Medication treatment is based on our understanding of other connective tissue diseases or autoimmune diseases, and includes use of NSAID's, Prednisone and immunosuppressive medications (DMARD) to control Polychondritis' disease course.
The type of medical therapy given varies with the clinical estimate of disease activity and severity. Some persons with RP respond well to short term prednisone and NSAIDs while others may require a combination of prednisone, NSAIDs, DMARDs and/or organ specific medications.
Other medications may be required to treat symptomatic problems or other illness that can occur in association with Relapsing Polychondritis or caused by it.
Many of the medications used are actually borrowed from other diseases, specifically cancer, malaria, other rhuematoid arthritis disorders and other autiommune disesases. These can include 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.
Some persons have active disease which does not significantly compromise organ function. They can present with features such as auricular or nasal chondritis and peripheral or axial arthritis. A Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) may be sufficient in this setting if it is given in sufficient quantity to suppress the inflammation.
There are several choices if an adequate response is not achieved within 7 to 10 days, usually beginning with prednisone and/or methotrexate which appear to be equally effective in patients without vascular involvement. Both medications decrease disease activity and reduce the incidence of recurrence. A response is evident in the majority of patients within one to two weeks.
While it is true that no clinic trails have been published to date, individaul cases and small studies involving RP have been published demonstarating the effectiveness of specific therapies for medications, assistive technologies and surgeries.
The information on this site is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient and his/her existing physician.
