Xanax (alprazolam) 1mg

Indications:
Xanax is used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks which manifest symptoms such as restlessness, flushing, shortness of breath, trembling, sweating, palpitations, and insomnia. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

How to take:
Xanax is taken as directed by the doctor. It comes in a tablet form taken by mouth with or without food. Take with food if stomach upset occurs. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice while on Xanax therapy. If a dose is missed, take one as soon as possible. For more detailed information please see label and please consult specialist. Do not take more Xanax than is indicated at the label without consulting a doctor.

Precautions:
Xanax may cause drowsiness therefore do not engage in activities that require mental alertness. Also avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while on Xanax therapy as it can increase the effects of the drug. Cigarette smoking is also avoided because it decreases blood levels of the drug. Also do not use this drug during pregnancy, in children and elderly unless prescribed by the doctor. When used for long periods of time or at high doses. Xanax may not work as well and may require higher doses to obtain the same effect as when originally taken.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) facts
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can cause chronic inflammation of the joints and other areas of the body.
Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of all ages. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known.
Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and signs include fatigue, joint pain, swollen joints, fever, loss of joint function, as well as joint stiffness, redness, warmth, tenderness, and deformity.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease characterized by periods of disease flares and remissions.
In rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints are usually, but not always, affected in a symmetrical pattern.
Chronic inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis can cause permanent joint destruction and deformity.
Damage to joints can occur early and does not always correlate with the severity of RA symptoms.
The “rheumatoid factor” is an antibody that can be found in the blood of 80% of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
There is no cure for RA. The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis optimally involves a combination of patient education, rest and exercise, joint protection, medications such as NSAIDs, DMARDs, TNF alpha inhibitors, immunosuppressants, and steroids, and occasionally surgery.
Early RA treatment results in better outcomes.
What is rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body’s tissues are mistakenly attacked by their own immune system. The immune system contains a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to “seek and destroy” invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with autoimmune diseases have antibodies and immune cells in their blood that target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. While inflammation of the tissue around the joints and inflammatory arthritis are characteristic features of rheumatoid arthritis, the disease can also cause inflammation and injury in other organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease. Rheumatoid arthritis that begins in people under 16 years of age is referred to as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (formerly juvenile rheumatoid arthritis).

Pictures of Normal and Arthritic Joints – Rheumatoid Arthritis
Picture of a joint with rheumatoid arthritis
While rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness, meaning it can last for years, patients may experience long periods without symptoms. However, rheumatoid arthritis is typically a progressive illness that has the potential to cause significant joint destruction and functional disability.

A joint is where two bones meet to allow movement of body parts. Arthritis means joint inflammation. The joint inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis causes swelling, pain, stiffness, and redness in the joints. The inflammation of rheumatoid disease can also occur in tissues around the joints, such as the tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

In some people with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation leads to the destruction of the cartilage, bone, and ligaments, causing deformity of the joints. Damage to the joints can occur early in the disease and be progressive. Moreover, studies have shown that the progressive damage to the joints does not necessarily correlate with the degree of pain, stiffness, or swelling present in the joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease, affecting approximately 1.3 million people in the United States, according to current census data. The disease is three times more common in women as in men. It afflicts people of all races equally. The disease can begin at any age and even affects children (juvenile idiopathic arthritis), but it most often starts after 40 years of age and before 60 years of age. Though uncommon, in some families, multiple members can be affected, suggesting a genetic basis for the disorder.