Acne Medicine Also Fights Mild Arthritis

An antibiotic used to fight acne can soothe the painful swelling and tenderness of mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study released Saturday.

The study of 219 adults found that after taking minocycline for 48 weeks, 54 percent saw a 50 percent improvement in the number of swollen joints. Fifty-six percent showed at least a 50 percent improvement in the number of tender joints.

“Patients who suffer from mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis now have the choice of another therapeutic agent,” said Dr. Barbara C. Tilley of the Henry Ford Health Sciences Center in Detroit, who directed the study published Sunday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“Not only did the antibiotic significantly reduce symptoms, but side effects were minimal and less severe than observed for most other common rheumatoid arthritis treatments,” she said.