Medications That Slow The Progression Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Medications that slow the progression of RA can help reduce your symptoms while preventing joint damage and disability. Options include:
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs . DMARDs help prevent joint damage and are normally part of the initial treatment of RA. It can take a few months to feel the full effects of a DMARD, and you and your doctor might need to try a couple of options before you find the right one for you. Common DMARDs include methotrexate, leflunomide , hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine .
- Biologic treatments. Biologic treatments are given by injection and usually in combination with a DMARD when DMARDs have not been effective on their own. Biologic treatments are a newer form of treatment that can prevent your immune system from attacking your joints. Common biologic treatments include etanercept and infliximab .
- JAK inhibitors are a new type of DMARD that can be helpful for people who cant take traditional DMARDs or who didnt see improvements from traditional DMARDs. Common JAK inhibitors include tofacitinib and baricitinib .
Nutritional Supplements And Dietary Changes
There’s no strong evidence to suggest that specific dietary changes can improve rheumatoid arthritis, although some people with rheumatoid arthritis feel their symptoms get worse after they have eaten certain foods.
If you think this may be the case for you, it may be useful to try avoiding problematic foods for a few weeks to see if your symptoms improve.
But it’s important to ensure your overall diet is still healthy and balanced. A Mediterranean-style diet, which is based on vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish and unsaturated fats such as olive oil, is recommended.
There’s also little evidence supporting the use of supplements in rheumatoid arthritis, although some can be useful in preventing side effects of medicines you may be taking.
For example, calcium and vitamin D supplements may help prevent osteoporosis if you’re taking steroids, and folic acid supplements may help prevent some of the side effects of methotrexate.
There’s some evidence to suggest that taking fish oil supplements may help reduce joint pain and stiffness caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
Further information
- National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society : diet and rheumatoid arthritis
Page last reviewed: 28 August 2019 Next review due: 28 August 2022
What Are The Best Rheumatoid Arthritis Medications For Pain
Most of the medications used for rheumatoid arthritis provide relief from pain. However, depending on current disease activity, some may be more effective than others.
- For acute flare-ups, for example, short-term treatment with a corticosteroid, such as prednisone, may be highly beneficial.
- If there is excessive inflammation, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory can address that symptom and also relieve pain.
- Over-the-counter analgesics, such as acetaminophen, may be used for minor pain.
- But for chronic, moderate-to-severe pain, an opioid analgesic would be more effective.
- Pain and inflammation are both addressed by biological drugs which have the added benefit of altering disease activity.
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What Are The Early Signs Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Early signs of rheumatoid arthritis include tenderness or pain in small joints like those in your fingers or toes. Or you might notice pain in a larger joint like your knee or shoulder. These early signs of RA are like an alarm clock set to vibrate. It might not always been enough to get your attention. But the early signs are important because the sooner youre diagnosed with RA, the sooner your treatment can begin. And prompt treatment may mean you are less likely to have permanent, painful joint damage.
Who Should Diagnose And Treat Ra
A doctor or a team of doctors who specialize in care of RA patients should diagnose and treat RA. This is especially important because the signs and symptoms of RA are not specific and can look like signs and symptoms of other inflammatory joint diseases. Doctors who specialize in arthritis are called rheumatologists, and they can make the correct diagnosis. To find a provider near you, visit the database of rheumatologistsexternal icon on the American College of Rheumatology website.
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Affordability And Financial Assistance
RA therapies can be costly. In fact, biologic medicines are some of the most expensive drugs on the market, costing, on average, $10,000 to $30,000 a year. The most expensive can run more than $500,000.
If you cant afford your recommended medications, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about ways to cut your costs.
Many organizations, such as Good Days, provide financial assistance to people with chronic illnesses. Drug companies may also offer discounts to patients in need. It also might help to check out websites like GoodRx and RxSaver for coupons and where to find the lowest prices in your area.
What Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis
The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. Researchers think its caused by a combination of genetics, hormones and environmental factors.
Normally, your immune system protects your body from disease. With rheumatoid arthritis, something triggers your immune system to attack your joints. An infection, smoking or physical or emotional stress may be triggering.
Is rheumatoid arthritis genetic?
Scientists have studied many genes as potential risk factors for RA. Certain genetic variations and non-genetic factors contribute to your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Non-genetic factors include sex and exposure to irritants and pollutants.
People born with variations in the human leukocyte antigen genes are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. HLA genes help your immune system tell the difference between proteins your body makes and proteins from invaders like viruses and bacteria.
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Will Changing My Diet Help My Rheumatoid Arthritis
When combined with the treatments and medications your provider recommends, changes in diet may help reduce inflammation and other symptoms of RA. But it wont cure you. You can talk with your doctor about adding good fats and minimizing bad fats, salt and processed carbohydrates. No herbal or nutritional supplements, like collagen, can cure rheumatoid arthritis. These dietary changes are safer and most successful when monitored by your rheumatologist.
