Drug use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, the main cause is an autoimmune disorder in the body. This process occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Therefore, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs is an integral part of the treatment plan.

With rheumatoid arthritis, the patient needs to go through the examination process of the doctor or nurse to conclude whether the patient has rheumatoid arthritis or not. However, patients can also detect some signs of rheumatoid arthritis such as: stiffness, joint swelling, hot skin, red skin in the joints, joint pain,... Accompanied by a number of systemic symptoms such as: fatigue, weakness; loss of appetite, weight loss; body aches and pains;...
Usually, rheumatoid arthritis often starts with pain, degeneration of the joints of the hands and fingers, symmetrical swelling and pain on both sides of the body at the same time. Patients need to pay attention to these signs so that they can detect arthritis early and accurately to shorten the course of treatment and improve recovery.

When diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the patient should start treatment as soon as possible, the longer the time, the worse the condition will get. Although the disease usually starts in the fingers and toes at first, in the long run arthritis can affect any joint in the body. As the disease gets worse, it can cause permanent joint destruction. Not only that, rheumatoid arthritis can also cause damage to organs other than joints such as the heart, lungs, and eyes.
“Living” with rheumatoid arthritis has never been easy. Therefore, patients should receive early treatment to limit damage, destroy joints and restore movement function for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Anti-inflammatory drugs will be prescribed to the patient to reduce inflammation, pain, slow joint damage... This is also part of the treatment plan for rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is necessary to be careful and use it appropriately to both promote the full effects and minimize the unwanted adverse effects from these drugs.

Some corticosteroid drugs are commonly used in rheumatoid arthritis such as: dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, ... These drugs have forms of use such as tablets, injections with many different brand names. Depending on the patient's case, the severity of the disease and the duration of treatment, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate drug, dose and form of medication.
Although, this is the drug used mainly in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. But corticosteroids also bring many unwanted effects such as fatigue; heart problems, kidney damage; stomach irritation, causing stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding; the patient is susceptible to infection ; thinning of the skin, atrophy of the skin; hypertension ; prolong bleeding time, increase the risk of bleeding; weight gain; difficulty sleeping,...
However, not all patients will experience this undesirable effect. The longer the drug is used, the greater the chance of side effects. Therefore, doctors often prescribe patients the lowest effective dose to limit the side effects of the drug. At the same time, use more anti-ulcer drugs such as omeprazole or calcium, vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis.
Besides, patients also need to be careful when stopping corticosteroids. In particular, do not stop taking the drug suddenly, but gradually reduce the dose as prescribed by the doctor. The reason is that when taking corticosteroids for a long time, it will inhibit the activity of the adrenal cortex. Sudden discontinuation of the drug can cause acute adrenal insufficiency, which can easily lead to death if not treated promptly.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are another type of medicine used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The composition of steroids includes drugs with anti-inflammatory activity and does not contain steroid cores. Steroid drugs are divided into 2 main groups:
Non-selective COX inhibitors such as: ibuprofen, diclofenac... (with gastrointestinal side effects such as inflammation, ulceration, perforation... gastroduodenal, small intestine). ...) Selective COX-2 inhibitors such as: meloxicam, celecoxib, etoricoxib... (does not cause side effects on the digestive system, but should be cautious with patients with cardiovascular disease). Because each class of drugs has undesirable effects, the use of which group of drugs should depend on the instructions of the doctor. However, steroid medications can reduce symptoms of inflammation or reduce pain in the joints. But it does not rule out inflammatory causes and does not alter the course of the main pathological process.
Some notes when using steroids:
Use steroids only for the shortest time possible. It is necessary to carefully consider the benefits and risks when using steroids in the following subjects: liver failure, kidney failure, history of stomach, allergies, cardiovascular disease, the elderly, pregnant women,... Report now Tell your doctor when you experience any disadvantages during the course of taking the drug such as digestive disorders (nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion...); gastritis - duodenal ulcer, gastrointestinal bleeding; headache, rash, dizziness, edema;... to be able to promptly handle.

In the process of using anti-inflammatory drugs, it is necessary to pay attention to the side effects and adverse effects in order to take appropriate and timely handling measures to avoid unwanted consequences.
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