What do they do?
DMARDs are prescribed to quell inflammation that can cause permanent damage to the joints and organs. When prescribed early in the disease process, DMARDs can often prevent irreparable damage from occurring.
How do they work?
Though their exact mechanisms differ, most DMARDs work by suppressing the immune system, which is mistakenly directed against parts of the body (the joints, skin and internal organs, for example) in many forms of arthritis and related conditions.
Only three DMARDs – auranofin (Ridaura), leflunomide (Arava) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) – were actually developed for rheumatoid arthritis. The others were borrowed from different areas of medicine: Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is a malaria drug, chlorambucil (Leukeran) and methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) are cancer medications and cyclosporine (Neoral) originally was developed to keep the body from rejecting transplanted organs.
Who are they for?
DMARDs are prescribed for people with inflammatory forms of arthritis with the potential to cause irreparable joint and/or organ damage. They are most commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis, but some are also used for juvenile arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and lupus. Some, such as chlorambucil (Leukeran), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) or cyclosphosphamide (Cytoxan), are used mainly to treat severe organ disease, such as kidney disease caused by lupus or vasculitis.
What’s important to know about the drug class?
DMARDs work slowly. If your doctor prescribes one, it may take months before you notice its effects. For that reason, doctors often prescribe DMARDs an additional drug – such as a corticosteroid or an NSAID – to help control pain and inflammation while the DMARD starts to work. Once a DMARD takes effect, corticosteroids can be tapered to low maintenance doses or even stopped completely.
While taking DMARDs you should watch for signs of infection such as chills, fever, sore throat or cough – and report them to your doctor. You should also check with your doctor before getting vaccinations.
Different DMARDs can have different adverse effects. For example, long term use of hydroxychloroquine may cause damage to the retina of the eye, and methotrexate and leflunomide can affect the liver. Before starting a DMARD, you should ask your doctor about any tests you might need to monitor its effects.
Drug Guide: DMARDs
Disease-modifying antirheumatic dugs stop or slow disease progress.
What do they do?
DMARDs are prescribed to quell inflammation that can cause permanent damage to the joints and organs. When prescribed early in the disease process, DMARDs can often prevent irreparable damage from occurring.
How do they work?
Though their exact mechanisms differ, most DMARDs work by suppressing the immune system, which is mistakenly directed against parts of the body (the joints, skin and internal organs, for example) in many forms of arthritis and related conditions.
Only three DMARDs – auranofin (Ridaura), leflunomide (Arava) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) – were actually developed for rheumatoid arthritis. The others were borrowed from different areas of medicine: Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is a malaria drug, chlorambucil (Leukeran) and methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) are cancer medications and cyclosporine (Neoral) originally was developed to keep the body from rejecting transplanted organs.
Who are they for?
DMARDs are prescribed for people with inflammatory forms of arthritis with the potential to cause irreparable joint and/or organ damage. They are most commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis, but some are also used for juvenile arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and lupus. Some, such as chlorambucil (Leukeran), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept) or cyclosphosphamide (Cytoxan), are used mainly to treat severe organ disease, such as kidney disease caused by lupus or vasculitis.
What’s important to know about the drug class?
DMARDs work slowly. If your doctor prescribes one, it may take months before you notice its effects. For that reason, doctors often prescribe DMARDs an additional drug – such as a corticosteroid or an NSAID – to help control pain and inflammation while the DMARD starts to work. Once a DMARD takes effect, corticosteroids can be tapered to low maintenance doses or even stopped completely.
While taking DMARDs you should watch for signs of infection such as chills, fever, sore throat or cough – and report them to your doctor. You should also check with your doctor before getting vaccinations.
Different DMARDs can have different adverse effects. For example, long term use of hydroxychloroquine may cause damage to the retina of the eye, and methotrexate and leflunomide can affect the liver. Before starting a DMARD, you should ask your doctor about any tests you might need to monitor its effects.
