Pain in the joints are the main symptoms of rheumatic disease. Therefore, the focus of treatment of rheumatic patients is to control pain and reduce joint damage, one with pharmacological therapy or drugs.
Rheumatic drug is included in hard drugs and should be consumed in the long run, even a lifetime. Therefore, people are expected not to carelessly consume arthritis drug because of side effects are not trivial.
According dr.Bambang Setyohadi, Sp.PD-KR, Division of Rheumatology FKUI/RSCM, the general mechanism of rheumatic drug works in three ways, namely analgesics (pain killer), to relieve inflammation, and there are also drugs that work to modify the course of the disease .
"Rheumatism medicine should be consumed in the long run, because it affects the body. For example, damage the kidneys, liver, bone marrow pressure, and so on. Medication pain relief only if consumed frequently would cause side effects," he said in educating the media about the event Pfizer rheumatic diseases held in Jakarta (11/04/2010).
That is why, according to dr.Bambang every two or three months have control arthritic patient to the doctor to monitor general health. Usually the doctor will ask patients to check blood in the laboratory.
Although long-term consumption, but occasionally rheumatic drugs can be stopped. "Arthritis is not curable, but that does not mean the disease can not be eased or achieve remission phase. If the illness subsided, the medicine should be stopped. It is therefore important to seek treatment regularly so that it can achieve a long remission," he said.