The most frequently prescribed category of prescription medication drugs by primary care doctors include nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs. One reason is attributable to the analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects that make them effective in several different situations. Nevertheless, the treatment of rheumatism and degenerative joint disease are additionally the more common reasons for chronic use of NSAIDs.
These medications have been connected with several toxic effects in the digestive tract, kidneys, liver and lungs. The gastrointestinal issues are the most common side effects of NSAIDs and are cause for concern owing to the frequency and seriousness. A number of the studies carried out while in clinical trials have also confirmed a noticeable increased chance of adverse cardiovascular effects in a number of patients.
Several things have to be taken into consideration in order to improve the safe use and minimize the less desirable effects of the NSAID drug list. Amongst those considerations are age, gender, pregnancy status, organ function, allergy history and previous conditions, like peptic ulcerations. Nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs are linked with several adverse side effects, including changes in renal function, negative effects on blood pressure, platelet inhibition that might result in increased bleeding and hepatic trauma.
With respect to the side effects of NSAIDs, gastrointestinal toxicity is among the more common. It restricts the usefulness of these medications, although there has been extensive research carried out that has concentrated on reducing this effect, while still preserving the nonsteroidal anti inflammatory and analgesic activity. All NSAIDs may cause gastrointestinal toxicity but higher doses of aspirin are the most troublesome, causing indigestion, stomach upset and nausea. The interaction between NSAIDs and aspirin is a major worry, since a low dose of aspirin is cardio-protective and evidence indicates that its combined use, in particular ibuprofen, may in reality reduce these benefits.
Fortunately, keeping the drug side effects of NSAIDs more in balance when using this type of medication became a lot easier in the early nineties when a new drug, called Misoprostol or Cytotec, was licensed for use in the United States. This is a close chemical relation of Prostaglandin, which helps to keep the stomach's defense against acid. It has additionally been demonstrated to help heal ulcers of the stomach and the duodenum, in addition to helping counteract the diffuse damage caused by NSAIDs. On the other hand, a few of the side effects, notably nausea and loss of appetite, are not curtailed with the use of Misoprostol.
In fact, Misoprostol itself can cause abdominal distress, like diarrhea and cramping, arising from its inclination to kindle intestinal activity. Since it was licensed in the U.S., it has been very heavily advertised, although it is not particularly cheap to buy. This sort of nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug is best prescribed for folks who have a recognized disposition to form ulcers or hemorrhage from the stomach and who must take NSAIDs. Hitherto, only short-term protection has been documented. Whether it will work, similarly for folks, who must stay on an NSAID drug prescription for years or their whole life, is still being investigated.