Arthritis Treatments and Medications

What are the common side effects of arthritis medications?

Taking any medication comes with the potential for side effects. Here are some of the most common side effects of arthritis medications:

• Upset stomach

• Nausea

• Bruising

• Changes in urination

• Swelling or weight gain from water retention

• Skin rash

• Kidney problems

In addition to these side effects, arthritis medications may cause more serious side effects that could require medical attention. If you have any vision changes, mood or behavior changes, or severe stomach pain or vomiting, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Arthritis medications can also cause allergic reactions that can be life-threatening. Signs of an allergic reaction include hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face and throat. You should seek immediate medical attention if you believe you’re having an allergic reaction.

This list of side effects is not comprehensive. The best way to learn more about other side effects you might experience from taking arthritis medications is to talk with your doctor.

What are the best natural remedies for arthritis?

Many people use natural remedies to treat their arthritis symptoms at home. Here are some of the most popular natural remedies for arthritis.

1. Getting enough exercise

Even though arthritis can be painful and make moving around more difficult, there’s lots of evidence to suggest that physical activity can help improve joint function, reduce pain, and reduce inflammation. Walking, biking, tai chi, yoga, and swimming are examples of exercises that can reduce your arthritis pain and improve your quality of life with arthritis.

2. Eating ginger and turmeric

Ginger and turmeric have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that can help reduce inflammation and pain in the body. When inflammation in the body goes down, so does arthritis pain. Ginger and turmeric can be used as spices, consumed as tea, and even taken as a supplement.

3. Using frankincense oil

Frankincense is an essential oil that’s well known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Applying frankincense oil topically to painful joints can help relieve arthritis pain. This can be done several times per day as long as there’s no skin reaction.

Frequently asked questions about arthritis

What really causes arthritis?

There are many kinds of arthritis, and each has different causes. Osteoarthritis, the most common arthritis in the U.S., is known as “wear and tear” or older-age arthritis. Injuries, infections, birth defects, and obesity are some causes of osteoarthritis. Many other types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, are autoimmune diseases in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing pain and inflammation. Other types of arthritis, like gout, are caused by inflammation due to microscopic crystals depositing in the joints.

What are the early signs of arthritis?

Early signs of arthritis include:

• Joint pain

• Joint stiffness

• Joint aches

• Pain that’s worse in the morning (tends to be autoimmune)

• Pain that gets worse with inactivity (tends to be autoimmune)

• Pain during or after activity (tends to be osteoarthritis)

• Swelling of the joints

• Less range of motion in the joints

• Tenderness of the joints

• Tiredness along with joint pain

Can arthritis go away on its own?

Most arthritis conditions are chronic and do not go away on their own. They can be managed with medications, healthy lifestyle changes, weight loss, exercise regimens, physical therapy, bracing, joint injections (cortisone or lubricants), and surgery, but these don’t cure arthritis itself.

What is arthritis pain like?

Arthritis typically causes joints to become painful, stiff, and sometimes swollen. But these aren’t the only symptoms that someone with arthritis might feel. Arthritis can also cause joints to feel constantly achy, and many people with arthritis report muscle weakness, muscle aching, and feelings of tiredness.

What is the best treatment for arthritis?

There are many different treatment options for arthritis, and there isn’t one single treatment plan that will work best for everyone. Arthritis is most commonly treated with a combination of medications, lifestyle changes, and treatments like physical therapy. Your doctor can help you determine what type of treatment will work best for you.

Can arthritis be cured permanently?

Most arthritis conditions are chronic and have no cure. However, the painful, swollen, and stiff joints that characterize arthritis can be managed. With proper treatment and lifestyle changes, damage to joints can often be minimized.

Arthritis isn’t a fatal condition. However, some types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, can cause or contribute to other life-threatening medical problems. Examples of health complications that can be caused by arthritis include heart disease, lung disease, and kidney problems. Conditions like these are potentially fatal, not the arthritis itself.

What foods make arthritis worse?

Inflammatory foods like refined sugar, alcohol, refined carbs, and fried foods tend to put stress on the body. When the body tries to process these foods, it becomes inflamed and makes arthritis worse. Several dietary items can cause or worsen gout arthritis in susceptible people. If you have gout or a strong family history of it, ask your doctor about this.

What is the best vitamin or herbal for arthritis?

There isn’t one single vitamin that’s best for arthritis, but supplements like vitamin D, B vitamins, glucosamine, curcumin, fish oil, ginger, and turmeric may help lower arthritis pain and inflammation.

What is the latest drug for arthritis?

Doctors and researchers are always working to develop new drugs that help treat arthritis. Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK inhibitors) are an example of new drugs that can help treat rheumatoid arthritis by playing a role in how the immune system functions. The FDA has also just approved a new drug called Olumiant (baricitinib) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

What is the best over-the-counter medication for arthritis?

There isn’t one single over-the-counter medication that’s best for arthritis, but many doctors recommend Tylenol (acetaminophen) or NSAIDs like Advil, Aspirin, or Aleve. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like these help reduce inflammation and pain.

What is prescribed for arthritis?

Doctors prescribe different medications for arthritis depending on the individual and their unique symptoms. Types of medications commonly prescribed for arthritis include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

• Corticosteroids (sometimes called, cortisone or steroids)

• Over-the-counter pain medications (OTCs)

• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)

Related resources for arthritis

• Blood tests for arthritis

• Exercise for rheumatoid arthritis

• Exercise for osteoarthritis

• Arthritis symptoms

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention on arthritis pain

• Rheumatoid arthritis