Question here...still new to all of this!!!! | Arthritis Information

So my RD put me on meloxicam and amitriptylin about 10 days ago. I feel so much better! I am getting good sleep at night and my hands and feet don't hurt as bad. I am still stiff and weak feeling in the morning, but most of that goes away by around lunch time.

So here's my question... I wonder if the meloxicam is just masking the pain. My fingers are still swollen, that just won't go away. They have been like this since April (I would love to wear my rings again!).

Do NSAIDS do anything to stop the progression of RA? Or is this a normal course of medication. I am still very new to all of this, any thoughts would be appreciated.

My take on the NSAIDS, has always been they do not stop the progression of the disease. The just help with the pain and inflamation. My RA still got worse while I was on various NSAID's. I hope you get some relief from the swollen fingers

I had to look up meloxicam...looks to me it's used to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation.

It won't stop the progression of RA as far as I know. Sounds like it's kinda like celebrex? Maybe someone else will be along that knows more.

Glad you're feeling somewhat better!

NSAIDS don't stop the progression of RA. Normally we are all on on in the hope it has some effect on the swelling but basically with this disease, NSAIDS are lollies.

Now for Osteoarthritis they are extremely useful but that is a completely different disease.

So basically he has put you on an anti inflammatory and amitriptylin which is a anti depressant used because it helps some chronic pain patients with their pain levels but more importantly it can help you sleep through the pain. My pain team put my on it in the hope it would help with the pain, nope but I have stayed on it because it does help me sleep.

My question is why don't they have you on a DMARD - Disease Modifying Anti Rheumatic Drug which is the primary treatment for this disease?

In my experience, swelling is the last thing to settle. Usually I get some energy back first, then the pain improves, then the swelling decreases.

Obviously the NSAID is not helping reduce the swelling at all but if your joints are that swollen, probably only the right DMARD will reduce that swelling down.

My mom takes meloxicam, I believe it's the same as Mobic. It should help the inflammation some, but it definitely won't stop the progression of RA. I'm with Cordelia, why didn't they give you a DMARD to stop the progression? It's important to do that as soon as a diagnosis is made. You can experience damage as early as the first year.Exactly. Taking a token NSAID is not in any way come close to doing the job here. That's exactly what I keep thinking! My dr won't give me a diagnosis yet. When I went last time he said that my joints were not red- I guess that makes him think its not RA. I sure seem to have the symptoms. Maybe he thinks they aren't bad enough yet. My blood tests (I can't remember exactly what they all were) were mildly positive. I think the RA factor (or whatever) was specifically noted as mildly positive. Maybe the doc. is just being cautious and not wanting to make a diagnosis. I got back in early January....we'll see what he says then.Hayley,

Did he also run an Anti-CCP? If not, ask him to run one. It's highly specific for RA.