How do I get my medication?
We prescribe some medication rather than via your GP.
To request a further supply of medication please ring 0191 2138938 the Rheumatology prescription line. Please leave your name, date of birth, medical record number, medication and dose.
The medication will be delivered to your home within 10 working days. You will be contacted by the home delivery hub to arrange home delivery; this will be on a withheld number. You will not receive a confirmation call.
You may need to have frequent blood monitoring while the dose of your medication is being adjusted. This is because some medications used to treat arthritis can affect the liver and the bone marrow. Once you are on a stable dose, your Consultant may ask your GP to prescribe the medication for you.
Will this medication make my disease go away?
The aim of treatment is to allow you to maintain a normal lifestyle. The medication if effective will put your disease in remission such that you may be left with some or little in the way of symptoms or not have any symptoms while on medication and will hopefully be able to do most if not all things you want to do.
Will I be on this medication forever?
Like other chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, arthritis too requires long term therapy. In some cases, we may be able to reduce the treatment and even stop, but most patients require some form of medication even is small doses for long periods of time.
What will happen if this medication doesn’t work?
There are a number of drugs available to treat arthritis. If one fails, you will be prescribed a medication from a different class of drugs until we find something that works well for you.
How quickly will the medication work?
This will depend on which medication you are taking but most drugs require at least 3 months to produce satisfactory results. Steroids and some biologic agents might work quicker sometimes within days or weeks of taking the medication.
Can I still drink alcohol?
Depending on which drug is prescribed to you, there may be a restriction on alcohol intake i.e. you must not exceed the prescribed normal weekly limits. This is because some arthritis medication can cause inflammation of the liver and if you take alcohol, we may not be able tell if it is the medication or the alcohol that is causing this. We may hence not be able to prescribe your regular medication.
Can I still take analgesia?
Yes, you can still take pain killers along with your arthritis medication.
Can I have children?
Your doctors will always take into account your wishes before putting you on to any medication that interferes with pregnancy. Quite a few drugs used to treat arthritis are contraindicated in pregnancy. You should hence check with your doctor before planning pregnancy.
How long will I need to come for blood tests?
The duration of monitoring depends on how you respond to medication. For certain drugs monitoring can be stopped after the initial period while in others you require to be monitored life long. In some cases, monitoring can be moved into the community after the initial period of hospital monitoring.
Can I still exercise?
We encourage all our patients with arthritis to engage in exercise as tolerated. The type of exercise may vary depends on the type of your arthritis and the degree of damage to your joints if your disease is long standing.
Will I get side effects?
There is no way of knowing if you will experience any side effects on your medication. Please ensure you read the list of side effects associated with your medication so you can inform your doctor in case you do develop side effects and need to come off the medication.
Who do I tell if I have problems?
If you have any problems, you can contact the department through the advice line number 0191 2137967. You can leave a message and either your nurse or doctor will get back to you.
Please ring your GP Practice if problems are not related to your rheumatology condition.
Your GP will be able to contact one of the Rheumatology team directly if he/she is concerned and wants you to be seen urgently.
What has caused my disease?
We do not know the cause for most forms of arthritis. This is usually a combination of being genetically predisposed and then being exposed to an environmental trigger.
Can I go to work?
Yes, once your symptoms are better control and you feel up to going to work, there is no reason for you not to. We encourage all our patients to stay in employment. However, if you have concerns or need help or advice, we can refer you to our occupational therapist who can then help guide you and inform you of your rights as an employee. The OT may be able to advice on modifications at your workplace to make it easier to work as well.
Reminder of contact telephone numbers:
To change/cancel an appointment
Tel: 0191 2824444
To order a prescription
Tel: 0191 2138938
To contact the rheumatology advice line
Tel: 0191 2137967
