Ankylosing Spondylitis Medications

When it comes to ankylosing spondylitis, medications used to treat the condition may provide pain relief, improve stiffness, reduce inflammation, or even perhaps slow the progression of the disorder. A few of the medications that may be used to treat ankylosing spondylitis include analgesics (such as aspirin), corticosteroids (such as prednisone), and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (such as methotrexate). The newest ankylosing spondylitis medications are biologic response modifiers (such as etanercept).

 

An Overview of Ankylosing Spondylitis Medications

There are many medicines available to treat ankylosing spondylitis. Some medicines are used only for pain relief or to improve stiffness; others are used to reduce inflammation. Still others are used to try to slow the course of the disease.
 
There are a number of important considerations that a healthcare provider should take into account when prescribing ankylosing spondylitis medications. Some of these considerations include:
 
  • The person's general condition
  • The current and predicted severity of the illness
  • The length of time the person will take the medicine
  • The medicine's effectiveness and potential side effects.
     
Based on these factors, your healthcare provider will consider an assortment of medicines from several different classes of drugs. A few of these drug classes include:
 
  • Analgesics (pain relievers), including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Corticosteroids
  • Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
  • Biologic response modifiers (specifically TNF inhibitors).
     
Because people can respond to medicine differently, your healthcare provider may have to try several medicines before finding one that works for you. It is also possible that you may need to take more than one type of medicine for ankylosing spondylitis.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD