Diclofenac Potassium Houston TX

NSAIDs are most effective for mild to moderate pain accompanied by swelling and inflammation. These drugs relieve pain by inhibiting an enzyme in your body called cyclooxygenase. This enzyme makes hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which are involved in the development of pain and inflammation. NSAIDs are especially helpful for arthritis and pain resulting from muscle sprains, strains, back and neck injuries or cramps.

When taken as directed, NSAIDs are generally safe. But if more than the recommended dosage is taken — and sometimes even the recommended dosage — NSAIDs may cause nausea, stomach pain, stomach bleeding or ulcers. Large doses of NSAIDs can lead to kidney problems and fluid retention. Risk increases with age. If you regularly take NSAIDs, talk to your doctor so that he or she can monitor you for side effects.

NSAIDs have a so-called ceiling effect, or limit to how much pain they can control. This means that beyond a certain dosage, they don't provide additional benefit. If someone has moderate to severe pain, exceeding the dosage limit may not help relieve the pain.

Many NSAIDs require a prescription, but some lower-dose NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, are available over-the-counter.

Dicl ofenac potassium (Cataflam)

Diclofenac is used for musculoskeletal complaints, especially (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, spondylarthritis, ), attacks, and in case of and . An additional indication is the treatment of acute migraines. Diclofenac is used commonly to treat mild to moderate post-operative or post-traumatic pain, particular when inflammation is also present, and is effective against menstrual pain.

Diclofenac is often used to treat chronic pain associated with , particularly if inflammation is also present (Step I of the (WHO) Scheme for treatment of chronic pain). Good results (sometimes better than those with opioids) have been seen in female breast cancer and in the pain associated with bony metastases. Diclofenac can be combined with opioids if needed. In Europe Combaren® exists, a fixed combination of diclofenac and codeine (50 mg each) for cancer treatment. Combinations with psychoactive drugs such as and/or have also been investigated and found useful in a number of cancer patients.

The need for rescue medication is consistently less with diclofenac-potassium than with placebo. Data are inconsistent or scarce regarding the effects of diclofenac-potassium versus placebo on other measures such as headache recurrence and working ability. Diclofenac-potassium was generally well tolerated in clinical trials in patients with migraine.

Diclofenac is among the better tolerated NSAIDs. Though 20% of patients on long-term treatment experience side effects, only 2% have to discontinue the drug, mostly due to gastrointestinal complaints.