Venous Insufficiency Medication

Updated: Sep 25, 2020
  • Author: Robert Weiss, MD; Chief Editor: William D James, MD  more...
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Medication

Medication Summary

No oral medication has yet been proven useful for the treatment of venous disease. Findings of prospective studies have not supported some manufacturers’ claims about the effectiveness of their herbal products and nutritional supplements.

Sclerosing agents that are used to ablate refluxing veins and other anatomic structures can be grouped into several categories, including fatty alcohols (detergents), osmotic agents, and caustic agents. The safest and most widely used sclerosing agents are detergents.

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Sclerosing Agents

Class Summary

Sclerosing agents are used for the primary sclerosis of reflux pathways and for the ablation of friable thin-walled veins judged to be at high risk for rupture and hemorrhage.

Sodium tetradecyl sulfate (Sotradecol)

Primary sclerotherapy is the treatment of choice for ablation of refluxing superficial venous circuits in the absence of saphenofemoral junctional reflux. It is also the treatment of choice for ablation of venous bleeding sites and friable thin-walled varices. In general, a 1% concentration is most useful; in larger varicosities, a 3% concentration may be used as a liquid. Foam may be made by agitating a 1:4 mixture of solution and air. When a foamed solution is used, a concentration of 0.25-0.5% is sufficient.

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