But there are lifestyle changes you can make that may help relieve your symptoms. Your rheumatologist may recommend weight loss to reduce stress on inflamed joints.
People with rheumatoid arthritis also have a higher risk of coronary artery disease. High blood cholesterol can respond to changes in diet. A nutritionist can recommend specific foods to eat or avoid to reach a desirable cholesterol level.
Targeting What Causes Inflammation
Scientists are studying several monoclonal antibodies that target GM-CSF and its receptor GM-CSFR. GM-CSF increases inflammation and damages tissue. The higher your levels, the more severe the disease. In some studies, mavrilimumab, otilimab, namilumab, and lenzilumab are just a few monoclonal antibodies that improve symptoms.
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A Wearable To Ease Ra Symptoms
Implanting a device surgically in the neck gives off a low-voltage electric current that stimulates the vagus nerve. This can reduce inflammation and ease symptoms. A recent study looked at a similar device that didnât involve surgery. Instead, people wore it for 30 minutes a day. The study found that it made the disease less severe in some people.
When To Take A Biologic Drug
Most people should try a non-biologic RA drug for at least three months. If you do not feel better or move more easily after three months, you should talk with your doctor about options such as adding another non-biologic or starting a new biologic. The combination of non-biologics that is sometimes called triple therapy may be the most cost-effective.
If a non-biologic or a combination of non-biologics did not help you, theres a good chance that a biologic will give relief.
People react to drugs differently. If one biologic does not help, you can try another. But never take two biologic drugs at the same time.
In rare cases, your doctor may skip more common treatments and go straight to biologics. This may make sense if your RA is already advanced when it is first diagnosed. Check with your doctor about using this aggressive approach to treatment.
If you need a biologic, ask your doctor if a less expensive version of the biologic, called a biosimilar, is available. Biosimilars are analogous to generic versions of drugs, with similar effectiveness but reduced cost.
This report is for you to use when talking with your health-care provider. It is not a substitute for medical advice and treatment. Use of this report is at your own risk.
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Steering Committee And Task Force
In line with the EULAR standard operating procedures for developing recommendations and the AGREE II document, this update started with the approval of the proposal by the EULAR Council. Subsequently, the convenor and the methodologist invited several experts to serve on the steering committee and others to participate in the expanded task force. The experts were mostly rheumatologists and included patient research partners and non-physician health professionals. The steering committee included the three systematic literature research researchers , a non-medical health professional and a patient research partner .
The 2022 update of the EULAR RA management recommendations occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions prevented some originally invited task force members from attending the meeting in person. Virtual attendance in the form of a hybrid meeting was enabled for overseas participants, so that these members could follow the discussions and raise their voices at any point in time. Nevertheless, several overseas members came to the meeting in Zurich in person, and all European members were requested to attend the face-to-face meeting to facilitate efficient development of the recommendations.
What Is A Generic Drug
Generic drugs are the same medicine as the brand name but will cost less. Generics will have the same “dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics, and intended use. This means you can take the generic drug and still get the same benefits and effects as the brand-name drug.
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Common Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs
Your doctor has choices to make within each class of RA medicine. Finding the right treatment for you, that is effective with the least RA medication side effects, may involve some trial and error. Here are 10 drugs commonly prescribed for RA:
Adalimumab is a biologic medication for injection under the skin. You will get the first dose in your doctors office. After that, the typical dose is self-administered once a week or every other week.
Celecoxib is an NSAID, specifically a type called a COX-2 inhibitor. It is a capsule you take once or twice a day, usually with food.
Etanercept is a self-administered biologic for once- or twice-weekly injection under the skin. Like Humira, you will get the first dose in your doctors office.
Hydroxychloroquine is a DMARD. It comes as a tablet you usually take once a day with food. For higher doses, your doctor may recommend splitting the dose to twice daily.
Indomethacin is an NSAID. It is available as a capsule, extended-release capsule, and a suspension. The ER capsule offers the most convenient dosing at once or twice daily with food.
Leflunomide is another DMARD you usually take once daily. Your doctor may have you take it more often during the first several days of treatment.
Methotrexate is a DMARD that is very effective for RA. It is available as either a tablet or injection under the skin. Doctors usually prescribe a weekly dose to decrease side effects.
What Is The Difference
Rheumatoid arthritis vs. osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are both common causes of pain and stiffness in joints. But they have different causes. In osteoarthritis, inflammation and injury break down your cartilage over time. In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks the lining of your joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis vs. gout
Rheumatoid arthritis and gout are both painful types of arthritis. Gout symptoms include intense pain, redness, stiffness, swelling and warmth in your big toe or other joints. In gout, uric acid crystals cause inflammation. In rheumatoid arthritis, its your immune system that causes joint damage.
