Image via WikipediaPeople with arthritis sometimes become impatient when their treatment isn't producing results. Especially when it comes to DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs). In a significant number of rheumatoid arthritis patients, 3 months is not long enough to achieve the desired response.According to the August 2010 Rheumatology News, a review of 51 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis who had been enrolled in the Toronto Early Arthritis Cohort revealed exactly that -- some took longer than others to respond to DMARDs. All of the patients were older than 16 (average age 46) and experienced symptoms that ranged from 6 to 52 weeks. They had at least two swollen joints, or one swollen MCP or PIP joint and at least one of the following rheumatoid arthritis characteristics: positive rheumatoid factor, positive anti-CCP antibodies, morning stiffness longer than 45 minutes, response to NSAIDs, or pain in a metatarsophalangeal joint in a squeeze test.
Of the 51 patients, 27 had low disease activity at 3 months while 24 did not. Also, 17 reached remission after 3 months while 34 did not. When the patients were assessed after 6 months, 15 more had achieved low disease activity, and 15 more had gone into remission.
This shows that it's difficult to precisely determine when a treatment should be stopped because it hasn't produced the desired effect. What you don't want to do is give up too soon.
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