TREATMENTS FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY
One of the suspected causes of rheumatoid arthritis is infection by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or viruses. Studies in the early 1990s suggested that treatment with antibiotics known as tetracyclines might be beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, and a number of clinical studies have confirmed this.
Minocycline, a member of this drug family, is the most commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis. This treatment has had a hard time gaining mainstream acceptance among doctors because the infection theory of rheumatoid arthritis is itself not widely accepted, and the supposed infectious organism has not been discovered.
There is still debate about exactly how the drug works, or what percentage of people with rheumatoid arthritis it works for. Clinical studies have found that antibiotic treatment decreases both inflammation and the amount of rheumatoid factor in the blood. Proponents of the microorganism theory believe that it works as an antibiotic. However, there are other possible mechanisms as well. For example, minocycline appears to directly protect joints against damaging enzymes. Its possible that the fact that minocycline is an antibiotic too is a coincidence.
Side effects commonly seen with minocycline include stomach upset and dizziness – rather tame reactions, compared to some of the rheumatoid arthritis drugs’ side effects.
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