Skip to content
My WebMD Sign In, Sign Up

Arthritis Health Center

Font Size

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Arthritis Pain Medicine

If you're making decisions about arthritis pain relief, here are questions you may want to ask your doctor:

1. What pain medication is best for me right now?

Recommended Related to Arthritis

Hip and Knee Replacements on the Rise

Thinking about getting a new knee or a new hip next year? You're not alone. For baby boomers, it seems that joint replacements are as prevalent as iPods are for teenagers. About 500,000 knee replacements and more than 175,000 hip replacements are performed annually, and those numbers are on the rise. In fact, hip replacements are expected to increase 174% in the next 20 years, and knee replacements will rise even more -- 673%, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic...

Read the Hip and Knee Replacements on the Rise article > >

2. Does my family and medical history make me a good candidate for this drug?

3. Is it safe to take this drug every day?

4. How long will I need to take this medication? Is it a short-term or long-term treatment?

5. When can I expect to see improvement in my arthritis pain?

6. Will this pain medicine interact with other medications I'm taking?

7. What potential side effects should I know about with this drug?

8. What can I do to decrease the risk of side effects?

9. What should I do if I have flare-ups of pain while taking this medication?

10. Is there anything else I can do to relieve my pain, besides taking painkillers?

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed by Kimball Johnson, MD on June 29, 2012

Today in Arthritis

Osteoarthritis Overview Slideshow
Slideshow
Sore feet with high heel shoes
SLIDESHOW
 
Knee exercises
Slideshow
Woman in gym
Slideshow
 
Woman shopping for vegetables
Slideshow
close up of man wearing dress shoes
Article
 
feet with gout
Quiz
WebMD iPad magazine, Jennifer Lopezz
NEW APP
 
salad
Video
Trainer demonstrating exercise for RA
Slideshow
 
Woman massaging her neck
Quiz
Xray Rheumatoid Arthritis
Slideshow
 

WebMD Special Sections