Comparison of three therapeutic regimens using nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Three therapeutic regimens using nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis were compared in an open long-term cross-over trials. Voltaren 100 mg suppositories or Naprosyn 500 mg suppositories were introduced every evening at bed-time, and Naprosyn tablets were administered twice in a day, in the morning and at night. Each drug was administered for one month and every patient was treated with all three drugs in succession. The individual sequence was determined by randomization. The assessment included nine objective and subjective criteria and after the termination of the trial each patient named his preferred sequence of drugs. All three drugs proved effective. The results of our investigations showed that nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs in the form of suppositories were more effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. They exerted a more beneficial effect on morning stiffness and on pain than tablets of the same drug. The treatment was most effective as late as in the third month of the therapy, regardless of the substance which was administered as the third drug. This confirmed our experience of the advantage of alternate administration of various nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs. A series of subjective and objective criteria, as well as the preference expressed by the patients spoke in favour of Voltaren suppositories, which was obviously due to the fact that Naprosyn was ineffective in about 20 per cent of the patients.