Daily aspirin therapy is very common when you’ve had a heart attack or stroke and even for older people who are more at risk for heart problems. Yet, there are many people that abuse painkillers and there are serious side-effects when they do.
Aspirin and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen are sold over the counter and even though they come with warning labels and specific instructions, there are many people that still do because sometimes their pain is too severe. In the U.S., there are over 100 million people living with chronic pain and even though there are alternative ways to get rid of pain, they trust that these drugs can quickly relieve their pain, which sometimes can become addictive.
For the treatment of mild to moderate pain, such as fever or chronic inflammatory conditions, 200 to 400 mg of NSAID’s will ease the pain away. Many companies like Advil and Tylenol sell pills of 500 mg and when people take 2 of them every couple of hours that may be way too much. The maximum dosage you should take is 2400 mg.
Organ Damage
When you take these painkillers, they can affect your vital organs. These can affect your liver, especially if taken frequently or when combined with alcohol. An estimated 1 in 100,000 cases of people abusing painkillers can end up having an acute liver injury.
NSAID’s reduce the blood flow to the kidneys, which make them work slower. If you take NSAID’s in high doses, the reduced blood flow can permanently damage your kidneys and you can have kidney failure.
These painkillers can also cause ulcers and other problems in your esophagus, stomach, or small intestine. NSAID’s prevent the creation of prostaglandins, the chemical that causes swelling and increases pain. They also protect the lining of the stomach and the GI tract and when these NSAID’s slow down prostaglandin, then you could have gastrointestinal problems.
People that have chronic pain should visit their doctor so that they can monitor your pain medicine. Please don’t take matters into your own hands and self-medicate. It’s critically dangerous and you can cause serious damage to your health.