Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, as the name suggests, may actually modify the course of inflammatory conditions, such as relapsing polychondritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, slowing or perhaps even stopping their progress.
When a person does not respond to NSAIDs, or when the arthritis appears to be a result of an autoimmune disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs may be used. Many of these medications are actually borrowed from other diseases, specifically cancer and malaria. Anti-malarial's include chloroquine (Aralen) and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). Medications considered to be more effective in these diseases include methotrexate (Rheumatrex), cyclosporine, azathioprine (Imuran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). All of these agents act to suppress inflammation, presumably through their effects on the immune system, and also have a risk of more serious side effects.
It may take weeks or even months before these medications produce any beneficial effect. During the time it takes for these drugs to work, your doctor will likely recommend that you take an NSAID and/or a corticosteroid as well.
Biologic - response modifiers differ from traditional arthritis medications in that they target the specific components of the immune system that contribute to the disease, while leaving other components of the immune system intact. Under this class of medication you will find. Etanercept (Enbrel), Infliximab (Remicade) and Anakinra (Kineret).
Commonly Prescribed Medications:
(listed in ABC order by drug name and not by order frequency prescribed or effectiveness)
The information on this site is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient and his/her existing physician.
