Paracetamol, Febuxostat, Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Chlorzoxazone, Gabapentin, Pregabalin, Arachitol, Serratiopeptidase. What do all these names have in common? Do they ring a bell?

Well, not to the common man. But to a person suffering from arthritis, they sure do. They are generic names of drugs used in the treatment of arthritis. Treatment may not be the right choice of word because a treatment leads to cure and that is not the case in Arthritis. These are not magic drugs that once popped cure the ailment. But they do have their own magic. If you ask any person suffering from arthritis, what any of these mean to him/her, the answer will be no less than magic. That is the kind of relief they bring. What more could a person in severe pain ask for?

Is a Google Search Enough for Arthritis Pain?

So is that all it takes? Google a search for “Drugs for arthritis”, “Painkillers for uric acid pain”, “Drug for knee effusion”, “Painkillers for knee pain”;  Get the list, buy them over the counter and pronto, you heal yourself. You are your own doctor.

No more taking appointments, making lengthy visits, long queues, no prescribed tests, follow-up visits, no discomfort. You can get yourself treated from your cozy chair. Everything is at your fingertips, literally?

What do the prescribed drugs for arthritis mean?

Before we answer that, let us see what each of the drugs mentioned above mean.

Paracetamol: One of the most common medicines, paracetamol is given to relieve the simplest of pains and bring down temperature or fever. They are generally available over the counter and are widely used by people of all ages, from newborn babies to the elderly. Paracetamols are generally tolerated by all and have negligible side effects.

Febuxostat: A medication used to treat a condition called ‘gout’, which is a type of arthritis in which uric acid accumulates along joints causing redness, swelling, pain, and heat in one or more joints. Febuxostat works towards controlling the production of uric acid and prevent gout attacks.

Diclofenac: A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used in the case of mild to moderate pain and to cure arthritic conditions of joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. Diclofenac is only available on prescription as it is effective in the cure of severe pain like migraines, spondylitis and the like.

Indomethacin: It is used to cure acute pain, stiffness, and swelling caused by arthritis. Indomethacin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that works towards blocking inflammatory substances from being produced in the body.

Chlorzoxazone: It is a muscle relaxer that blocks pain sensation from the nerves to the brain, and works great with a combination of rest and physiotherapy. It is not non-steroidal and therefore chlorzoxazone comes with its own set of side-effects.

Gabapentin: It is an anticonvulsant and pain-reliever used in the treatment of epilepsy and acute pain.

Pregabalin: It belongs to a class of medications called anticonvulsants which means that it works by decreasing the number of pain signals that are sent out by damaged nerves in the body. It is therefore given as an acute pain reliever.

Arachitol: This is the brand name of Vitamin D3. It does relieve pain especially when it is on account of a deficiency of the vitamin and therefore can be used to treat some cases of arthritis.

Serratiopeptidase: Over time a lot of drugs, most of the above – chemical-based have been invented for the cure of inflammation. These drugs have a limitation and have side effects. Enzyme-based drugs have been developed at the start of this century. Serratiopeptidase is a proteolytic enzyme-based drug that is used in the treatment of arthritis because of its anti-inflammatory qualities.

Now comes the Disclaimer…

Well now you know what each of these drugs does, so can you simply take them without consulting a doctor?

No each of these searches ends with a vital line: Consult your doctor before taking the medicine. Or that it is only available on prescription. That’s what any person is expected to do always – consult his/her physician.

The Curious Case of Ms. Fadumo Ali Muuse

That is exactly what Ms. Fadumo Ali Muuse did. Tucked away in Garowe on the eastern coast of Africa, in Somalia, Ms.Muuse was far removed from medical help.  Her pain would not subside. She had extreme pain in her knees. At 65 years she thought that this was her aging package and very natural. Her first fallback was Google. But in her wisdom, she knew that she could not take any of the medications without guidance.

Her search for a good physician, led her to my-healthconnect.com. Through them, she was put on to a specialist for consulting about her joint pains. She was directed to Garowe through one of their outreach activities. Under medication and physiotherapy, she is doing much better now.

A candid feedback from her son can be seen below:

So you see that on the face of it, Google seems to be our solution to any problem. But Google is not a doctor and can never replace one.  It is definitely one of the best search engines but let’s not burden it with playing the role of a specialist.  Moreover, every patient is different with varying biological conditions, tolerances, allergies, reactions. Every case is unique.

A specialist is needed to evaluate the right medicine, the correct dosage, observe the responses and then alter or continue with the medication.

Therefore you must visit a doctor before consuming that pill. To reach out to the right specialist and medical healthcare advisors you can always send an enquiry here or write to our email info@my-healthconnect.com.

Disclaimer: The medicine/drug information mentioned in this blog is created and published online solely for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.

Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on our website/blog/social media page.