Talking to Your Doctor About NSAIDs
By Donna Rae Siegfried
Raise these subjects with your doctor:
1 Your history of ulcers, stomach problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and medication allergies.
2 Side effects or problems you’ve experienced while taking NSAIDs now or in the past.
3 The benefits of using a traditional NSAID versus using the COX-2 drug celecoxib (Celebrex).
4 Taking a medication to protect your stomach from ulcers or bleeding, if you already use a traditional NSAID. Your doctor may prescribe an acid-blocker, a proton pump inhibitor, or a product that combines an NSAID with a stomach-protecting drug.
5 Which NSAID is right for you. If you need aspirin for heart protection, you may not be a good candidate for NSAID or COX-2 therapy.
6 Taking the lowest dose possible to get the relief you need. Examples of low doses: 500 milligram (mg) of naproxen (Naprosyn) or 200 mg of Celebrex.
7 Limiting the length of time you take the medicine.
(Arthritis Today, Jul-Aug 2005)
