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Home / Ask the Expert / Treatment options for Arthritis

Treatment options for Arthritis

December 8, 2007 By Clifton Bingham, III, MD

Question

I take tramadol for my arthritis pain,but it realy does not seem to help much. Is tramadol also a good drug to be taking for the pain and inflamation?My doctor will not put me on any other medications like Humira; he says that I don’t need it, but sometimes my hands,hips and knees hurt really bad that i also have to take some tylenol arthritis to stop the pain.

Answer

It is important for the treatment to match the disease.  Medications like Tylenol and Tramadol are often effective for osteoarthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis though, while sometimes useful for flareups in symptoms, medications that turn off the inflammatory and destructive process (Humira is one of these)  are needed.  If you are unclear as to the type of arthritis you have, you should discuss this with your doctor and consider evaluation by a rheumatologist, a specialist in arthritis and autoimmune disease.

Clifton Bingham, III, MD

Professor of Medicine
Director - Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center

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