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Arthritis Medications |
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The Arthritis
Foundation names over a hundred different diseases, all causing the same two
common symptoms – pain and swelling in the joints and surrounding connective
tissue.
Collectively known as “arthritis,” such diseases are known to affect an
estimated 40 million people in America. But a recent study, the latest
comprehensive statistical survey conducted by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) raises the notch even higher with an estimate
of 70 million people in the United States who report arthritis or chronic
joint symptoms.
Fortunately for these people, they are not without arthritis medications to
help them cope with the disease. Just as there are over a hundred different
types of arthritis so are there over a hundred different kinds of arthritis
medications. All of them treat arthritis and related conditions in a
specific way – treat the pain, halt disease progression, reduce
inflammation, etc.
The response, side effects, and adverse reactions to these arthritis
medications vary from individual patient to another. That is why it is
important for the patient to be knowledgeable about arthritis medications
from determining what their options are to making informed decisions with
the help of their doctors.
Below are profiles of arthritis medications in common usage today:
NSAIDs
NSAIDs are Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs that are commonly
prescribed as arthritis medications for patients suffering joint pains and
rheumatic conditions. Specifically, these arthritis medications work as
analgesics (or pain killing), anti inflammatory, and antipyretic or fever
reducing.
The drugs’ main target is cyclooxygenase, the enzyme that catalyzes
arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and leukotrienes. When the membrane
phospholipids of our cells are exposed to inflammatory stimuli, they release
arachidonic acid which is then catalyzed by cyclooxygenase into
prostaglandins. This creates the biological response of inflammation.
By interfering with the prostaglandin production and inhibiting the release
of cycooxygenase, NSAIDs can prevent inflammatory response, a common symptom
of arthritis.
BRMs
Unlike NSAIDs, BRMs or Biologic Response Modifiers are arthritis medications
that stimulate, not inhibit, the ability of the immune system to fight
arthritis and rheumatic diseases. These arthritis medications are based on
compounds that are manufactured by the body’s living cells, such as
monoclonal antibodies, interferon, interleukin-2, and various types of
colony-stimulating factors.
BRMs are slower acting compared to NSAIDs but if applied properly, they
could be effective in halting disease progression.
DMARDs
Otherwise known as Disease Modifying Anti Rheumatic Drugs, DMARDs are
actually immunosuppressants – that is, they suppress the response of a
defective immune system as is the case of patients suffering from rheumatic
arthritis. They are used as second line arthritis medications specifically
for rheumatic arthritis, one of the common forms of arthritis if NSAIDs and
aspirin fail.
Although these arthritis medications have been used to decrease
inflammation, they are not categorized under anti inflammatory drugs. They
do not affect prostaglandin production, unlike NSAIDs, however, they do
relieve pain and inflammation by “modifying” the immune system in some way.
As such, these arthritis medications thus help in slowing the disease
process though they seldom lead to a complete remission.
There are, of course, several more arthritis medications that will help
arthritis patients cope with their condition. The ones featured above are
the most common and easily recognizable out of the hundreds out there. |
| This article
is provided courtesy of Roxanne Courtmanch. Please visit
www.thehelpingcircle.com for more articles on arthritis
as well as many other topics that may be of interest to you.
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