Good news for Arizonans who use lots of Advil, Aleve, or prescription anti-inflammatory medications. A recent study demonstrated reduced skin cancer risk in patients on these medications.
Although anti-inflammatory medications have their negatives, there are also hidden ‘positives’ and it’s nice to hear the good news about medications that we have to take to help control arthritis symptoms.
Of course, taking anti-inflammatory medications have their pro’s and con’s. You can read more about that below, in my summary about SAFE USE OF NSAID MEDICATIONS.
You can find this information and more at the new DoctorDoug.com website coming next month. Look for it.
This information and other health topics can be found at….
DoctorDoug.com
TAKING ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDICATIONS SAFELY
Advil/Ibuprofen
Aleve/Naproxen
These are among the most important medications doctors use on a regular basis, and they are potent over-the-counter medications.
They are great for a myriad of conditions and can be used effectively and safely if this is done properly. Below I will list the pro’s and con’s of these medications, and the proper way to take these medications.
Pro’s:
- Great for relieving inflammation both short term and long-term
- Great for various musculo-skeletal pains
- Probably prevents colon polyps and colon cancer
- Probably prevents Alzheimer’s dementia to a small degree
Con’s:
- Can be irritating to the stomach, causing ulcers. This is particularly a concern in women over 60 and if used continuously for over a week.
- They have a statistical associated risk of stroke and heart attack. This is very small, but statistically present
- Long-term use can bother kidney function and requires monitoring if used for over one month.
Taking these medications properly:
Dose correctly:
- Advil/Ibuprofen…400-800mg at a dose, up to 3 times per day (max dose 2400mg)
- Aleve/Naproxen…220-440mg at a dose, up to 2 times per day (max dose 1000mg)
Take with food if possible, but it is fine to take on an empty stomach if need be.
If taking For Longer than 1 week:
- Take with Prilosec 20mg daily or Prevacid 15mg daily (or a prescription PPI medication)
- I recommend that anyone over the age of 60 who takes these medications regularly use a stomach-protecting medication regularly, to prevent ulcers in the stomach.
- PPI medications such as Prilosec or Prevacid are effective. Pepcid/Ranitidine is not effective.
Taking for longer than 3 months:
- Check kidney bloodwork
- If you are taking these medications on an ongoing basis, it is recommended that you assess the kidney function twice yearly as a precautionary measure.
}0 =i�t ���l