Arthritis Treatment (Cont.)

Using Medicines for Arthritis Treatment

There are a number of arthritis medications that can provide short-term pain relief. Some of these medicines are available without a prescription. For example, pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) may be effective at treating some types of arthritis that cause very little inflammation. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis generally have pain caused by inflammation and often benefit from aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil®) or naproxen sodium (Aleve®). Over-the-counter pain medicines should not be used for more than 10 days until your healthcare provider has said that it was okay.
 
Your healthcare provider may recommend one or several other arthritis medicines to treat inflammation or slow down joint damage. These medications might include:
 
  • Other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Corticosteroids
  • Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
  • Biologic response modifiers.
     
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are a class of drugs that include aspirin and ibuprofen and are used to reduce pain and inflammation. These drugs may be used for both short-term and long-term pain relief. Some examples of NSAIDs used to treat arthritis include:
 
 
Besides the drugs mentioned above, another example of an NSAIDs is celecoxib (Celebrex®). This medicine is a specific type of NSAID known as a COX-2 inhibitor. It works by blocking an enzyme known to cause an inflammatory response.
 
In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned people about the possible side effects of some NSAIDs -- both those sold with and without a prescription (see NSAIDs Warnings and Precautions). NSAIDs should also be used with caution in certain groups of people, including those with heart disease and those with certain types of arthritis. For example, in people with enteropathic arthritis, NSAIDs can make the Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitits worse. In people with psoriatic arthritis, skin symptoms of psoriasis may worsen during treatment with NSAIDs.
 
To find out whether you should use NSAIDs for your arthritis pain (and if so, when you should use them), talk with your healthcare provider. You should also talk with your healthcare provider about using other pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®).
(Arthritis Treatment Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD