They are very effective, but when "when people take inbuprofen, aspirin, ketpprofen or naproxen sodium, they figure since those drugs are OTC so they must be safe. As a result they overdo them, or don't pay attention to interactions with other medications. The benefits of these drugs are enormous and real, so too are the risks of gastrointestinal upset and bleeding. Read more to determine your risk.
For most discomforts, we reach for NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They are very effective, but when "when people take inbuprofen, aspirin, ketpprofen or naproxen sodium, they figure since those drugs are OTC so they must be safe. As a result they overdo them, or don't pay attention to interactions with other medications," says Joseph Markenson, M.D., professor at Weill Medical College in New York City. "While the benefits of thee drugs are enormous and real, so too are the risks of gastrointestinal upset and bleeding.
With any OTC pain reliever, start low and go slow, says Dr. Fishman. He also suggests, "Don't use aspirin as your first choice for pain relief. It is short acting as far as pain goes, but long-acting in its impact on platelets and blood coagulation, and has a greater risk of causing ulcers than ibuprofen for example".
"You can protect yourself from ulcers related to NSAIDs," says Dr. Markenson. take them with an OTC or prescription proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or opt for a pure analgesic such as acetaminophen, which offer relief from headaches, muscle aches and fever, but does not cause bleeding.
Acetaminophen poses little threat when taken as recommended, but liver toxicity is a risk if you drink alcohol, have liver disease or are also taking an NSAID or any additional medication that contains aetaminophen. And make sure you tell your pharmacist and doctor what prescription meds you take, especially phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), rifampin (Rimactane, Rifadin), sulfinpyrazone (Anturane) and vitamin supplements.Surprised to find out that your "harmless" vitamin supplement can set off adverse reactions to medications? They can and plenty of research exists to prove that supplements can set off dangerous reactions when taken with OTC drugs.
"When it comes to decisions about pain relief", says Dr. Fishman, "you have to think about what makes sense for you and with individual risks and benefits. Is the pain affecting your quality of life? Do you need a pain reliever to stay on track every day? Can you get rid of your headache for example some other way? Proceed cautiously".
And don't ignore pain, ever. It is trying to tell you something. The bottom line is to find out what the problem is and take corrective action before things get worse.
http://www.painreliefforpain.com, The Centre for Pain Relief
Diabetes and Neuropathy
The link between diabetes and nerve damage due to high glucose levels in the blood stream is now a well known fact. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 2/3 rd's of those with diabetes have some form of this complication.
Remedies for Agitated Nerve Pain | Pain Relief
When nerves suffer damage for any variety of reasons, the pain can be life altering, if not life threatening. Finding ways to live with pain and efforts to make it go away can become an all-consuming activity in your life. Fortunately, there are medications that can help, no matter the source that triggered your pain.
What PHN Pain Treatments are effective?
Damage to nerve fibers caused by a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus is the source of postherpetic neuralgia. Any treatment, if it is to be effective, must deal with damaged nerves which are the reason for all PHN pain. Treatments are the subject of this article.
