GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR RA MEDICATIONS

With recent advancements in treatment, RA has gone from being a devastating diagnosis to a manageable condition with a potentially good outlook.  With the right treatment plan, you can stop RA’s destructive process and save your joints.  This will depend mostly on finding the right medication(s) to work for you.  Since RA affects each person differently, it may take your rheumatologist time and several adjustments to find the right regimen.  You are an extremely important part of this process.  Here is what you can do to get the most of your medications:

Take your medications as prescribed:  You do not get immediate relief from the medications that can put RA in remission.  The medications take time to work, so you must take the medications consistently and you should be patient.  Skipping doses or giving upon the medications too early will make it confusing for your doctor to determine what is and isn’t working.

Take notes daily:   Keep daily records of your pain episodes, frequency of setbacks, and pain flare ups, and your level of function. This is the best indication of whether your medications are working or not.  A failure to get better, or new or worsening symptoms are indications that you may require changes or adjustments.

Get your blood tests on time:  Blood testing to check for changes in inflammation are important to help determine if your medications are working.  Meanwhile, some medications need frequent testing to make sure they are not causing harmful side effects in your body.  Get your blood testing done when you are supposed to so your doctor can best help you. 

See your doctor regularly:  Your follow-up appointments are very important for your doctor to monitor your ongoing progress and make medication adjustments as needed.  Bring your symptom notes for your doctor to review.

These tips should help you and your doctor collaborate to keep your treatment fine-tuned so that you get as much benefit as possible to keep your RA under control.