How has treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) changed?
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RealAge answered:Rheumatoid arthritis used to be treated primarily with NSAIDs, sometimes together with corticosteroids. Mild DMARDs were used sparingly -- only after joints became deformed -- and the use of stronger DMARDs was considered only after several years of treatment, by which time disabling damage was often well under way.
That all changed in the 1990s, when studies using x-ray images showed that joint damage often begins in the first few months of rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment guidelines were updated, and rheumatologists started using powerful DMARDs early on in the disease to slow or stop its progression before damage occurred.
Some doctors, however, remain cautious about using such potent drugs and may be reluctant to include them in a treatment plan. If you're not sure about the treatment your doctor suggests, get a second opinion.Rheumatoid arthritis used to be treated primarily with NSAIDs, sometimes together with corticosteroids. Mild DMARDs were used sparingly -- only after joints became deformed -- and the use of stronger DMARDs was considered only after several... More
