How Long Should You Stick With a New Medication?

Question: How Long Should You Stick With a New Medication?

A new medication can take time to become fully effective. How long should a person try a new medication before giving up and considering it ineffective? Does the time allotted vary for NSAIDS, DMARDS, and pain medications?

Answer: Just as individuals differ, so do the many medications available on the market that are used for the treatment of arthritis. Despite the fact that each new medication is given for a specific reason, the variability in individual tolerance and response to that drug will vary from patient to patient.

Knowledge of the properties of the new medication, absorption rate, time to reach maximum blood level, and excretion rate help to give a general idea of the time needed for maximum effectiveness. Unfortunately there is no precise time table that applies to all patients.

This rule applies to the most commonly used class of shorter acting arthritic drugs (NSAIDs), as well as longer acting disease modifying drugs (DNARDS). Pain medication should be effective in 24 hours.

If an NSAID does not relieve symptoms within one week, a switch to another NSAID may be in order. Disease modifying agents may take up to two months to see effectiveness. Never change medication without first discussing this with your doctor.

_{Interview with rheumatologist Dr. Raymond Federman, aka Dr. Bones.}