Arthritis Medication

Basic therapy (=Antirheumatics with a long effect)

A basic therapy consists of following drugs: methotrexate (MTX), sulfasalazine, chloroquine, cyclosposphamide, cyclosporine etc. These drugs are applied to inhibit the process of the disease by decreasing the damage done to the articular cartilage or bone. Symptoms are relieved and inflammation attacks prevented.

The basic therapy has to begin as early as possible to prevent the joints from being damaged. The damaging usually takes place during the first couple of years of the disease and is irreversible. During the therapy a physician has to regularly do blood-tests and examine the patient. Side effects can be allergic reactions, changes of the blood count, reactions of the skin, and damages of the eye.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are for example: Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin), Diclofenac, Paracetamol, and Ibuprofen.  The pain disappears within hours, the inflammatory swelling goes down and morning stiffness declines. However their effect is mere symptomatic and does not affect the process of the disease.
• Cortisone/ Steroid hormone

The anti-inflammatory drug Cortisone steps in when NSAIDs does not have a relieve the patient of his pain anymore. The advantage of these drugs are their fast effect. As well as NSAIDs they do not affect the process of the disease. In order to minimize the side effects, NSAIDs are administered only as long as implicitly needed.

• Biological drugs

Adalimumab, Etanercept and Infliximab all inhibit the antibody producing substances tumour necrose factor-alpha (TNFa) and Interleukin 1 Inhibitor. A new active agent, Rituximab has been out on the market since July 2006. It is still too early to make any prognoses for these drugs.