Ask the Pharmacist
Question: How does gold help arthritis?
Answer:
While it is not known exactly how gold works in patients with arthritis, we do know it is not a cure, but simply one treatment to help control the disease.
Not many decades ago, gold was the standard in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It was replaced with drugs like methotrexate in the 1990’s. Gold was used due to its abilities to relieve joint pain and stiffness, reduce swelling and bone damage, and reduce the chance of joint deformity and disability. When used early in the disease, gold has shown it helps the symptoms in about 50% of patients receiving the treatment.
Gold comes in both capsule and muscular injection form, though the injection form is far superior in producing positive results. Neither form is used as first line treatment today due to numerous side effects and necessary monitoring requirements. Those patients who should not try gold treatment for arthritis include people with severe anemia, kidney disease, or certain skin conditions.
Choosing gold as a treatment method is not a decision to be made lightly. Discuss the pros/cons with your doctor and inform your pharmacist if you are taking gold injections to check for drug interactions.
Dr. Melissa Vice, PharmD.
Grant County Drugs “Ask the Pharmacist” appears in the Grant County News print edition each Thursday (www.grantky.com). If you have a question, you can email it to gcdrug@fuse.net, just place Ask the Pharmacist in the subject line.
1 Comment
April 28, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Treatment for joint pain include resting to allow the injury to heal. Warm baths and ice also reduce the swelling and provide some relief. Treatment only relieves the pain temporarily. Conventional painkillers have side effects. Treatment of Arthritis in the thumb depends on the symptoms and the stage of the disease. Some arthritic thumbs may be relieved with an aspirin. Exercise used as one of the rheumatoid arthritis natural remedies include performing aerobic exercises which include walking, dancing, or swimming. Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet and normal body weight. Also, you should get regular checkups.