Dangers of NSAIDs?

I think small doses fairly often or the occasional use of a bigger dose as a one-off are OK. If you get indigestion after using it, then stop and consult your doctor, and don't make a habit of taking the maximum recommended dose.

Does you GP know exactly how much you take, and is he/she concerned? Take these media scare stories with a pinch of salt.

I'd been prescribed Naproxen for bad shoulder pain. When I attended physio she said that she wasn't at all in favour of NSAID's, and although I'd been prescribed them, she would have preferred me to take paracetamol for the pain. I have really sore joints sometimes (feet at the moment!)and paracetamol doesn't really hit the target, but I'm wary of ibuprofen.

I mentioned on the Omeprazole thread that I attributed many of my problems to Diclofenac which is a NSAID.

I thought it was quite well publicised that NSAID's have some worrying side affects and in my case weighing up the pros and cons I decided to carry on taking my NSAID Naproxen which I have been taking for multiple joint O/A as the pain and inflammation makes my life miserable without them. I am taking the highest dose my GP will prescribe and have been taking it for probably 10yrs , I do try my best to excercise and keep my weight down and check my BP regularly I figure I am doing all I can to keep the balance of probability of not suffering a stroke/heart attack on my side by being aware of the risks.

Like many with painful conditions weighing up the chances of stroke/heart attack against suffering the pain every day is a personal choice at the end of the day.. why not discuss the options with your GP and then you will can decide or search for more info.

I have read it and am glad that I cannot take Ibuprofen.
However, I have lots of other tablets which have worrying side effects.
Mathematicians among you, I take three different tablets each one having a 1/100 risk of liver damage. Two of them I take once a day, and the third one three times a day. What is my risk of having liver damage from these?

It's a statistician you need jen not a mathematician. What does the 1/100 refer to - 1/100 people? At what dose?

tanith - I'm with you on the costs v benefits of anti inflammatories. I'm very careful, but when the pain/stiffness and the tiredness that comes with it kick in, I take naproxen. It has a stomach coater, and I also take omezrapole. The links with anti inflammatories and heart attacks/stomach problems are well known. I do wonder about the heart attack findings. The highest cause of death amongst patients with inflammatory type arthritis, is heart problems. If not kept in check by disease modifiers (that doesn't include anti inflammatories) the inflammation effecting joints can cause inflammation of other major organs, including the heart.

rowantree vast numbers of people take the odd dose or two. Some people are on max dose all the time and surely they are the ones at risk of side effects.

I didn't keep the article unfortunately. And it's very frustrating that these articles seem to generalise, or raise concerns without putting them into proper context. However, it seems that the risks are well documented in this case - I didn't know. I don't take them regularly, just as and when, and I find that the lysine form seems to work better, but I don't know why! Anyone any idea? Maybe it helps absorption in some way, but that also might make it more of a health risk? Erghhhhhh.....

After ten years on Diclofenac/Naproxen I became very ill, it affected my liver, I had ulcers and sent my blood pressure sky high.

But oh how I miss it... However I am wary of even taking the odd ibuprofen now. I only take it when I know I am going to have a long walk on uneven ground, (hips and knees and bones in right foot) or go swimming (right shoulder) or do a lot of weeding (fingers and wrist). I do cope, but those ten years between 2000 and 2010 when I could dig all day on just one tablet seem wonderful now.

In the end, it's all going to come down to quality of life, isn't it. I started to suffer from arthritis at only 40, the thought of my activities being curtailed for the rest of my life is appalling. If given the choice, I would rather stay on the tablets and have another good ten years and manage to take some exercise and get my weight back down. I would insist on having omeprazole at the same time. But my doctors won't let me, they would rather I carry on another ten years in pain and then have hip and knee replacements - by which time they will say I am too fat for them!

I take Tramadol, Meloxicam, Indapemide and occassionaly Diazapam if I go in to 'spasm'.

I am fully aware that is a cocktail for disaster but the alternative is a life of misery so that's why people take the chance.

I had a work mate who lost her father by taking Aspirin and my dear dad had two bouts of internal bleeding, due to Aspirin.

If one thing doesn't get you another thing will, it's a chance you take I suppose.

It depends if you think you could without them then do so.

I mentioned on the other thread about Omeprazole that our GP practice is trying to take patients off diclofenac.

My GP did suggest taking ibuprofen if and when needed, perhaps if walking a lot, but I am wary of those as well.
So I am hobbling more lately, as paracetamol doesn't seem to hit the spot and I am wary of taking those as well.

