Arthritis Treatment: Kick It Up a Notch

[Guest guest]

" Arthritis Treatment: Kick It Up a Notch

New Guidelines Recommend a 'Hit Early, Hit Hard' Approach " :

http://my.webmd.com/condition_center_content/pnm/article/2945.1563

[Guest guest]

I just noticed this but they list osteoarthritis of course and then

rheumatoid arthritis. What I find interesting is that if they said

inflammatory arthritis instead, the numbers would be a LOT bigger.

Almost 1 million people have PA and 2 million have RA, so I bet all

together that would be 5 million or so with inflammatory arthritis'.

And boy! I was totally undertreated for my arthritis. And I'll just

stop there cuz otherwise, I might lose my rational thought thinking

about it.

Wishing you a healthy day,

Meghan

> " Arthritis Treatment: Kick It Up a Notch

> New Guidelines Recommend a 'Hit Early, Hit Hard' Approach " :

>

> http://my.webmd.com/condition_center_content/pnm/article/2945.1563

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thought this might be helpful to most. Georgina you may have already

posted this previously. I was looking for info about pain medications

and thought this was appropriate. If this is a duplicate, sorry.

--e

Arthritis Treatment: Kick It Up a Notch

By Salynn Boyles

WebMD Medical News Reviewed By , MD

advertisement

March 26, 2002 -- When it comes to treating arthritis pain, it is

important to " hit early, hit hard, " say experts at the American Pain

Society. New guidelines call for more aggressive treatment of

arthritis pain and earlier use of surgery for those who get no relief

from drugs.

The guidelines state that a group of anti-inflammatory drugs called

-2 inhibitors, such as Celebrex, Vioxx, and Bextra, be the first

method of treatment for moderate to severe long-term pain.

The new guidelines also call for use of narcotic pain killers. These

narcotics are recommended for people with severe, long-term pain that

does not respond to other drugs.

Arthritis Foundation medical director Klippel, MD, says the

guidelines are needed because many doctors still do not adequately

treat arthritis pain.

Some 21 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, a painful

deterioration of the cartilage that cushions the body's joints. That

figure is expected to rise to about 30 million in less than 20 years,

as baby boomers reach their 60s and beyond. An additional 2.1 million

people have rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease in which

the immune system attacks the joints.

Many doctors continue to recommend older anti-inflammatory drugs even

though the potential side effects of long-term use, including stomach

ulcers and bleeding, can be life threatening, Klippel tells WebMD.

The -2 inhibitors, introduced in 1999, are believed to cause fewer

stomach problems. But traditional anti-inflammatory drugs are still

widely used, primarily because they are cheaper.

The American Pain Society (APS) guidelines state that these

traditional anti-inflammatory drugs should be used only if -2

drugs and acetaminophen (Tylenol) prove ineffective, or if they are

given along with medications to minimize stomach and intestinal

problems.

Other recommendations from the APS panel include:

All treatment for arthritis should begin with a comprehensive

assessment of pain and function, and mild-to-moderate pain should be

managed with acetaminophen.

Most people with arthritis, including the obese and elderly, should

be considered for surgical treatment when drug therapy is no longer

effective. To maximize the benefits of joint-replacement surgery, the

panel recommends that it be performed before severe deformity and

muscular degeneration occur.

Narcotic pain killers, such as oxycodone (OxyContin) and morphine,

are recommended for the treatment of severe arthritis pain that

cannot be relieved with -2 inhibitors and traditional anti-

inflammatory drugs.

" I think there has been a general reservation about using narcotics

because of their addictive potential, " Klippel says. " But we have

come to learn that reasonable use of narcotics doesn't pose a risk of

addiction in this setting. They effectively treat pain for many

people and improve their quality of life. "

In addition to issuing specific treatment recommendations, the APS

panel outlined steps arthritis patients can take to improve their

quality of life. They include maintaining an ideal body weight and

getting appropriate exercise. The panel called on doctors to refer

patients for physical and/or occupational therapy.

" Since arthritis is a long-term and progressive disease, doctors must

be sure that regular exercise or physical therapy are important

components of a comprehensive management program, " panel chairperson

Ada Jacox, PhD, says. " Staying active is a critical component for

managing this disease. "

[Guest guest]

--Hi again Duncan!

I was wondering how do you get some of that glutathione? I want

some!lol well I mean really, I dont understand it, since I am such

a novice on this, but I would like to have some of that glutathione!

And do you think I could have lung disease from pleursy even though

my chest x-rays were normal during the time I had pleursy a month

ago? And by the way, How do you know about such advanced stuff like

this, in websites that I can't even read the words or it's kind of

like doctor language. Are you a doctor Duncan? just curious? you

don't have to respond to my post if you think my questions are too

personal and I'll understand:) Jona

- In @y..., Duncan Crow <duncancrow@s...> wrote:

> <<...is celebrex commonly presribed for plersy?( I'm off the

subject) but I

> was prescribed celebrex for pleursy once when I was having it real

bad and

> it hurts! >>

>

> Lung diseases are very common in people with low glutathione, your

body's

> most important antioxidant and detoxifier. The lungs are about the

third

> largest users of glutathione, and without it you get all sorts of

nasty

> things, all of which require a form of oxidation of the tissues to

spread.

>

> Arthritis is also an oxidation disease. See a pattern developing?

In fact,

> most diseases including infections result from low levels of

glutathione. I

> mounted a web site for a company, in which links into the US

National

> Library of Medicine are prewritten to highlight this fact at

> http://members.shaw.ca/widewest/medline_links.html

>

> ciao

>

> Duncan Crow

> 250-748-6967

[Guest guest]

Thanks, e. Occasionally there will be duplicates ... but with new members

joining all the time, some things deserve to be re-posted

Aloha, Georgina

>

> From: " boundforlondon " <gktriplej@...>

> Thought this might be helpful to most. Georgina you may have already

> posted this previously. I was looking for info about pain medications

> and thought this was appropriate. If this is a duplicate, sorry.

>

> --e

>

>

> Arthritis Treatment: Kick It Up a Notch

>

> When it comes to treating arthritis pain, it is

> important to " hit early, hit hard, " say experts at the American Pain

> Society. New guidelines call for more aggressive treatment of

> arthritis pain and earlier use of surgery for those who get no relief

> from drugs.

......rest of article snipped for space.....