Arthritis Medications

Although there is no cure for arthritis, there are medications that can help you minimize your rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis symptoms and also significantly reduce any inflammation.

Over-the-Counter Treatments

Acetaminophens, such as Tylenol®, are usually used for mild pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis. Doctors usually recommend acetaminophens because they relieve pain associated with arthritis without too much harm to your stomach.

However, if your arthritis pain does not subside with acetaminophens, your doctor may recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Some of the most common recommended NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Advil®), naproxen (Aleve®), nabumetone (Relafen®) and piroxicam (Feldene®). Although NSAIDs reduce swelling and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis, they are harsh on your digestive tract. In addition, long-term use of NSAIDs can cause kidney and liver damage, stomach and duodenum ulcers and small-bowel irritation.

COX-2 Inhibitors

Medical scientists have developed a new type of NSAID, called COX-2 inhibitors, for arthritis pain. These have less harmful side effects to the digestive tract. Because they directly block the COX-2 enzyme, which is responsible for the pain and inflammation, the COX-2 inhibitors focus directly on the source of pain and treat the specific area of joint inflammation without affecting other parts of the body unnecessarily. Although COX-2 inhibitors seem to be safer for the digestive tract than other NSAIDs, they are more expensive.

Corticosteroids

Your doctor may administer shots of corticosteroids to the affected joint to relieve arthritis pain and reduce inflammation. However, this method is not advised for long-term treatment. Because corticosteroids can disguise symptoms of arthritis, you may not be able to monitor signs of continued destructive activities worsening your joint damage. Furthermore, over a period of time, corticosteroid injections can further damage the affected joint by reducing your body's own production of cortisone, which can lead to other complications such as osteoporosis.

Because most patients that suffer from rheumatoid arthritis have antibodies called rheumatoid factors in their bloodstream, your doctor may have you take a blood test. However, an indication of rheumatoid factor in your blood does not necessarily mean that you have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor is also found in cases of chronic infection and in some other types of autoimmune disease. Your doctor will most likely want to perform additional tests to confirm your diagnosis.