Arthritis Medications & Their Side Effects

Think arthritis is just a disease for the elderly? Think again. The use of arthritis medications has increased drastically over the last few years because lots of young people nowadays are being diagnosed with this condition. There are actually different flavors, if you will, of what we normally refer to as "arthritis". Osteoarthritis is probably the most common form, but there is also rheumatoid arthritis and gout (sometimes referred to as the disease of the affluent, or the rich man's disease). This discussion of arthritis medications will lump them all together since our main focus is on the side effects of the drugs.

In the spirit of offering alternatives, I will cover some non-drug ways to manage arthritis. Be aware however that there is no actual cure for arthritis but there are ways to slow down the progress of the disease and improve some of the key symptoms of the condition like the joint pain and stiffness.

• Exercise - it may seem that you can't because of the pain and/or stiffness but actually there are some excellent exercises and exercise routines that are great for increasing flexibility, muscle strength and overall fitness. Some of these exercises can even help to slow down the progress of the disease. If you like water (and even if you don't), swimming and water aerobics are really good ones as well as walking, bicycling, range-of-motion exercises and strength training exercises.
• Lose the excess weight - this will help take some of the stress off your joints.
• Apply heat and/or cold - you'll have to figure out which one works better for you. Some people get relief from applying heat to their aching throbbing joints while for others, applying cold packs may be better at doing the trick.

Hopefully, following the above steps will limit (and maybe eliminate) the need to use medications, at least on a daily basis. That is not to say that if you need to you shouldn't. So now it's time to discuss the options that are available in the way of arthritis medications.

Arthritis Medications Treatment Options

• Bayer, Ecotrin (Aspirin)
• Tylenol (Acetaminophen)

Creams:

• Aspercreme, Bengay Arthritis (Salicylate)
• Theragen, Zostrix (Capsaicin)

Salicylates:

• Disalcid, Salflex (Salsalate)

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs):

• Advil, Motrin (Ibuprofen)
• Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn (Naproxen)
• Relafen (Nabumetone)
• Feldene (Piroxicam)
• Toradol (Ketorolac)
• Indocin (Indomethacin)
• Voltaren (Diclofenac)
• Lodine (Etodolac)
• Orudis, Oruvail (Ketoprofen)
• Mobic (Meloxicam)
• Nalfon (Fenoprofen)
• Meclomen (Meclofenamate)
• Daypro (Oxaprozin)
• Clinoril (Sulindac)
• Tolectin (Tolmetin)

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) Inhibitors:

• Celebrex (Celecoxib)
• Bextra (Valdecoxib)
• **Rofecoxib (Vioxx)**

Steroids:

• Aristocort, Kenacort (Triamcinolone)
• Deltasone (Prednisone)
• Medrol (Methylprednisolone)

Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs):

• Arava (Leflunomide)
• Azulfidine (Sulfasalazine)
• Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine)
• Rheumatrex (Methotrexate)

Immune System Modulators:

• Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide)
• Imuran (Azathioprine)
• Neoral, Sandimmune (Cyclosporine)

Biologic Agents:

• Enbrel (Etanercept)
• Humira (Adalimumab)
• Kineret (Anakinra)
• Orencia (Abatacept)
• Remicade (Infliximab)
• Rituxan (Rituximab)

Hyaluronans:

• Euflexxa, Hyalgan, Supartz (Sodium hyaluronate)
• Synvisc (Hylan G-F 20)

Other:

• Ultracet (Tramadol + Acetaminophen)
• Ultram (Tramadol)

Nutritional Supplements:

• Chondroitin
• Glucosamine
• MSM

Soap and water and common sense
are the best disinfectants.
- William Osler

I update this website quite frequently (as things change so rapidly in the world of pharmaceuticals), so please subscribe to my monthly newsletter, The Armchair Pharmacist. It tells you each month about the new information that I have added to the site as well additional news on the latest goings-on in the world of medications and all things pharma.

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May 2, 2009

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