NSAIDs: Examples, side effects, and uses

NSAIDs may also affect kidney function and reduce how quickly blood flows through the kidneys. They may cause retention of sodium and water which can lead to edema and high potassium levels. Occasionally, they may cause more serious damage to the kidneys. For example, a 70-year-old carries a much higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding or heart attack from an NSAID compared to a 40-year-old.

Also, some NSAIDs may have fewer side effects than others. Never use an over-the-counter NSAID for more than 10 days without checking with your doctor. Over-the-counter NSAIDs are effective pain relievers, but they are intended for short-term use. With long-term use of NSAIDs, your doctor 2c-b-fly should closely monitor your progress so that they can watch for side effects and change your treatment if needed.

NSAIDs vary in their potency, duration of action, how they are eliminated from the body, how strongly they inhibit COX-1 versus COX-2 and their tendency to cause ulcers and promote bleeding. The more an NSAID blocks COX-1, the greater is its tendency to cause ulcers and promote bleeding. People have been using NSAIDs in the aspirin group for over a hundred years. Like other NSAIDs, they can be used to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever. But unlike NSAIDs, acetaminophen (like Tylenol®) doesn’t reduce inflammation.

Potential Side Effects

1. COX-2 inhibitors like celecoxib (Celebrex) are a special category of NSAIDs.
2. If your side effects are interfering with daily activities or last more than a few days, stop taking the NSAID and call your doctor.
3. However, this is usually more of a concern for people with other risk factors for heart problems.
4. However, not all studies have shown this, so it’s an evolving topic.

There are many different types of NSAIDs, including nonprescription and prescription strength. Healthcare providers use them to treat a wide range of symptoms, from headaches and dental pain to arthritis and muscle stiffness. NSAIDs may reduce the benefit of drugs used for treating hypertension because NSAIDs may increase blood pressure. NSAIDs increase bleeding by decreasing the activity of blood platelets and therefore formation of blood clots. When used with other drugs that also increase bleeding, for example, warfarin (Coumadin), the likelihood of bleeding complications is increased.

Comparatively, NSAIDs in the aspirin group carry the highest potential for bleeds. Aleve (naproxen) carries a higher risk compared to Motrin (ibuprofen), and COX-2 inhibitors have the lowest bleeding risks. However, even COX-2 inhibitors increase your overall risk. If you need to take an NSAID for more than multiple days in a row, it’s important to check in with a healthcare provider.

Some people take them long-term, but you’d want to weigh the risks and benefits in your specific situation. COX-2 inhibitors were designed to have fewer side effects such as stomach can alcoholics have food cooked with alcohol irritation. A COX-2 inhibitor type NSAID drug might make sense for people who have stomach ulcers or who have had bleeding from somewhere in their digestive tract.

Reactive Arthritis

Those that favor COX-1 are more likely to cause gastrointestinal side effects. Those that favor COX-2 have a higher risk of cardiovascular effects but less gastrointestinal effects. Higher dosages of NSAIDs tend to result in more COX-2 enzyme inhibition (and more cardiovascular side effects), even in those NSAIDs traditionally seen as low risk (such as ibuprofen). NSAIDs with higher activity against COX-2 enzymes should be used with caution in people with cardiovascular disease or at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Menstrual Cramps and PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) Treatment

The risk increases the higher the dosage and the longer the length of time you remain on an NSAID for. People with pre-existing heart disease are more at risk and certain NSAIDs, such as diclofenac and celecoxib, have been linked to more heart-related side effects than others. NSAIDs should never be used just before or after heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG). NSAIDs are a commonly used class of medications that can decrease pain, inflammation, and fever.

You may develop side effects if you take large doses of NSAIDs, or if you take them mirtazapine and alcohol for a long time. Some side effects are mild and go away, while others are more serious and need medical attention. Very low doses of NSAIDs may be prescribed for people with cardiac (heart) disease. Many NSAIDs aren’t safe for pregnant women, especially in the last 3 months. Children and teenagers under 18 years old shouldn’t take aspirin unless directed by their doctor, due to the risk of a serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.

Serious side effects are less common than mild ones, and the likelihood of any side effect varies among individuals. People taking drugs in high dosages or over a more extended term are more likely to have side effects. Many people take NSAIDs to treat the symptoms of the common cold. However, although these drugs relieve some symptoms, such as fever and pain, they neither kill the virus nor improve the course of the illness. In the case of aspirin, this property may help prevent the blocked arteries that can cause heart attack or stroke.