What Are the Best Prescription Drugs for Arthritis?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that approximately 58.5 million adults in the United States suffer from some form of arthritis. This is a debilitating condition that can impact your life in a variety of ways, including preventing you from pursuing hobbies you love or working in your chosen career.
To help people manage their arthritis symptoms, there are a number of prescription medications out there that can make a difference.
Learn about some of the best options for the management of severe arthritis below.
Understanding Arthritis
Arthritis is the umbrella term for any condition that causes swelling and pain in the joints. Your joints are the spots throughout your body where two bones meet. Joints can wear down with age, causing inflammation and pain, but it’s also possible for your own body to attack these connective points, which occurs in rheumatoid arthritis.
Some of the most common symptoms of arthritis include:
- Swelling
- Joint stiffness
- Pain
- Skin discoloration
- Sensitivity at a joint
- Warmth near your joints
Arthritis can develop at any age. Some forms, like osteoarthritis, tend to occur most often in people over the age of 50. Others, like rheumatoid arthritis, can begin as early as your 30s. These diseases are progressive.
The Most Effective Prescription Drugs for Arthritis
If you suffer from this condition, there are a number of medications that your doctor may prescribe. Many of these can be combined to provide pain relief while also targeting inflammation.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs like ibuprofen, diclofenac, and naproxen reduce inflammation and pain, making them a good choice for people who have moderate to severe arthritis. NSAIDs stop the production of prostaglandins, which are a group of compounds that function similarly to hormones and cause inflammation in the joints.
Because NSAIDs stop prostaglandins, they reduce or prevent inflammation, and that means less pain and more mobility. NSAIDs work well on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Aside from traditional NSAIDs like ibuprofen, your doctor can prescribe COX-2 inhibitors like celecoxib. These target the COX-2 enzyme, which is involved in the inflammatory process.
Most of the time, doctors prescribe these orally, but there are topical NSAIDs, too. You can get gels, lotions, creams, and ointments that you can apply directly to the sore area.
Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
DMARDs, such as Otrexup, are medications that can treat the inflammation that causes such serious pain. These drugs aim to change how the disease progresses, slowing it down and diminishing its symptoms. They also impact the immune system by making it less reactive, which can be vital for rheumatoid arthritis.
Although these medications are not cures for arthritis, they target symptoms effectively. There are various classes of DMARDs, such as synthetic DMARDs and biological therapies, that provide the same results. Methotrexate is a commonly prescribed DMARD.
Injections
For those facing severe arthritis symptoms, doctors can prescribe medications that are injected directly into the affected joints. Corticosteroids are one type, offering the reduction of inflammation. These substances suppress the immune system, which is important for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Corticosteroid injections tend to offer fast relief.
Hyaluronic acid injections are another option. Hyaluronic acid lubricates the affected joints and improves mobility.
Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors
One of the latest prescription drugs that target arthritis symptoms is Janus kinase inhibitors, such as Rinvoq. These medications reduce inflammation by blocking JAK enzymes, which are part of the signal pathway, resulting in cytokine overproduction. These prompt inflammation.
JAK inhibitors block these enzymes and stop the triggering of the inflammatory response. If you have less inflammation, you experience less pain and have increased mobility in the affected joints.
Opioids
To address pain from severe arthritis, doctors often prescribe opioids. Although these don’t treat the condition, they can make living with it a bit easier. Options like tramadol, codeine, and oxycodone are preferred, but hydrocodone can also help manage arthritis pain.
Typically, your doctor will leave opioids as the last resort if nothing else works to provide pain relief. These medications can be habit-forming, so they are only for short-term treatment.
Get Affordable Access to Prescription Medications
Simplefill is a full-service prescription assistance company that researches, qualifies, and maintains patients’ enrollment in all sources of assistance available to them.
Apply today by calling 877-386-0206. A caring Simplefill representative will contact you within 24 hours to discuss your application and, if qualified, enroll you in the program.