Understanding Medications

Once a diagnosis of arthritis is made, your doctor will review with you some of the options for treatment. Treatment will likely include non-medication therapies - such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise and relaxation techniques - as well as medications.

Medical treatment of arthritis can be divided into two main categories:

Treatment to control the symptoms of pain, stiffness and swelling

• Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications are in this category.
• These medications usually take days to weeks to begin to work.
• These medications may make you feel better, but they do not affect the course of the arthritis, nor will they prevent the damage to bones and joints that can occur with the disease.

Treatment to control the disease itself

• These medications, used primarily for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis, work to help prevent joint damage that can lead to deformities. They will help keep your joints healthy for many years to come.
• These medications often take six weeks to six months to begin to have an effect. They work to address the root of the problem in inflammatory arthritis. Shutting down all the inflammatory processes can take a long time, but the result of healthy joints will be worth it.

Drugs from both of these categories are often used in combination. A new group of drugs called Biologic Agents is now also used to control arthritis.

At various times in the course of your arthritis (and over the years of your life), you may need different kinds of medications: You'll almost certainly need non-prescription analgesics for pain relief; to counter inflammation, you may also be prescribed NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or cortisone; to arrest the progress of your disease, you may be prescribed a slower-acting DMARD (a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug), or a combination of DMARDs.

Medications are likely to become an intimate part of your life. To maximize their effectiveness, you need to take an active role in your treatment and to better understand your medications. Arthritis medications are only one part - albeit an essential one - of an overall strategy that will help you reduce and cope with your pain, improve joint function and daily-living activities, and learn to deal with the emotional stresses that arthritis can impose. There's a lot to learn, but the more you understand about your medications - what they're expected to achieve, how they should be taken, what side effects to expect and how they fit into your treatment plan - the more likely you are to benefit from them.

This Web site is a good place to start. It can't replace your doctor's knowledge and expertise, but having access to this information can help you begin to participate more fully in your treatment plan and make informed decisions about your medications.

This page was last reviewed/updated on : 03/09/2009