Are Anti-Inflammatory Pain Relievers Safe for You?
Here's help weighing the benefits and risks of NSAIDs, from aspirin to Celebrex
There is no question that the risks of NSAIDs can be serious, even
According to the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), each year
the side effects of NSAIDs hospitalize over 100,000 people and kill 16,500 in
the U.S., mostly due to bleeding stomach ulcers.
But it's important to put those numbers in context. The AGA also says that
every day, more than 30 million Americans use NSAIDs for pain from headaches,
arthritis, and other conditions. And while some experts emphasize the dangers,
others stress that living with chronic pain is terrible in itself.
"Pain is not just an inconvenience," says rheumatologist John
Klippel, MD, President and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation, Atlanta, GA.
"It can be devastating. It can destroy people's lives. NSAIDs can be a
Before you can decide what medicine is right for you, it helps to understand
NSAIDs. NSAIDs are a common class of painkillers. They include all
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, even aspirin, which helps protect
the heart. The most common over-the-counter NSAIDs are:
- Aspirin (Bayer, Ecotrin, and St. Joseph)
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, Nuprin)
- Ketoprofen (Actron, Ordus KT)
- Naproxen sodium (Aleve)
Other NSAIDs available by prescription include Daypro, Indocin, Lodine,
Naprosyn, Relafen, and Voltaren.
Cox-2 inhibitors are a newer form of prescription NSAID. Two of them --
Bextra and Vioxx -- are no longer sold because of concerns about their side
effects. The third, Celebrex, is still available.
How Anti-Inflammatory Pain Relievers Work
While the details are different, all of these medicines work in more or less
the same way. They block the effects of chemicals that increase the feeling of
pain. Unlike many other painkillers, they also help by reducing swelling, which
can further reduce pain. Sometimes swelling is a key cause of pain.
But the problem with NSAIDs -- or any systemic drug -- is that they can
affect the entire body, not just the part that hurts.
"If you use a drug to ease one problem, like an achy joint,"
Goldberg tells WebMD, "it's likely to cause a different reaction somewhere