Salicylate therapy and drug interaction in rheumatoid arthritis.

Salicylates form the basis of drug treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. Despite their use for many decades, there is considerable confusion about what constitutes a regime which will ensure anti-inflammatory properties. We have found that blood vessels in the proposed therapeutic range can be maintained overnight on a four times daily dose regime, using either soluble aspirin (in the form of "Disprin") or aloxiprin ("Palaprin Forte"), and on a 12 hourly regine using an aspirin-sustained release aspirin combination ("BiPrin"). Because of variation in the levels reached using a fixed dosage schedule, treatment should be individualised. No correlation was found between dosage levels and either disease activity or serum albumin levels. No significant alteration in free or total salicylate levels was found following the addition of indomethacin to therapy.