I was diagnosed with RA three years ago. After being on a several different medications, I am only taking Celebrex and getting Enbrel injections. My doctor wants me to take Minocin, not specifically a drug for RA. Is this a common treatment?

Answer: 

Minocin is an antibiotic in the tetracycline family. It was studied in RA because RA is thought to be triggered by some type of infection. In two studies, Minocin was better than placebo in the control of the clinical signs of RA inflammation. However, it has never been shown to be disease-modifying which means that it has not been shown to decrease the development of joint erosions. Interesting enough, its effectiveness in RA is thought to be due to its ability to inhibit certain body enzymes that lead to inflammation and not due to its anti-bacterial action. Enbrel, on the other hand, has this capacity but Celebrex does not. The use of Minocin in your situation must mean that your doctor does not feel that Enbrel and Celebrex are not completely controlling your inflammation.