A group of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and types of arthritis that are caused by other autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
Antirheumatic drugs affect the disease process and may limit joint damage, unlike nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which only relieve pain and stiffness.
The main antirheumatic drugs are corticosteroid drugs, immunosuppressant drugs, chloroquine, gold, penicillamine, and sulfasalazine.
Many of these drugs can have serious side effects, and treatment must be under specialist supervision.... antirheumatic drugs
(DMARD) any of various drugs used in the treatment of rheumatic disease: they affect the progression of the disease by suppressing the disease process. DMARDs include drugs affecting the immune response (immunomodulators), such as *immunosuppressants (e.g. methotrexate) and *cytokine inhibitors; *gold salts; *penicillamine; *sulfasalazine; and *hydroxychloroquine.... disease-modifying antirheumatic drug
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