by V. Kumar

Created on: May 04, 2008

Pain relievers need to be taken in arthritis for fairly long periods, which makes the possibility of adverse side effects that much more likely. These pain relievers do not cure arthritis but are necessary for relieving pain and carrying on with day to day life. While using the non-prescription medications, one must know as to what are the side effects they are likely to cause and the necessary precautions that are required for keeping these adverse effects to a minimum.

There are three kind of non-prescription medications that one can use to relieve pain in arthritis. These include the Non steroid anti inflammatory agents or NSAIDs, Acetaminophen and topical medications which can be rubbed on the painful part. Each of them has different side effects and require different precautions.

I. NSAIDs : Use, Side effects & precautions

NSAIDs are the mainstay for relieving pain in arthritis. Their availability without prescription makes them one of the most commonly used group of medicines. Common medicines in this group are ASPIRIN (ASA), IBUPROFEN (ADVIL) NAPROXEN (ALEVE) AND DICLOFENAC. They act by inhibiting the 'prostaglandins' which are the main chemical mediators causing swelling and pain. By blocking them NSAIDs reduce pain and swelling both.

The most important side effect of all NSAIDs is that they cause gastric injury, and can lead to ulcers in stomach and bleeding. If a person with arthritis is also having gastritis (swelling of stomach lining) or peptic ulcers, then she should not take NSAIDs. Similarly, in a person who is taking NSAIDs frequently, and develops nausea, vomiting or gastric bleeding NSAIDs should be avoided as they would aggravate the problem. One way to reduce these side effects of NSAIDs is to avoid taking them on empty stomach. Taking them just after meals slows down their absorption and consequent relief from pain, but that also prolongs the duration of pain relief. Long acting NSAIDs like PIROXICAM (FELDENE) which can be taken once in a day may be a better option for persons who are not able to tolerate other NSAIDs.

A new group of NSAID medicines called COX-2 inhibitors are also being used recently. The main medicine of this group is CELECOXIB (CELEBREX). It causes less of stomach irritation and bleeding but is otherwise not more effective. In addition it can also cause damage to the heart and kidney, and so it is not generally considered superior to NSAIDs, though it may be an option for those who can not tolerate NSAIDs.

Aspirin is an NSAID,

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