A report from the Harvard Medical School in Boston provides detailed advice about what types of arthritis pain medications are stomach-friendly.
The report, Arthritis: Keeping your Joints Healthy, provides a step-by-step guide for the safe use of NSAIDs for those with arthritis, who have had ulcers in the past, those with rheumatoid arthritis, and those taking a blood thinner or corticosteroids in addition to arthritis medications.
For those with ulcers in the past, Dr. Robert Shmerling says it might be wise to take a COX-2 inhibitor or to combine an NSAID with one of several stomach-protecting drugs now available.
Those at lower risk–who have experienced stomach distress with NSAIDs but no bleeding or ulcers — might benefit from reducing the dose of the NSAID or trying an entirely different pain reliever such as acetaminophen. In any case, patients should talk with their doctor before changing or combining medicines, says Shmerling.
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