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Over the counter (OTC) oral remedies for arthritis and rheumatism: how effective are they?

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Abstract

Background: Increasingly patients resort to alternative remedies for arthritis and rheumatism, perhaps partly impelled by reports of toxicities from prescribed non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). There is uncertainty about whether the most common alternative treatments provide relief or may cause adverse reactions.

Aim: To ascertain the validity of manufacturers’ claims permitted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia for a range of self-medication products to treat the pain and inflammation of arthritis, available in local pharmacies, supermarkets or by mail order and in other countries.

Methods: OTC products were administered orally to rats in standard assays for suppressing experimental arthritis and fever and for determining potential gastrotoxicity.

Results: The three NSAIDs available OTC were efficacious but gastrotoxic. Of the 37 herbal formulations examined, seven were as effective as ibuprofen in the anti-arthritic assay without causing gastric bleeding. Five of the 10 animal-sourced products tested were also effective without evident toxicity. Within a certain class of product, e.g. celery seed extracts or dried mussel preparations, efficacies ranged from almost zero to highly effective.

Conclusions: Consumers currently have no guide to the likely efficacy of TGA-approved remedies. Quality control is urgently needed to justify the veracity of TGA-permitted and other claims on product labels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, 4102, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia

    M. W. WHITEHOUSE & M. S. ROBERTS

  2. University of Queensland, Royal Brisbane Hospital, 4029, Herston, Queensland, Australia

    P. M. BROOKS

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  1. M. W. WHITEHOUSE
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WHITEHOUSE, M.W., ROBERTS, M.S. & BROOKS, P.M. Over the counter (OTC) oral remedies for arthritis and rheumatism: how effective are they?. Inflammopharmacol 7, 89–105 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02918382

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