Acute Pain.Com

Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs are the most commonly used painkillers, almost worldwide available over the table in every pharmacy. They include classic names like Aspirin, Ibuprofen or Diclofenac. As the name is so long, there are usually abbreviated to NSAID’s.

All the NSAID’s do have very similar effects and properties. They all inhibit certain enzymes that are part of the complicated systems responsible for transmitting pain and inflammation signals.

NSAID’s are effective against almost types of pain. At the same time they lower fever (antipyretic) and in addition at higher doses reduce inflammation, which frequently is part of painful conditions.
Besides they are not narcotic and leave our mental capacities unaffected.

Due to these properties they are permanently in very high demand. The massive consumption of NSAID’s in recent years however has shown that NSAID’s just like other drugs can and do sometimes will have side effects. NSAID’s are not recommended for people with gastrointestinal ulcers and it seems that they also increase the risk of myocardic infarctation.

Low prices, easy availability, high efficiency and the lack of narcotic effects have seduced many people into indiscriminate long term consumption of NSAID’s against hang over, untreated tooth problems and so on, and many of the side effects have been observed due to overdosing or permanent abuse of NSAID’s.

Another very popular painkiller is Paracetamol. It is often mistaken as a NSAID, but it does not belong to this group and its pharmacological mechanism is still debated. It is however widely accepted as a low risk, high effect painkiller. Unlike the NSAID’s it does not influence fever or inflammation, but is a “pure” painkiller.