Rheumatoid arthritis requires long-term treatment with medications.

Medication selection in rheumatoid arthritis is based on many factors including:

• Severity of disease
• Frequency of attacks (flare-ups)
• Patient age
• Relative health of patient

Medications for rheumatoid arthritis:

• Medications that work by various mechanisms to suppress the immune system:
• Abatacept (Orencia)
• Adalimumab (Humira)
• Anakinra (Kineret)
• Auranofin (Ridaura)
• Azathioprine (Imuran)
• Cyclosporin A
• Etanercept (Enbrel)
• Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)
• Infliximab (Remicade)
• Leflunomide (Arava)
• Methotrexate (Rheumatrex)
• Penicillamine (Cuprimine)
• Rituximab (Rituxan)
• Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for rheumatoid arthritis:
• Ibuprofen (Motrin)
• Naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn)
• Ketoprofen (Orudis)
• Oral corticosteroid medications for rheumatoid arthritis:
• Prednisone
• Medrol
• Pain medications:
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Tramadol (Ultram)
• Narcotic pain medication