Patient instructions: Anti inflammatory medication

You have been prescribed a medication known as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). This drug is a powerful pain medicine, and also acts to reduce swelling and to reduce inflammation in muscles, tendons, and joints. This medicine works best when it is taken regularly as prescribed.

Any medicine of this type may have side effects, which are usually not a problem if the medication is taken properly. The reactions are usually minor, such as indigestion, nausea or diarrhea. The best way to avoid these problems is to take the medication after eating. If problems such as these occur despite taking the medication with food, contact my office - you may have fewer problems with a different antiinflammatory medication. While you are taking this medication, you should not take other antiinflammatory medications, including aspirin. Tylenol or other medications containing acetaminophen are safe.

This type of medicine is not a narcotic or sedative, and does not normally cause sleepiness or problems with thinking. However, some people may feel sleepy or have difficulty concentrating with this type of medicine. If you feel that this is a problem, please contact my office for further instructions. Although uncommon, a more serious reaction to this medication is stomach ulcer. If you have ulcer symptoms such as vomiting black material or having black stools, you should stop taking the medication and contact my office immediately to arrange for treatment. A small number of people taking these medications for a long time will have reactions involving their blood or kidneys. For this reason, if you take this type of medication for more than three months at full dose, you should have a tests of your blood and urine.