Overuse of Common Painkillers : Video Transcript on Healthline

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Pain Medications and the Risk of GI Complications

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Overuse of Common Painkillers

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MEL WILCOX, MD: A lot of pharmacists now can give you information on the specific medication that you're taking so that you can realize if you are taking one of these NSAIDs. They also can tell you if the medication that you buy in the drug store over-the-counter may interact with the medications that you're already taking.

GEORGE TRIADAFILOPOULOS, MD: It is quite important to let your physician know about other drugs that are used. Many times there is a risk of combining two different classes of drugs that have the same damaging effect on the stomach. Therefore, it is very important to let your doctor know that, "Yes, I'm using aspirin," or, "No, I'm not." Or "Yes, I'm using this drug over-the-counter," or "No, I'm not," before your doctor can decide about what drug to prescribe.

ANNOUNCER: In the end the patient has to be the one who understands the potential for a problem.

C. MEL WILCOX, MD: The main thing people need to know about NSAIDs is that these are very effective drugs for amelioration of pain, but also there is a lot of misunderstanding that these drugs are safe. These drugs are safe. But if you take them in increased dosages or when you combine them with other medications that you're already taking, they can be dangerous. So education is very critical.