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Safe Way to Take NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs relieve pain, fever and inflammation. These include over-the-counter remedies such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen as well as a number of prescription medications. NSAIDs can cause side effects but can be taken safely if you first consult with your doctor, follow helpful steps in taking the medicine and limit NSAID strength and doses to that necessary to address your condition.

  1. Consult Doctor Before Taking NSAIDs

    • Safe use of NSAIDs--even over-the-counter varieties--begins with a thorough conversation with your doctor. Be sure your doctor is aware of your complete medical history and any other medications you may be taking, including supplements, herbal treatments and home remedies. NSAIDs may not be recommended if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking anti-blood-clotting medications, have kidney, liver, stomach, heart, or circulation problems, or if you've demonstrated allergies to other NSAID medications in the past. Your doctor can help you determine whether NSAIDs--and which NSAIDs--are a safe treatment for your medical condition.

    Avoiding Gastric Distress

    • The most common negative side effect of NSAID use is gastric upset, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. Most people can minimize these side effects and safely take NSAIDs for the pain and fever associated with cold and flu, arthritis aches, minor injuries and other discomforts. They can do so by limiting intake to the recommended doses, taking whole pills without grinding them or breaking them up, and drinking a full glass of water with each dose. A glass of milk or taking the NSAID dose with a meal or light snack can also minimize gastric side effects. More serious side effects, from dizziness to an increase in pain or outbreak of a rash, indicate that you should immediately stop intake of the NSAID and consult a doctor. These side effects are extremely rare but should not be ignored.

    Targeted NSAID Doses

    • A large number of over-the-counter and prescription NSAIDs are available to help with pain, fever, and inflammation from temporary to chronic conditions. These medications vary widely in their effectiveness for different people and different ailments. Two prescription NSAIDs have recently been removed from the market out of concern that they increased risk of heart and circulation problems; however, a small dose of aspirin taken daily has long been recognized as beneficial for heart health. Finding the NSAID that closely targets your medical condition, as well as narrowing use of NSAIDs to the minimal doses and time periods necessary to relieve your pain, will also minimize any risk associated with NSAID use. According to the American Gastroenterological Association, more than 30 million Americans use NSAIDs each year, and the vast majority of them experience relief from pain and inflammation without negative effects. The safe way to take NSAIDs is to take the right NSAID in the minimal doses necessary, for as short a period of time as practicable, to relieve discomfort without causing side effects.

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