Is Meloxicam the right drug for rheumatoid arthritis?
Head of the Department of Medicine and Chief of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology Services,
All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi Consultant Rheumatologist, 'A&R Clinic'
Visiting Sr. Consultant, Rheumatologist, ISIC Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi.
Q: My 33 years old wife has diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The doctor prescribed Meloxicam. Is she on right treatment for rheumatoid arthritis?
A:Meloxicam is NOT the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. It is obvious that either your doctor has not kept up with the recent advances in the field of rheumatology, especially the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, or, your wife does not have rheumatoid arthritis. Otherwise, there is no reason to hold all the best available medicines to completely stop the disease and put the disease in complete remission!
I strongly advise that you immediately contact a trained and experienced rheumatologist who are physicians especially trained in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatological conditions (not orthopaedic surgeons because they are not trained in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of joint diseases). Remember a delay of even a few days in the initiation of proper treatment in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis may make a large difference in the long run. It should be treated as a 'medical emergency'.