Psoriatic arthritis can cause you to have painful joints, and the damage psoriatic arthritis does to your joints could be so severe that you eventually need joint replacement surgery. Before that your doctor will probably try various medications to control the disease. One type of medication you might be prescribed is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, also called a DMARD. Here's how this psoriatic arthritis treatment works.
DMARD Drugs Work On Your Immune System
Psoriatic arthritis is an autoimmune disease caused by an overactive immune system that causes your body to attack itself. Rather than just treat symptoms caused by the attack, a DMARD drug works to quiet down your immune system so it stops or slows its attack on your body. There are different types of DMARD drugs, and they work in different ways. Your doctor may need to try a few different drugs to find the best one for you, and you may need to take multiple medications to get the best relief. Since DMARD drugs work to modify your immune system, it can take them weeks or months to have an effect on your psoriatic arthritis.
DMARDs Can Slow The Progression Of Psoriatic Arthritis
One problem with psoriatic arthritis is inflammation. Your doctor may try different anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation and pain. However, these drugs only control symptoms and don't do much to slow down the joint destruction caused by the disease. A DMARD drug also acts as an anti-inflammatory drug to help relieve pain, but since this type of drug targets your immune system, it can also slow down the progression of the disease. It may even cause a temporary remission, but a DMARD is only a treatment and not a cure.
DMARDs Might Have Side Effects
Your doctor might not start you on DMARDs right away. Instead, if you have mild psoriatic arthritis, it might be managed with other medications until the time is right to consider DMARDs. Choosing to start the disease-modifying drugs takes consideration of the risk of side effects against the benefits. Since the drugs affect your immune system, it's possible you'll be more susceptible to the flu and colds or that your illnesses will be more severe than usual. Like all drugs there is a risk of side effects, and DMARDs might cause problems with nausea or liver trouble. If you do have undesirable side effects, your doctor might try adjusting your dosage or changing to a different medication. Often it is worth the risk if you gain the benefits of slowing down the progression of joint damage. For more information about your treatment options, check out a place like Sarasota Arthritis Center.
