• NSAIDS: BEWARE?

    “Remember, the conditions for which you take NSAIDS are not life-threatening.” Despite all the hoopla about the significant side effects associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), I still see many patients taking daily doses of prescription and over-the-counter(OTC) NSAIDS without the knowledge of their physicians. Let me first define NSAIDS. These are medications which decrease inflammation by inhibiting some of the substances in our bodies which cause inflammation and pain. They include prescription NSAIDS such as meloxicam (Mobic), celecoxib (Celebrex), and diclofenac (Voltaren). But they also include over-the-counter NSAIDS such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve), as well as the lowly aspirin. There are some patients who…