9 questions to ask your doctor about your moderate to severe RA treatment

To better understand your treatment plan, what to expect and how to follow it, ask your doctor:

• Is my current treatment doing a good job of controlling my RA?
• What should I do when I have an acute flare-up?
• Are there other treatments that might be right for me (such as physical therapy, biologic DMARDs, surgery, or clinical trials)?
• What are my medications and what will each one do for me?
• How and when should I take my medications?
• If you're prescribing new medications for me, should I keep taking the old ones?
• What are the potential side-effects of my meds, and what can I do about them?
• Are there any alternative therapies that might help?
• How often should I come back for follow-up visits?

Medically reviewed in January 2019.