Medication library
Therapies we prescribe & administer
Plain-language guides to the therapies we use — what each one treats, how it is given, and how often. Use the finder to narrow the list by your condition and by how a medicine is taken: a pill, a self-injection at home, an injection in our office, or an IV infusion in our infusion suite.
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Medication families, compared
Many arthritis medicines come in families — drugs that work in a similar way. Seeing them side by side makes it easier to understand the choices your provider may discuss with you. Within a family, the medicines differ mainly in how they are given and how often.
TNF inhibitors
These biologics block TNF, a protein that drives joint inflammation and damage. They are long-standing treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis — given by self-injection or IV infusion, depending on the drug.
IL-17 inhibitors
These biologics block interleukin-17 (IL-17), a protein that drives the skin plaques of psoriasis and inflammation in the joints and spine. All are self-injections; they differ mainly in how often they are taken.
IL-23 inhibitors
These biologics block interleukin-23 (IL-23), a protein that helps drive psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They are known for strong skin clearing and long gaps between doses — every 8 or 12 weeks for most. Stelara (ustekinumab) blocks IL-12 as well as IL-23.
IL-6 inhibitors
These biologics block interleukin-6 (IL-6), a protein involved in joint inflammation, pain, and fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis. One is given by monthly infusion or weekly self-injection; the other by self-injection every two weeks.
Targeted pills — JAK, TYK2 & PDE4
These pills work inside cells to quiet specific inflammation pathways — no injections involved. The JAK inhibitors (Olumiant, Rinvoq, Xeljanz) are taken once or twice daily; Sotyktu targets a related pathway (TYK2) once daily; Otezla (a PDE4 blocker) is taken twice daily.
B-cell & lupus therapies
These treatments calm the parts of the immune system that drive lupus — B cells (the white blood cells that make antibodies) and interferon (a messenger protein). They include infusions given in our clinic, a self-injection option, and a twice-daily pill for lupus that affects the kidneys.
Conventional DMARDs
DMARDs — disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs — are the long-standing foundation of arthritis care. Most are daily or weekly pills that calm the immune system, and they are often combined with a biologic for stronger control.
Other biologics & specialty therapies
Targeted treatments for less common conditions: a T-cell biologic for arthritis, IL-1 blockers, antibodies that lower eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) for rare types of vasculitis, a treatment for a rare psoriasis emergency, and a monthly injection for a rare inherited bone condition (XLH).
Gout medicines
Gout care has two parts: calming a flare that is happening now, and lowering uric acid — the substance that forms the crystals that cause gout — to prevent future attacks. This family includes daily preventive pills, a flare pill, an in-office injection, and an infusion for severe gout that pills cannot control.
Bone medicines
These medicines protect bones in osteoporosis: some slow bone loss, and others help build new bone. Two are given in our office — one every 6 months, one monthly for a year — and two are daily self-injections at home. Treatment is guided by DEXA bone density scans, which we perform in-house.
Fibromyalgia & pain medicines
These medicines calm the overactive pain signaling behind fibromyalgia. They act on nerve pain pathways, or on serotonin and norepinephrine — chemical messengers involved in pain and sleep. Most are pills taken once or twice daily; Tonmya is a newer option that dissolves under the tongue at bedtime.
Steroids
Steroids copy the body’s own anti-inflammatory hormone and calm inflammation quickly. Tablets are used for flares and short courses; injections place the medicine directly into an inflamed joint or soft tissue during an office visit.
Medication guides are educational and are not a substitute for your provider’s instructions. Dosing, screening tests, and monitoring are individualized — your care team will review the specifics of any therapy with you before it starts.