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Doctors may prescribe opioid pain relievers (such as codeine or hydrocodone) for people who cannot take NSAIDs or whose pain is unrelieved by other therapies. Used correctly, opioids can be a safe and effective means of pain control. Studies show that you can discontinue opioids without withdrawal difficulties if the opioid is tapered off.¹⁵

Talk to your health professional about what medicines may be best for you. The effectiveness of medicines and the risk of side effects are different for different people. You can try different medicines until your symptoms are controlled.

Medicines that are being studied for osteoarthritis include diacerein and doxycycline. Diacerein helps reduce inflammation. Doxycycline is an antibiotic but it may help keep the joint space from getting smaller in osteoarthritis. These medicines are not available yet for use with osteoarthritis.