Healthy Living

Can Gold Injections Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Potential side effects

DMARDs have all been known to cause side effects, but because it remains unknown exactly how gold injections suppress the immune system, there is potential for serious side effects to develop. Typical side effects include dizziness and lightheadedness, nausea and vomiting, sweating and flushing, and an increase in joint pain at the beginning of treatment.

Some people will not respond well to the treatment and may develop serious side effects. All serious side effects should be reported to the doctor, but some symptoms seem less serious than others. Fainting, difficulty breathing, and stomach pain are seemingly less severe symptoms that could be indicative of complications. More severe symptoms include hallucinations, changes in mental state, skin rash, and lower leg edema.

In addition to these, gold injections lower the immune system response, which increases the risk of infection and illness. Live vaccines should be discussed with a doctor before being administered, including flu vaccinations, chicken pox vaccinations, and the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella). For those who are already prone to illness or infection, gold injections may not be safe.