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Arthritis is often a hard condition to treat with medication. First, there are a lot of different kinds of arthritis, which makes it difficult to treat with a single medication. Secondly, arthritis is often a physical condition where the joints themselves are damaged, which is hard to treat with just a pill.
Luckily, there are still a number of medications that can help to manage arthritis symptoms. So, what are the different types of medications that treat arthritis most effectively? Let’s find out.
Best Arthritis Medications
There’s a wide range of arthritis medications. They range from simple over-the-counter painkillers to high-tech bioengineered drugs. All have their own place in treating the symptoms of arthritis and each has their own strengths and weaknesses. But let’s look at the basics first.
NSAIDS
NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are a class of drugs that you’re probably already familiar with. That’s because they include some of the most common everyday drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen. People usually use these kinds of drugs for mild pain because they help block the pain receptors in the brain, thus limiting the amount of pain you feel.
But, as you might have guessed from the name, NSAIDs help limit the inflammation that arthritis causes. That’s important because much of the long-term damage to the joints in cases of arthritis caused by autoimmune diseases is actually caused by the inflammation.
And that makes NSAIDs one of the most important arthritis medications for less advanced cases because they not only help manage the pain but can also prevent further damage to the joints.
But as with all medications, there are some risks. NSAIDs are only dangerous when taken in large doses and over a long period of time. And when you’re using them as a long-term arthritis medication, this can be a serious risk. The medication can build up in your system and lead to symptoms like stomach ulcers or even liver and kidney damage. It’s important to take only the recommended dosage and to consult your doctor frequently when taking NSAIDs daily.
Corticosteroids
Of course, sometimes NSAIDs aren’t enough to really treat the inflammation of severe rheumatoid arthritis. In those cases, doctors often prescribe corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are a hormone that your body releases naturally in response to inflammation. It signals to your body that it should stop the inflammatory response and helps stimulate the healing process.
But when your body can’t produce enough of it to deal with cases of severe inflammation, like with arthritis, doctors can prescribe you synthetic corticosteroids. The extra dose of hormones is often useful for helping your body fight against the inflammation caused by RA.
Side effects of long-term corticosteroid use include a risk of cataracts, which is a clouding over of the lens of the eye that can lead to blindness (though it’s usually treatable), weight gain, and problems with mood or memory.
Biologics
Biologic drugs are genetically engineered from specific human genes. And they’re a relatively recent innovation in the field of arthritis medications. Essentially, they work by shutting down specific functions of the immune system that cause inflammation. That lets them control the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis without the general risk of infection that comes from less selective immunosuppressant drugs.
But there are a few drawbacks to biologics. First, because the drugs are based on specific genes, they have to be tailored specifically to the genetic makeup of the person being treated.While biologics that match the genes of the patient can be great tools for fighting arthritis, biologics that aren’t matched are essentially worthless.
In addition, like with every drug that suppresses the immune system, there is still a risk of infection. The immune system plays a vital role in keeping us healthy. While suppressing it helps manage the symptoms of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, it also leaves you vulnerable to foreign bacteria.
DMARDS
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, or DMARDS, work in a similar way to biologics. They suppress the immune system which stops your white blood cells from producing antibodies. These antibodies play the active role in triggering the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, so limiting the number in your body helps prevent that inflammation.
They’re one of the most commonly prescribed rheumatoid arthritis medications and are generally very effective for reducing further damage to your joints. But like biologics, they carry the risk of leaving you vulnerable to infection because they suppress the immune system.
No matter which arthritis medication you end up using, it’s important to maintain good communication with your doctor. Many arthritis medications need to be tailored to the needs of the patient, which involves a lot of trial and error. So letting your doctor know what works and what doesn’t is vital.
But let us know what you think. What medications work for your arthritis? What medications don’t? Tell us in the comments.
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