One of the most annoying aspects of having rheumatoid arthritis has to deal with rheumatoid arthritis medication. Since there is so much we don’t know about this affliction, getting the right rheumatoid arthritis medication for you is often a painful series of trial and error. Any medication can give you side effects, but it seems that rheumatoid arthritis medications always have to give side effects.

Analgesics

This happy little family of painkillers includes some of the most familiar painkillers to modern man (or woman). These include acetaminophen (yup – Tylenol), which can be purchased over the counter. The rest need a prescription, including drugs that are regularly stolen from pharmacies like tramadol, oxycodone, Percoset and Tylenol with codeine. The side effects can range from anything from blurred vision to death.

NSAIDs

Despite the harsh side effects, NSAIDs are still the most prescribed of rheumatoid arthritis medications. The nickname is short for NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs. They are usually never prescribed alone, but in combination with other drugs such as analgesics. This family includes the over the counter drugs aspirin, ibuprofen and naxoproxen, as well as the prescription drugs in the news Vioxx and Celebrex.

Glucocorticoids

The names for these rheumatoid arthritis medicines just get more and more fun to try and pronounce, don’t they? Sometimes, they are just known as corticoids. Unlike NSAIDs, these contain steroids. The most famous drugs in this family are cortisone, hydrocortisone and prednisone.

These drugs are also targets of pharmacy thefts, which shows you that they get you a little high. Also, these can be very expensive medicines. It is very important to follow the directions carefully for this family of rheumatoid arthritis medications, unless you want to go to the emergency room.

DMARDs

Sounds like a dog breed name, doesn't it? Oh wait – that's St Bernard. Anyway, this time, the nickname is short for Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs. These drugs are considered the most powerful because they go right to your immune system and try to whip it back into shape.

This is one of the last-ditch rheumatoid arthritis drugs prescribed, unless you are really in terrible pain. There are a lot of potential complications because DMARDs mess with your immune system. You really shouldn't even get a vaccination or a booster shot if you are on DMARDs. You also have to be relatively healthy – except for the rheumatoid arthritis – in order to take it. Otherwise, the disease will be cured, but the patient will die.