autoimmune disease blog

The main purpose of rheumatoid arthritis drugs treatment is just to reduce the inflammation in the joints in order to relieve pain and prevent joint damage, but there is still no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Physical and occupational therapy can direct patients how to protect their joints. If the joints are severely damaged by rheumatoid arthritis, then surgery may be necessary treatment.

Many drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis treatment have potentially serious side effects. Doctors typically prescribe medications with the fewest side effects first. Patients may need stronger drugs or a combination of drugs as the disease progresses. Below are drugs that common in rheumatoid arthritis treatment:

1. Steroids. Corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone and methylprednisolone (Medrol), work with reduce pain caused by the inflammation and slow joint damage. The side effects of steroid may include thinning of bones, easy bruising, cataracts, obesity, a round face and diabetes. Rheumatologist often prescribes this drug to recover acute symptoms, with the goal of gradually tapering off the medication.
2. NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Over-the-counter NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). Stronger versions of these NSAIDs and others are available by prescription. Side effects may include ringing in your ears, increased bruising, gastric ulcers, heart problems, stomach bleeding, and liver and kidney damage.
3. TNF-alpha inhibitors. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is an inflammatory substance produced by your body. TNF-alpha inhibitors can help reduce pain, morning stiffness, and tender or swollen joints — usually within one or two weeks after treatment begins. Examples include etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade) and adalimumab (Humira). Potential side effects include injection site irritation, congestive heart failure, blood disorders, lymphoma, demyelinating diseases and increased risk of infection.
4. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These drugs can slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and save the joints and other tissues from permanent damage. Common DMARDs include methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall), leflunomide (Arava), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) and minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin). Side effects vary but may include liver damage, bone marrow suppression and severe lung infections.
5. Immunosuppressants. These medications act to tame your immune system, which is out of control in rheumatoid arthritis. Examples include azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). These medications can increase your susceptibility to infection.
6. Other drugs. Several other rheumatoid arthritis drugs target a variety of inflammatory substances produced by your body. These drugs include anakinra (Kineret), abatacept (Orencia) and rituximab (Rituxan). Potential side effects include injection site reactions, decreased white blood cell counts, headache and an increase in upper respiratory infections.

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