Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
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Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)
People with serious infectionsPeople who have certain types of cancer such as lymphoma or who were treated for it in the pastPeople who have serious heart problems If you fit in one of these groups your doctor will adjust your DMARD treatment. ‚
Will I need to use more than one DMARD? " ” Maybe. People sometimes need to try different DMARDs to find 1 or 2 that works best for them. ‚
What about side effects? " ” DMARDs can cause serious side effects. You will need to see your doctor on a regular basis to check for possible problems caused by DMARDs. ‚
How long will I need to take a DMARD? " ” If you are taking a DMARD and it is working well, your doctor might keep you on it for a while. This will help keep symptoms from flaring up and protect your body from being damaged by the disease. The amount of DMARD you take will need to be changed over time depending on how you are doing. This is another reason you should have regular appointments with your doctor when you are taking a DMARD. ‚
What if I want to get pregnant? " ” Many DMARDs are not safe to take when trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy or if you are nursing a baby. Talk with your doctor if you or your partner could become pregnant. ‚
For more detailed information about your medicines, ask your doctor or nurse for information from Lexicomp available through UpToDate. The Lexicomp hand-outs explain how to use and store your medicines. They also list possible side effects and warn you if your medicines should not be taken with certain other medicines or foods. ‚
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. ‚
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. ‚
Release: 22.8 - C22.208 ‚
‚ © 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. ‚
table 1Commonly used disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)View Largetable 1Commonly used disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you.The use of UpToDate content is governed by the UpToDate Terms of Use. ‚ ©2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. ‚
Generic name
US brand names
How it is usually taken
Standard DMARDs
Methotrexate
Pills: Rheumatrex, Trexall
Auto-injectors (these let you give yourself a shot): Otrexup, Rasuvo
Pill taken 1 time a week
Shot under skin or in a muscle 1 time a week
Sulfasalazine
Azulfidine, Sulfazine
Pill taken 1 to 3 times a day
Hydroxychloroquine
Plaquenil
Pill taken 1 to 2 times a day
Leflunomide
Arava
Pill taken 1 time a day
Cyclosporine (ciclosporin)
Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune
Pill taken 2 times a day
Azathiorpine
Imuran
Pill taken 1 to 2 times a day
Biologic DMARDs
Etanercept
Enbrel
Shot under skin 1 or 2 times a week
Adalimumab
Humira
Shot under skin 1 time every 2 weeks
Infliximab
Remicade
In a vein (IV) at clinic or doctors office 1 time every 2 to 8 weeks
Certolizumab pegol
Cimzia
Shot under skin 1 time every 2 weeks
Golimumab
Simponi
Shot under skin 1 time every month; or
In a vein (IV) at clinic or doctor's office 1 time every 8 weeks
Anakinra
Kineret
Shot under skin 1 time a day
Abatacept
Orencia
Shot under skin 1 time a week; or
In a vein (IV) at clinic or doctor's office 1 time every 4 weeks
Rituximab
Rituxan
In a vein (IV) at clinic or doctor's office and repeated after 2 weeks and stopped;
It may be given again after 4 to 6 months
Tocilizumab
Actemra
Shot under skin 1 time every 1 or 2 weeks; or
In a vein (IV) at clinic or doctor's office 1 time every 4 weeks
Other DMARDs
Tofacitinib
Xeljanz
Pill taken 2 times a day
IV: Intravenous is given through a small tube in a vein called an "IV". The IV medicines are given in a doctor's office or clinic over a period of a half-hour or longer.
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