 With arthritis affecting so many adults, new drugs that relieve symptoms of arthritis are often big news. This is why you may have heard of Celebrex ® or Vioxx®, two new prescription drugs available only from your doctor. These are the first of a new class of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) said to be safer than other, older NSAIDs. Safer, however, isn't automatically more effective for all types of arthritis. Pain and osteoarthritis If you have osteoarthritis, the pain you experience is contributed to by bone rubbing on bone, the result of "wear-and-tear" on the joints that lose healthy protective cartilage as we age. For this type of pain, products which contain acetaminophen, such as Extra Strength TYLENOL* have been proven to provide rapid, safe and effective pain control. This is why the American College of Rheumatology and the American Geriatric Society both recommend people use acetaminophen first for osteoarthritis and the relief of mild-to-moderate musculoskeletal pains. At safe doses that your doctor will recommend for you, it has proven as effective as ibuprofen (a widely used NSAID) for pain control in people with osteoarthritis. And now there's a new breakthrough in treating your arthritis pain from the makers of TYLENOL*. They have engineered new TYLENOL* ARTHRITIS PAIN, an extended relief caplet designed to provide continuous arthritis pain relief for up to 8 hours. So for people with mild-to moderate osteoarthritis, it makes sense to use a medication that acts directly on pain such as Extra Strength TYLENOL* or now, new longer lasting TYLENOL* ARTHRITIS PAIN. Pain and rheumatoid arthritis This is not the same for rheumatoid arthritis, where inflammation is the main reason why people with rheumatoid arthritis have painful, swollen joints. For rheumatoid arthritis, people may benefit from an anti-inflammatory. Taken in high enough doses, all NSAIDs reduce inflammation and pain by blocking certain chemicals called prostaglandins. However, to varying degrees, NSAIDs also block other prostaglandins that, among other actions, protect the stomach from acid-related damage. This makes the stomach more vulnerable to damage, and it is why some people, especially older people, can develop stomach ulcers and more serious bleeding complications when they take NSAIDs. New class of NSAIDs COX-2 inhibitors--the new class of NSAIDs like Celebrex ® and Vioxx®-- still block pain-producing prostaglandins but they don?t have the same effect on prostaglandins that protect the stomach. For people whose symptoms are caused by inflammation, these drugs may prove less toxic to the stomach so they could be safer for them to take. But they are not necessarily more effective than other NSAIDs. Celebrex ® and Vioxx® may interact with certain drugs and they need to be used cautiously, if at all, if people have liver or kidney disease. At a cost of about $3.00 a day, Celebrex ®, for example, is also more expensive than many other drugs including Extra Strength TYLENOL* and it may not be any more effective. Inflammation and pain If inflammation is causing pain, it makes sense to take an anti-inflammatory to control symptoms. If the new COX-2 inhibitors prove to be less damaging to the stomach than other NSAIDs, then either would seem a reasonable choice. But for people with osteoarthritis, where inflammation is not responsible for most of the symptoms, it makes more sense to take a medication such as Extra Strength TYLENOL*, or new TYLENOL* ARTHRITIS PAIN, for rapid, effective, and safe pain relief. Discuss your options with your doctor first. With his or her help, you should be able to develop a plan that will control your symptoms of arthritis safely, effectively and at a modest cost. ® Registered Trademark * Trademark
|
