Arthritis Medications
What are the standard Arthritis Medications?
It follows that as there are many different types of arthritis there are as many arthritis medications to match. Arthritis medications are designed to either reduce the inflammation or relieve the pain or both. This provides your doctor with a wide selection of drugs to choose from both to treat your arthritis, rehabilitation and part of a pain management program.
We can’t cover in detail all the arthritis medications available but will look at the accepted standard medications and drugs regularly prescribed to curtail the progression of the disease and manage the pain. They are categorized as:
Analgesics
Nsaids
Dmards
Corticosteroids
Arthritis Medications – Analgesics
Analgesics are drugs designed to relieve pain. Acetaminophen (OTC Tylenol) is the most frequently used analgesic and is endorsed by the American Geriatric Society and also the American College of Rheumatology as a starting point for the treatment of osteoarthritis [degenerative arthritis].
Acetaminophen is metabolized through the liver. If your liver is damaged due to a history of alcohol consumption or you are taking other medication that is also metabolized via the liver, your doctor will probably select an alternative drug.
Acetaminophen can be bought over-the-counter but if you don’t follow the guidelines on the label carefully your could damage your health. If you exceed the recommended dose your liver could be damaged with serious consequences.
You should not add new medications to those you are already taking without first consulting your doctor. Most patients can cope with up to 4 grams of acetaminophen each day with minimal side effects but consult your doctor first.
An alternative for severe pain could be ‘Narcotic’ Analgesic drugs, they may include:
Tylenol Codeine Darvocet Percocet Vicodin
Analgesics function like NSAIDS but do not reduce inflammation.
Analgesics my include:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Codeine (Tylenol #2,3,4)
Darvon (Propoxyphene)
Darvocet (Propoxyphene)
Vicodin (Hydrocodone)
Percocet (Oxycodone)
An alternative for specifically treating severe pain could be ‘Narcotic’ Analgesic drugs, they may include:
Tylenol
Codeine
Darvocet
Percocet
Vicodin
Analgesics function like NSAIDS but do not reduce inflammation.
Arthritis Medications – NSAID’s – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Ibuprofen (Advil), Aspirin or naproxen are all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We are all familiar with many of these well known medications. They are used to minimize the inflamed area, allowing for a relaxation of the stiffness, a decrease in pain, and possibly easing the joint to give increased motion.
The majority of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are metabolized by way of the kidneys. The kidneys are not as effective as the liver when dealing with toxins.
Whilst many of these non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be bought over-the-counter there is a possibility of serious side effects following inappropriate use. Consequences of over use may include a stroke, heart attack, bleeding from the digestive tract and stomach ulcers.
You should not take repeat doses over a period unless your doctor has specifically prescribed them. Do not get into the habit of taking them to relieve any sort of pain, consult your doctor.
Arthritis Medications – DMARDS – Disease-modifying Anti-rheumatic Drugs
Disease-modifying Anti-rheumatic Drugs have proved most effective when used aggressively in treating psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Results show that for some patients these drugs actually stop progression of the arthritis and joint damage.
The effectiveness of these drugs builds over a period of weeks hence the reason why they are also referred to as ‘slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs’.
DMARDs may include:
Azulfidine (Sulfasalazine)
Arava (Leflunomide)
Mycophenolate (CellCept)
Auranofin (Ridaura, Oral Gold)
Arthritis Medications – Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids [Steroids] – these drugs work by suppressing the immune system and reducing the swelling and inflammation. They also improve motion of the stiff joint. They are most frequently used to treat osteoarthritis, lupus, vasculitis and rheumatoid arthritis and can be taken by injection or orally. The dosage is different for each patient and condition because these arthritis medications are very like cortisol, a compound/hormone found in the adrenal glands.
Unfortunately, there can be side effects if taken over a long period or in large doses, they include:
high blood pressure
gastrointestinal bleeding
stomach disorder
increased infections
cataracts
increased appetite
thinning bones
Corticosteroids work by suppressing the immune system and cause the infection to spread so they must not be used for ‘infectious arthritis’ under any circumstances.
Corticosteroids may include:
Cortisone (Cortone)
Hydrocortisone (Cortef)
Betamethasone (Celestone)
Dexamethasone (Decadron)
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