What medications are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis?
There are many different drugs used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Some are used primarily to ease the symptoms of RA; others are used to slow or stop the course of the disease and to inhibit structural damage. Most of these drugs fall into one of the following categories: NSAIDs – Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include more than a dozen different medications – some available over-the-counter, some available by prescription only – used to help ease arthritis pain and inflammation. NSAIDs include such drugs as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis KT) and naproxen sodium (Aleve), among others. If you have had or are at risk of stomach ulcers, your doctor may prescribe celecoxib (Celebrex), a type of NSAID called a COX-2 inhibitor, which is designed to be safer for the stomach. Corticosteroids – Corticosteroid medications, including prednisone, prednisolone and methyprednisolone, are potent and quick-acting anti-inflammatory medications. They may be used
Medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include: • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) • Corticosteroids, or steroids • Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) • Biologic response modifiers (BRMs) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually prescribed to treat the symptoms of RA. NSAIDs reduce joint pain and swelling, which helps improve joint function. However, they do not slow the progression of the disease or prevent damage to the joints, so they are typically used along with other types of medication to treat RA. NSAIDs can increase risk of kidney or liver damage, ulcers, and bleeding in the stomach if taken over a long period of time. Corticosteroids, or steroids such as prednisone, can also help relieve RA symptoms. Low-dose oral corticosteroids may be helpful for people who are unable to take NSAIDs. Corticosteroids may also be injected directly into a joint to relieve RA flares. Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) suppress t
Two classes of medications are used in treating rheumatoid arthritis: fast-acting “first-line drugs” and slow-acting “second-line drugs” (also referred to as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or DMARDs). The first-line drugs, such as aspirin and cortisone (corticosteroids), are used to reduce pain and inflammation. The slow-acting second-line drugs, such as gold (Solganal), methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall), and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) promote disease remission and prevent progressive joint destruction, but they are not antiinflammatory agents. Some newer “second-line” drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis include leflunomide (Arava) and the “biologic” medications etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), anakinra (Kineret), adalimumab (Humira), rituximab (Rituxan), and abatacept (Orencia).
