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Medication Options

  • bnzy2003
  • 7 days ago
  • 1 min read

Many medicines are used to treat Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Initially treatment is aimed to reduce inflammation and pain. Long term goals are to use medicine to prevent arthritis from progressing and causing lifelong damage to joints, bones, cartilage, muscles, tendons, and internal organs.


It is common for children to take several medications at one time. There are five broad categories of medicines used to treat JIA:


  • Non-steroidal Anti Inflammatory (NSAIDs)- Examples of INSAIDs are ibuprofen and naproxen. These medicines provide short term pain relief, but do not prevent long term joint damage.

  • Disease Modifying Anti- Rheumatic (cDMARDs)- Examples of cDMARDs are methotrexate, sulfasalazine, leflunomminde, and hydroxichloroquine.

  • Biologics- Examples of Biologics are Orencia, Humira, Ilarais, Enbrel, Simponi Aria, Cosentyx, Actemra, Kineret, Remicade, and their biosimilars. Biosimilars are medicines that are very similar to biologics, but not the same. They are different than generic medications.

  • Cortico Stereroids- An example of Cortico Stereroids is Prednisone. These medicines can work quickly compared to cDMARDs and Biolgics, and are sometimes prescribed when waiting for those medicines to take full effect.

  • JAK Inhibitors- Examples of JAK Inhibitors are Xeljanz and Renvoke. JAK Inhibitors block Janus Kinase, an enzyme which fuels inflammation.


All of these medications can be helpful alone or in combination with one another to treat JIA. However, they are not without side effects. As these medications work, they can control inflammation, pain, swelling, and disease progression, but they also weaken the immune system and children with JIA are more susceptible to infections such as respiratory and skin infections.

 
 
 

Comments

​ Juvenile Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the child’s bodily immune system fiercely attacks the joints, leading to inflammation, pain, burning, swelling, stiffness, and eventually losing the joints. It can result in swelling and limited range of motion in affected joints, making  normal everyday tasks challenging or even impossible for children wielding the chronic condition.

 In JIA, the immune system mistakenly targets the synovium, the lining of the joints, leading to joint damage over time. This chronic condition can affect multiple joints throughout the body, making daily activities challenging for those affected. Since there is no single definitive test for JIA, healthcare providers need to consider all these different pieces of information to make an accurate diagnosis. Blood tests can measure inflammatory markers and specific immune markers to help diagnose conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases, additional imaging studies such as X-rays or MRIs, as well as joint fluid analysis, may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.

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