Definition
Reiter's syndrome is an infectious inflammatory disease that mainly affects the joints, urethra and eyes of affected patients.
More specifically, the infectious agents responsible for inflammation are bacteria.
Causes
As mentioned, Reiter's syndrome is caused by a "bacterial infection. The microorganisms responsible for this infection can be different, including chlamydia, shigella, salmonella, yersinia and campylobacter.
However, bacterial infection is not sufficient to trigger the disease. In fact, following the attack of these microorganisms - in order for Reiter's syndrome to develop - there must also be a malfunction of the individual's immune system. More specifically, after some time from infection, the host's immune system attacks the organism itself, a bit like autoimmune diseases.
Furthermore, according to some researchers, the disease would develop only in individuals who have a certain genetic predisposition.
Symptoms
Since the syndrome mainly involves the joints, eyes and urethra, the typical symptoms of this disease are arthritis, conjunctivitis and urethritis. However, patients with Reiter's syndrome may also experience fever, ulcers or canker sores. mouth, feeling of fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, thick brittle nails and skin rash.
The information on Reiter's Syndrome - Drugs and Care is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Reiter's Syndrome - Drugs and Treatment.
Medicines
In truth, there are no specific drugs for the treatment of Reiter's syndrome, but therapies can be undertaken to reduce the symptoms caused by it and to counteract the beating responsible for the infection. Therefore, the doctor may prescribe steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antirheumatics and antibiotics.
For more detailed information regarding the treatment of conjunctivitis and urethritis, however, please refer to the dedicated articles on this site ("Drugs for the Treatment of Conjunctivitis" and "Drugs for the Treatment of" Urethritis ").
Reactive Arthritis of the Knee, one of the classic symptoms of Reiter's Syndrome.
Image from wikipedia.org
The following are the classes of drugs most used in the therapy against Reiter's syndrome and some examples of pharmacological specialties; it is up to the doctor to choose the active ingredient and dosage most suitable for the patient, based on the severity of the disease, the state of health of the patient and his response to treatment.
NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely used to reduce the symptoms caused by Reiter's syndrome, thanks to their anti-inflammatory and analgesic action. Among the various active ingredients that can be used, we remember:
- Ibuprofen (Brufen ®, Moment ®, Nurofen ®, Arfen ®, Actigrip fever and pain ®, Vicks fever and pain ®): Ibuprofen is a drug available in different pharmaceutical formulations suitable for different routes of administration. When administered orally. , the dose of ibuprofen to be used must be established by the physician on an individual basis for each patient, taking care not to exceed the dose of 1,200-1,800 mg of active ingredient per day.
- Naproxen (Momendol ®, Synflex ®, Xenar ®): naproxen is also available in different pharmaceutical formulations. When administered orally, the usual dose is 500-1,000 mg of the drug per day, to be taken in divided doses every 12 hours. In any case, even in this case, the doctor will determine the exact amount of active ingredient that each patient will have to take.
Corticosteroids
Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are quite effective in reducing the symptoms caused by Reiter's syndrome. However - due to their side effects - their use is reserved for those patients whose treatment with NSAIDs has not given the desired results.
Among the various corticosteroids that can be used, we remember:
- Methylprednisolone (Urbason ®, Medrol ®, Solu-Medrol ®). When administered orally, the initial dose of drug to be taken should be determined by the physician, depending on the patient's condition. Thereafter, the dose can be adjusted according to the patient's own response to therapy. Indicatively, the dose of methylprednisolone used varies from 4 mg up to 48 mg per day.
- Prednisone (Deltacortene ®): The dose of prednisone usually administered orally is 10-15 mg per day. Again, the exact dosage of the medicine will have to be determined by the physician on an individual basis.
Antirheumatics
Antirheumatics are used for the treatment of arthritis caused by Reiter's syndrome. Among the various active ingredients used, we remember:
- Sulfasalazine (Salazopyrin ®): For the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the usual starting dose of sulfasalazine is 500 mg per day. Thereafter, the amount of drug administered will be gradually increased until the optimal maintenance dosage is reached.
- Methotrexate (Reumaflex ®): Methotrexate is available for intramuscular, subcutaneous or intravenous administration. The drug should only be administered by a doctor or specialized personnel at a dose of 50 mg per week. The treatment usually lasts 4-8 weeks.
Antibiotics
Antibiotic drugs are used to counteract the bacteria responsible for the infection which - in conjunction with the malfunctioning of the host's immune system - contributes to the development of Reiter's syndrome.
The choice of the type of antibiotic to use, of course, depends on the microorganism that caused the infection. Therefore, it is very important to identify exactly the infectious agent responsible for the aforementioned infection, in order to establish the most appropriate therapy to combat it.
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