TAKING MEDICATIONS FOR ARTHRITIS PAIN
Medications are the most commonly prescribed treatments for arthritis. Here are some options your doctor may present to you:
- Antiinflammatory medications: Most forms of arthritis cause pain because of inflammation gone out of control. Medications are available for use as needed try to decrease or resolve the inflammation. NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications) are available over the counter and by prescription. Corticosteroids like prednisone are stronger, harsh antiinflammatory medications that can also be used if needed.
- Pain medications: Medications like over the counter acetaminophen simply relieve severe pain to make arthritis more manageable. Pain medications mask pain but do not slow down arthritis disease activity. They are only used when pain becomes severe and unmanageable. These medications range from over the counter acetaminophen to stronger narcotic medications that can be addictive and dangerous.
- Neuromodulators: Medications used for other problems like depression or seizures can be used to treat chronic pain in cases where arthritis is difficult to control.
- Antibiotics: A few types of arthritis are caused by infections. Antibiotic medications must be prescribed to kill the organisms causing the infections.
- DMARDs: Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs can dramatically slow down disease activity in certain types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases, DMARDs can cause remission, totally deactivating the disease. There are several categories of DMARDs, and they can be used in combination.
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