I decided to write up all the commonly used RA drugs for readers. Here is an easy reference guide for all of you:NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal, Anti-Inflammatory Drugs):EX: asprin, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofenWHAT THEY ARE: A pain relieverWHAT THEY DO: Block the substance that dilate blood vessels, thereby reducing inflammation and painCorticosteroids:EX…[more]

***This is originally from an article I wrote for a class, but it was never published officially, so I am publishing it here. Enjoy!***One of the biggest “side effects” people with RA have to deal with is paying for medications. Having a chronic illness makes it next to impossible to get individual insurance coverage, which make…[more]

I witnessed an incident the other day that really hit me, and I wanted to share it with you.So, to set the scene, I was getting blood drawn at the university hospital I go to for my doctor appointments. As I was sitting there, I noticed a woman going around to individuals in the waiting room to ask them if they would be willing to donate bloo…[more]

"A large study conducted in Canada reveals that patients who are treated for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with the drug cyclophosphamide may have an increased risk for developing hematological cancers such as lymphoma" (CancerConsultants.com). Cyclophosphamide is an immunosuppressant that belongs to a class of drugs known as al…[more]

An article in Reuters a while ago (sorry it took so long for me to post!!!) announced that Humira has been approved for the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis."Abbott said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved use of the medicine, its best-selling product, to treat patients four years of age and older wit…[more]

Tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) modifiers are the latest biologic used to treat RA. Currently available are infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel) and adalimumab (Humira). These drugs are genetically engineered and work by interfering with your body's TNF, an immune factor that plays a part in the disease-fighting process.Studies on …[more]

I decided to talk about another biologic today, interleukin-1 antagonist. Now, I’ve never taken this type of medication, nor know anyone who has, so I would love to hear from anyone who has experience with this type of biologic. The current interleukin-1 antagonist availble is Anakinra, known to most people as Kineret, but more …[more]

I thought, in addition to biologics, I would write about another class of RA drugs: Immunosuppressant."For treatment of very severe active rheumatoid arthritis, physicians are now prescribing third-line drugs that suppress the body's immune system" (About.com).This class of drugs is often included under the DMARDs category, and includes&nb…[more]

So, I was asked a question by one of my blog (TheYoungAndTheRA.com) readers Libby: "I’ve heard a lot of good things about the biologic drugs, but I’ve also heard that they lose their effectiveness in many people after a period of months or years. I’ve tried to research this on the Internet, but haven’t bee…[more]

A blog reader brought this video to my attention, so I thought I would bring it to yours. A company called Insmed created it:"Insmed is a research-driven biopharmaceutical company based in Richmond, Virginia and Boulder, Colorado. Insmed's goal is to be one of the first U.S.-based biotechnology companies to develop a comprehensive portfolio of fo…[more]