Some more info:
NSAIDs are a class of drugs that relieves the symptoms associated with many forms of arthritis by slowing the body's production of prostaglandins. There are more than 20 different NSAIDs approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the US. Aspirin is the most well-known anti-inflammatory agent. Other NSAIDs include ibuprofen (Motrin, Nuprin or Advil, for example), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve) and indomethacin (Indocin).
Newer NSAIDs, including celecoxib (Celebrex) and valdecoxib (Bextra), are as effective as the older NSAIDs but cause fewer ulcers. (These newer drugs are called "Cox-II selective" because they primarily inhibit one enzyme called Cox-II, rather than inhibiting both Cox-I and Cox-II, as the older drugs do.)
These are the meds being pulled for potential heart failure.
The most powerful anti-inflammatory agents are corticosteroids. These are synthetic versions of the body's hormone, cortisone, that are produced in small quantities by the adrenal gland. Synthetically produced corticosteroids are used to reduce inflammation and suppress activity of the immune system. The most commonly prescribed are prednisone and dexamethasone.
When a person does not respond to NSAIDs, or when the arthritis appears to be a result of an autoimmune disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs may be used. Many of these medications are actually borrowed from other diseases, specifically cancer and malaria. Antimalarials include chloroquine (Aralen) and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil). Drugs considered to be even more powerful in these diseases include methotrexate (Rheumatrex), sulfasalazine, cyclosporine, azathioprine (Imuran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). All of these agents act to suppress inflammation, presumably through their effects on the immune system, and also have a risk of more serious side effects.
Gold salts, another disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, have been used to treat arthritis for more than half a century; however, the way in which they work is not entirely clear. It is rare now for physicians to prescribe gold.
One common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, does not involve significant inflammation. As a result, managing pain may be the primary focus of medical therapy. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) may then be sufficient to control the pain. Other options in osteoarthritis include NSAIDs, other pain relievers, or a recently approved injection treatment called hyaluronate, although its effects are modest.
I'd have to say for me, I fit mostly in that last paragraph, the goal isn't to control the swelling anymore because it is fruitless, it's to keep me comfortable by means of narcotics when surgical replacements is no longer an option.
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