Pain Medications

NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are often prescribed for the pain of arthritis and other conditions. NSAIDs include Motrin (ibuprofen), Naprosyn (naproxen), Celebrex (celecoxib), and others. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is almost always preferable for pain. All of the NSAIDs increase the risks of bleeding and kidney problems. A number of the NSAIDS increase the risk of heart attack, including Motrin (ibuprofen), Celebrex (celecoxib), and others. Naprosyn (naproxen) does not seem to increase heart attack risk and is usually the only member of the NSAID drug class I am now prescribing. Remember that naproxen still increases the risks of bleeding and kidney problems.

A patient taking NSAIDs who has certain risk factors such as advanced age, a prior history of gastrointestinal bleeding, or other characteristics, has an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. If this is the case, adding the drug Prilosec (omeprazole) decreases but does not eliminate this bleeding risk.