Raynaud's phenomenon is an autoimmune disorder that affects the blood vessels in the fingers, toes, ears, and nose, causing the blood vessels to constrict. This causes redness and pain. Raynaud's can be very serious, especially when it causes oxygen deprivation and ischemia (contraction of blood vessels) and skin ulcerations.
In a report published in the October 27, 2008 issue of Medscape Medical News, the drug tadalafil has been shown to reduce the duration and frequency of secondary Raynaud's phenomenon episodes in patients with scleroderma and connective tissue disorders.
Researchers note that tadalafil is promising for patients who don't respond to conventional vasodilators. In addition, the study's authors suggested that tadalafil may offer promise as a treatment for scleroderma, specifically to reverse the narrowing of blood vessels seen in the lungs and hearts. The authors also noted that there were no adverse effects associated with this medication.