is involved.
Treatment for Antisynthetase Syndrome depends on the symptoms the patient has, but always helps to calm down an overactive nervous system. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Mecoli, a physician in the Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology, discusses the treatment options for patients with Antisynthetase Syndrome.
It’s very important for people who have Antisynthetase Syndrome to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Depending on the symptoms, it may be hard for patients to exercise without pain, so going to physical or occupational therapy can be very helpful in strengthening the muscles.
Dermatomyositis is a rare autoimmune myopathy disease that targets the muscles and skin. Dermatomyositis causes a characteristic skin rash on the chest, back, or arms that looks like a sunburn. It also causes muscle weakness so severe that it can be hard for some patients to do everyday things
Dermatomyositis presents symptoms in many ways; however, the most common signs are skin, muscle, and lung issues.
Most doctors will perform a liver biopsy that shows everything is normal. Then, they will look at the enzymes in the muscle and see that there is a problem.