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Physical And Occupational Therapy For Rheumatoid Arthritis
An occupational therapist can teach you how to modify your home and workplace and better navigate your surroundings to effectively reduce strain on your joints and prevent further aggravation of the inflammation during your day-to-day activities. Additionally, they can teach you how to perform regular tasks in different ways to better protect your joints.
They’ll teach you joint protection techniques, such as how to maintain proper body position and posture, body mechanics for specific daily functions, and how to distribute pressure to minimize stress on individual joints.
Occupational and physical therapists can also teach you about the hand exercises that are best for you.
Watch Our Video About What Rheumatoid Arthritis Is
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that can cause pain, swelling and stiffness in joints.
It is what is known as an auto-immune condition. This means that the immune system, which is the bodys natural self-defence system, gets confused and starts to attack your bodys healthy tissues. In rheumatoid arthritis, the main way it does this is with inflammation in your joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects around 400,000 adults aged 16 and over in the UK. It can affect anyone of any age. It can get worse quickly, so early diagnosis and intensive treatment are important. The sooner you start treatment, the more effective its likely to be.
To understand how rheumatoid arthritis develops, it helps to understand how a normal joint works.
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A New Treatment Alternative
Research has shown that the monoclonal antibody olokizumab reduced inflammation in RA patients as effectively as the gold standard RA treatment of TNF inhibitor adalimumab with methotrexate. Olokizumab works by blocking interleukin-6, or IL-6, a cytokine that plays a role in RA. The manufacturer is expected to seek FDA approval soon, which could put the drug on the market in the near future.
Reduction Of Joint Stress
Because obesity stresses the musculoskeletal system, ideal body weight should be achieved and maintained. Rest, in general, is an important feature of management. When the joints are actively inflamed, vigorous activity should be avoided because of the danger of intensifying joint inflammation or causing traumatic injury to structures weakened by inflammation. On the other hand, patients should be urged to maintain a modest level of activity to prevent joint laxity and muscular atrophy. Splinting of acutely inflamed joints, particularly at night and the use of walking aids are all effective means of reducing stress on specific joints. A consultation with a physical and an occupational therapist is recommended early in the course.
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Who Is At Risk
About 1%, or 1 out of every 100 individuals, has rheumatoid arthritis. It can occur at any age but it is usually seen in people between 25 and 55 years of age. Three times more women are affected than men.
Having a specific gene type may also elevate your risk of being diagnosed with this disease however, it is not considered an inherited disease. Infection and hormones may also contribute to the development of the disease.Cigarette smoking and stressful life events are also risk factors for the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis. Continued smoking can increase the severity of the disease. If you smoke and have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, you should make a plan to quit smoking.
Lifestyle Changes And Self
Self-care measures can be additive to the effects from drug therapy.
- Exercise program: Daily exercise and maintaining flexibility is a key component of treatment. Daily exercise can help with sleep, too. Walking is a convenient and easy exercise to engage in. Try non-weight bearing exercises like biking or swimming if walking is painful. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
- Heat and cold applications: Heat can help ease pain and relax painful muscles and joints. Cold has a numbing effect and can relieve muscle spasms.
- Lower your stress: Use techniques to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. Mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, walking, guided imagery, and breathing patterns can lower daily stress and boost one’s outlook.
- Self-help devices: The use of self-help devices, such as easy-open prescription bottles, compression garments, and walk-in tubs are options. Special tools to help in the kitchen, with dressing, and other activities of daily living are available. Visit the Arthritis Foundation website for more information.
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Be Aware Of The Side Effects With Biologics
The following side effects are rare, but they can be serious or life-threatening:
- Serious skin or lung infections
- Serious allergic reactions
Other side effects are less serious: minor infections, headache, and reactions at the injection site. People usually dont change treatments because of these side effects.
Physical Therapy And Exercise
Regular physical activity is an important piece of your overall treatment plan. It can help preserve range of motion in your joints and strengthen the muscles that support them.
Many people with RA benefit from working with an experienced physical therapist . A PT can create a strength and mobility program for you and show you how to move in ways that will help and won’t cause further damage. A physical therapist can also teach you pain relief techniques and prescribe splints and braces to support damaged joints.
In addition to exercises prescribed by a physical therapist, there are many activities you can do on your own to maintain or improve joint mobility, build muscles, strengthen your cardiovascular system and promote general health and well-being. The right form of activity for you depends not only on which joints are affected and the severity of your disease, but also on your interests. The best exercises are those you enjoy enough to do regularly. Popular and safe options for people with RA include walking, swimming, water exercise, low-impact aerobics and stationary cycling.
You should speak with your doctor before beginning any new exercise plan.
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