Arthritis Medication

When you are diagnosed with arthritis or first begin to experience arthritic pain, you are often in so much discomfort that you wish to quickly begin a course of arthritis medication. While you may simply wish to decrease the pain as quickly as possible, there are nine different broad categories of arthritis medications, as well as a number of different specific drugs within each category. Unfortunately, it is crucial for you to research and understand each of these drugs in order to make the best decisions regarding your health. All of these arthritis medications have advantages and disadvantages, so speak with your doctor about the medications he or she recommends.

The most popular arthritic drugs are found in the larger category known as NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These arthritis medications block the hormone in the body that contributes to pain, inflammation, fever, and muscle cramping. Within this category, there are three main types of drugs-COX 2 inhibitors, which are more gentle on the stomach; traditional NSAIDs, which are available in low dosage over-the-counter forms; and salicylates, which include aspirin and are potentially dangerous if used in large dosages.

The second type of arthritis medication is known as analgesics. Unlike NSAIDS, analgesics do not address the problem of inflammation, but simply addresses the pain experienced by arthritis patients. Corticosteroids, on the other hand, work by stopping inflammation. This third category is the oldest type of arthritis drugs, and when used in small dosages they can save your joints and even your life.

DMARDs (or Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs) make up the fourth category of drugs used to treat arthritis. These medications are only effective when used before inflammation causes damage in the joints. A fifth category is actually a subset of the DMARDs category. Called Biologic Response Modifiers (or BRMs), they also stop disease progression. They are most often used when all other medications have failed.

There are also a few categories that are used for specific types of arthritis. Gout, for example, has its own bunch of arthritis medications for patients. As a seventh category, fibromyalgia also has its own personal set of drugs. As often advertised, many different medications can be taken to relieve osteoporosis as well. The eighth and final category is made of drugs that are used to treat a specific kind of arthritis known as Sjogren’s Syndrome.

It is important to understand these arthritis medications so that you can discuss your options with your doctor. If you have recently been diagnosed with arthritis or a disease that causes joint pain, research the different arthritis medication choices to learn the advantages and disadvantages of each.

How powerful are the pharmaceutical companies these days?  Their clinical trials and the speedy approval of some new drugs such as Celebrex arthritis medication, has Americans scratching their heads.  On the one hand, the approval process for a new drug is achingly slow – on average, fifteen years.  When you are in pain, you really can’t wait fifteen years to get relief.  On the other hand, could the cure be worse than the cause?

The COX-2 Inhibitor Family

Not exactly the Addams family, this group of painkillers is both cherished and reviled.  They appeared in 1999 as the new miracle drugs for arthritis.  They proved to be just as powerful as the usual painkillers, but would not cause bleeding ulcers like constant use of aspirin or ibuprofen would.  The two big brands were Vioxx and Celebrex arthritis medication.  At first, things were rosy.  The only gripes about Vioxx and Celebrex arthritis medicine were the cost (which is an expected gripe).

But then some people not thought to be prone to heart attacks started dying of heart problems.  About 2002, both America and Canada were looking into a completely new side effect unreported by Merck and Pfizer, the makers of Vioxx and Celebrex arthritis medication, respectively.  Apparently, takers of those medicines were getting strokes and heart attacks for strange reasons, soon linked to the medicines. 

Vioxx was pulled off the market by Merck in 2003 in response.  Ever since, they have been up to their eyeballs in lawsuits.  It is thought that they speeded the approval process for Vioxx through the financially strapped, severely understaffed FDA.  Merck was found negligent in a 2005 case, yet in a 2006 case, they were let off the hook.

How Dangerous Are They?

Although the negligence of Merck is still legally to be determined, it seems that Pfizer, the makers of Celebrex arthritis medicine, are at least trying to make lemonade from the lemons they were given.  Instead of pulling Celebrex off the market, they held long-term trials, upped the warnings labels and changed dosing instructions.  It is too soon to tell whether they are correct to keep Celebrex arthritis medication on the market.

But for one Vioxx user, this writer’s mother, she mourns the loss of Vioxx.  It took away her arthritis pains and didn’t upset her stomach.  Since Vioxx was so popular, many health insurance companies included it in their list of drugs they would cover. 

Since the percentage of people who did develop heart problems seems so low in comparison to the vast multitude taking it, were the majority really in any more danger than our bad diets and sedentary lifestyle provide?  Certainly, a pharmaceutical company should never ignore any warnings about a new arthritis medication and continue to carry out long term tests, but why not put Vioxx back on the market?  The average consumer is intelligent enough to weigh up all of the options for their own bodies and doesn’t pay attention to the advertising anyway.

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