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Pain Medications and the Risk of GI Complications

Summary & Participants

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly known as NSAIDs, are taken to relieve common aches and pains. However, for some people, these drugs can cause a variety of gastrointestinal problems. Avoiding these difficulties means learning whether you are at risk for trouble.

Medically Reviewed On: June 09, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Life can be filled with all sorts of aches and pains, which is why over 30 million Americans take medications known as NSAIDs every year.

MEL WILCOX, MD: NSAIDs are non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, commonly-used pain relievers that you can buy in the drugstore or your physician can give you.

BYRON CRYER, MD: Some of the common over-the-counter brands are things such as ibuprofen or naproxen. They go by trade names such as Aleve, Advil, Motrin. Aspirin is available in various forms, such as Bayer, Excedrin, even baby aspirin is considered an NSAID.

ANNOUNCER: Many of us use these medications as a convenient way to ease pain. However for some people there can be dangerous consequences: problems many of us don't even know exist.

BYRON CRYER, MD: There are over 100,000 hospitalizations per year, thousands of deaths per year attributable to NSAIDs. And the problem is that most people, most consumers are unaware of the problems that exist with NSAIDs.

MEL WILCOX, MD: It's been estimated that over 16,000 people die each year from NSAID-related complications.

GEORGE TRIADAFILOPOULOS, MD: NSAIDs are associated with the possible development of several major gastrointestinal complications, specifically bleeding from the stomach or anywhere from the gastrointestinal tract, development of what we call perforation, which is basically a hole in the stomach.

ANNOUNCER: While problems may not always be severe they can be troublesome

GEORGE TRIADAFILOPOULOS, MD: Most frequently cause indigestion kind of symptoms which are obviously a nuisance for the individual patient using these drugs

ANNOUNCER: Interestingly enough what makes NSAIDs work as pain relievers contributes to the problems they may cause.

BYRON CRYER, MD: Through the same mechanism by which they are effective as pain relievers, they inhibit an enzyme which reduces inflammation in your joints. But they inhibit the same enzyme in the stomach that protects against ulcers. And so when you take the NSAID, with the goal of reducing inflammation in your joints, it has to see the stomach first. And it has the consequence of reducing the protection in your stomach.

ANNOUNCER: Although everyone can be at risk for NSAID-related problems, not everyone will develop complications. There are certain factors that place people at higher risk. Advanced age is one of those.

GEORGE TRIADAFILOPOULOS, MD: It is more likely to develop the problem with these drugs if you're older, particularly older than 65 or 70 years of age.

ANNOUNCER: Certain medical conditions can leave a patient open to complications.

MEL WILCOX, MD: People who have a prior history of an ulcer are more likely to have a problem. People who have a prior history of bleeding from the GI tract would have a problem

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