Navigating the Treatment Path in Inflammatory Arthritis

Topics discussed with Dr. Shojania include: The challenge of getting diagnosed; The impact of the diagnosis; Accepting one's diagnosis; Learning about one's treatment options; The basics about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) - when do they get used and why, what do they not do; The basics about disease modifying anti-rheumatic medications (DMARDs) - "Start early, be aggressive" concept, a brief description of methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine, and how they are used alone and in combination, other DMARDs used if the above list of medications are ineffective; Biologic response modifiers - description of each of the five available; Adalimumab (Humira) - what it is, how it is given; Etanercept (Enbrel) - what it is, how it is given; Infliximab (Remicade) - what it is, how it is given; Abatacept (Orencia) - what it is, how it is given; Rituximab (Rituxan) - what it is, how it is given; Overcoming the fear of taking medications, including side effects - discussion about the "social stigma" of having to take medications; Monitoring for side effects delivers "peace of mind"; Adjusting one's treatment path along the way; Living life - the good, the bad, the ugly, the good.