I have rheumatoid arthritis and take prednisilone, leflunamide, omeprazprole and ibroprofen on a daily basis. I also take methotrexate weekly. My quality of life on these drugs is pretty good though I walk using two sticks.

Without these meds. I would be back in a wheelchair and in much more pain. I made the decision to enjoy a good quality of life now (I'm 67), rather than stagger, or rather be wheeled into my later years to suffer a more pain and more (shudder) personal care. I have monthly blood tests and see a consultant at least twice a year, and currently feel really good.

Whatever choice you make has to be an informed one - I have more faith in rheumatologists than the press, and I'm happy with my choice.

Having read this, it sounds very po-faced and bossy sorry...I'm not really an old misery!

Noodles, there is always another article in the press to scare us, whether about medicines, food, drink, air, whatever!

Your philosophy is the right one, I think.

Nice to see you posting Noodles!

I think I posted about this before so apologies for repeating myself. I took low dose aspirin for years because I had a post- operative clot but rarely took ibuprofen until it was prescribed for me following a knee replacement. I took it regularly for about a fortnight, along with paracetamol and codeine. About three weeks after that, I had a very frightening episode of vomiting what seemed quite large amounts of blood. Every doctor I saw during the next week in hospital said the ulcer was undoubtedly caused by the aspirin and the bleeding by the ibuprofen. I took omeprazole most of last year and then lanzaprazole for a few weeks. I had a couple of episodes of heartburn before the bleed but other than that, no warning that I had an ulcer.

Noodles, I have one of the inflammatory types of arthritis, RA. Like you, I took the decision that the costs and balances of taking the disease modifiers, anti inflammatories as at worst, painkillers came down on quality, rather than quantity of life. I also take methotrexate, but am on a lower dose (half my previous dose) as I'm also fortunate enough to be prescribed one of the anti biological treatments. It was unfortunate I reached the point I needed it, but so fortunate my consultant prescribed it.

I wish I didn't have this chronic disease, but like you, I'm certain that without the drug therapies, I wouldn't be able to walk my dogs. The psychological benefits of increased mobility, less pain and better sleep shouldn't be underestimated.
for noodles

Thank you for the flowers Iam64

Good luck with the biologic - I hope you stay well!

Arthritic diseases are a blight on the later years of so many people - particularly women. You are a brave bunch of women.
Rowantree you are stressing out about this but you have not got it into proportion. As you can see from this thread, many people are taking very big doses of these to keep themselves reasonably mobile/pain free. There are inevitable side effects with most drugs if you are on a high dose, for a long time. But if the alternative is continuous pain and being completely seized up, of course people are grateful that these drugs exist.
You are an occasional user, along with a huge % of the adult population and I think this is one you could cross off your list of worries.
You are right that there are too many articles in the press that do not put risks in context. They are often written by people with a journalism qualification but no understanding of science or medicine I'm afraid. I have seen some howlers in my time, such as "mosquitoes becoming immune to the drug" - when it is of course the malaria parasite that becomes immune. I think that was on the BBC website!

Your last point Jess about journalists is well made. There are some with no medical or scientific qualification who specialise in writing such articles which are often superficial, inaccurate and ill-informed.

I should add that I am wary of extra medication such as NSAIDS on top of my essential daily medication, after belatedly reading about some contra-indications.

To add to JessM's point, if I had been prescribed omeprazole or a similar drug alongside the aspirin and ibuprofen, it is very unlikely that it would have affected my stomach. I wasn't trying to warn people off NSAIDs but suggesting you should check with your GP if you are planning to take them regularly.

I don't take Nsaids as I am warned off them by reason of having had allergic reactions to aspirin. I only take paracetamol and occasionally co-codamol.

In my local Arthritis U.K charity shop they had a huge display of a topical pain relief product called Flexiseq. it described as a smart gel that lubricates joints affected by osteo arthritis. Has anyone heard of it or tried it?
www.flexiseq.com/

It's seemed to be designed to do a sort of WD 40 job on the inside of the joints by adding lubrication. It sounds quite novel but I am always wary of such stuff. I was interested that arthritis UK seemed to be promoting it.

If contemplating buying something like that ask yourself how much it costs? There are lots of things that only have a minor effect or none at all, but are quite expensive.
If it is really efficacious, can your doctor prescribe it? If not, then likely that there is not enough evidence that it is any good.
Some people spend astounding amounts of money on over the counter health products and alternative medicines. There was an example in a magazine i read recently of someone who had suffered from an unusual infection, started on a load of vitamins, chinese herbs etc etc and was afraid to stop in case she got the condition again. Was costing her hundreds a month! But she could have just got better, because she got better...