Prescriptions and over the counter medication.
Paracetamol may be prescribed by your doctor for you to take regularly to relieve the pain of either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Paracetamol does not however reduce inflammation.
Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (call NSAIDs) work by reducing the inflammation that causes swelling, pain and stiffness. Your doctor may recommend these medicines for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Some NSAIDs are available over the counter, whilst other drugs are only by prescription. Certain NSAIDs may irritate your stomach. You can usually lessen the chance of this side effect by taking your medicine with food. Sometimes your doctor may recommend a different NSAID that is less likely to have side effects.
COX2 inhibitors are a newer class of NSAID that is less damaging to the stomach.
Most people with rheumatoid arthritis will also need to take stronger prescription drug medicines that slow down the arthritis and can put it into remission. These include disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and corticosteroids.
Ask qualified persons such as your doctor or pharmacist for further information about these medicines so you know what you are taking and can help decide whether they are right for you.
Again, your local State medical authority can provide the information about medicines used for arthritis.
Natural Arthritis Medicines
Recent trends have shown that people want a more natural approach to rheumatoid arthritis medication. Specific natural medicines can provide genuine relief from the symptoms of arthritis. The two most widely accepted and researched natural medicines are glucosamine and fish oil.
Glucosamine
Glucosamine is an amino sugar that occurs naturally in our body where it is used as a building block for cartilage and joint fluid. When you take a Glucosamine supplement a large amount finds its way to your joints where it stimulates the protection of larger molecules to help replace joint fluid and repair cartilage. Glucosamine is used to help manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The most researched and studied form is Glucosamine sulphate.
A review of 16 separate clinical trials found that Glucosamine is safe and effective in osteoarthritis, helping to:
- relieve joint inflammation and tenderness
- increase joint movement
- provide temporary pain relief
Glucosamine has been directly compared with NSAIDs in four of the reviewed studies. In two of these studies, Glucosamine was superior to NSAID s and in the other two studies it was equivalent. Glucosamine is less likely than NSAIDs to have side effects, especially gastrointestinal side effects.
Another 3 year study found that glucosamine sulphate treatment slowed down the progression of knee joint damage, possibly changing the course of the disease.
There is most likely to be further studies into the effects of glucosamine as a rheumatoid arthritis medication over the coming years and the best place to find out up to date results would be with your doctor.
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