Drugs That Treat RA Pain and Inflammation
In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy joints and tissues by mistake. Inflammation can make your hands, hips, neck, knees, or many other joints feel stiff, painful, and swollen.
Your doctor will prescribe medicines to relieve your symptoms. These drugs help you feel better, ease your stiffness, dull your pain, and calm your inflamed joints.
Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis
About 1.3 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This chronic inflammatory arthritis affects two to three times as many women as men.Although RA is most commonly associated with joints of the hands and wrists, it can also affect larger joints, such as the hips, knees, and shoulders.Symptoms of hip arthritis may occur later than those from RA affecting smaller joints.
Read the Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis article > >
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce inflammation. These medicines may also lessen joint pain, muscle aches, or stiffness.
NSAIDs are available both over the counter and by prescription. You can choose to take generic or brand-name versions.
Your doctor is likely to prescribe an NSAID for your pain and inflammation. Examples include:
NSAIDs are known to cause increase risk for heart attack or stroke, particularly in higher doses. You may alsoget an upset stomach if you take NSAIDs regularly. Sometimes they cause other serious problems, like painful ulcers or bleeding. If that happens, your doctor might give you another drug to protect your stomach while you take the NSAID. Celecoxib, a newer type, may be safer for your stomach than others.
These drugs, also called steroids, ease RA pain and inflammation too. The most common steroid for RA symptoms is prednisone. Steroids come in pill and shot forms.
You should only take steroids for a short while. Over time, these medicines can damage your joints and lead to weight gain. They may also cause your bones to become brittle and prone to fracture, a condition known as osteoporosis. These drugs can also make you more likely to get diabetes, cataracts, and high blood pressure.
If your RA causes severe joint pain, your doctor may suggest an analgesic. It’s fine to take over-the-counter acetaminophen for pain every once in a while.
If you have severe joint damage and constant pain, your doctor may prescribe something from a stronger group of pain medicines known as opioids. These drugs have serious side effects and risks. You could become constipated, too sleepy or foggy, or dependent on the drug.
If your pain is only in one small area of your body, your doctor might have you try a drug that goes on your skin: a topical. You rub a small amount of the cream or gel over the joint that hurts. Some of these drugs come in patches.
Topical pain relievers include NSAIDs, lidocaine, opioids, and capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers.
These products come in both over-the-counter and prescription forms. They may have fewer side effects than drugs you take by mouth, as they don’t really get into your bloodstream.
Your doctor will prescribe medicines to relieve your symptoms. These drugs help you feel better, ease your stiffness, dull your pain, and calm your inflamed joints.
Recommended Related to Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis
About 1.3 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This chronic inflammatory arthritis affects two to three times as many women as men.Although RA is most commonly associated with joints of the hands and wrists, it can also affect larger joints, such as the hips, knees, and shoulders.Symptoms of hip arthritis may occur later than those from RA affecting smaller joints.
Read the Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis article > >
NSAIDs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce inflammation. These medicines may also lessen joint pain, muscle aches, or stiffness.
NSAIDs are available both over the counter and by prescription. You can choose to take generic or brand-name versions.
Your doctor is likely to prescribe an NSAID for your pain and inflammation. Examples include:
- Celecoxib (Celebrex)
- Diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren-XR, Zorvolex)
- Ibuprofen (Motrin)
- Indomethacin (Indocin)
- Meloxicam (Mobic)
- Naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn)
NSAIDs are known to cause increase risk for heart attack or stroke, particularly in higher doses. You may alsoget an upset stomach if you take NSAIDs regularly. Sometimes they cause other serious problems, like painful ulcers or bleeding. If that happens, your doctor might give you another drug to protect your stomach while you take the NSAID. Celecoxib, a newer type, may be safer for your stomach than others.
Corticosteroids
These drugs, also called steroids, ease RA pain and inflammation too. The most common steroid for RA symptoms is prednisone. Steroids come in pill and shot forms.
You should only take steroids for a short while. Over time, these medicines can damage your joints and lead to weight gain. They may also cause your bones to become brittle and prone to fracture, a condition known as osteoporosis. These drugs can also make you more likely to get diabetes, cataracts, and high blood pressure.
Analgesics
If your RA causes severe joint pain, your doctor may suggest an analgesic. It’s fine to take over-the-counter acetaminophen for pain every once in a while.
If you have severe joint damage and constant pain, your doctor may prescribe something from a stronger group of pain medicines known as opioids. These drugs have serious side effects and risks. You could become constipated, too sleepy or foggy, or dependent on the drug.
Topical Pain Relievers
If your pain is only in one small area of your body, your doctor might have you try a drug that goes on your skin: a topical. You rub a small amount of the cream or gel over the joint that hurts. Some of these drugs come in patches.
Topical pain relievers include NSAIDs, lidocaine, opioids, and capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers.
These products come in both over-the-counter and prescription forms. They may have fewer side effects than drugs you take by mouth, as they don’t really get into your bloodstream.