Q. I have taken pain relievers for years for arthritis pain in my knees and hips and plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I thought drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen were my friends.
My rheumatologist prescribed Celebrex but suddenly my kidney enzymes soared and I was told no more NSAIDs, ever! My pain has not gone away. What can I take that won’t raise my blood pressure or kill my kidneys?
A. Many people get pain relief with over-the-counter NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). Others do well on prescriptions such as Celebrex, diclofenac, meloxicam or nabumetone.
Chronic use of these medications can result in side effects, however. Like you, some people find that their kidneys can’t handle NSAIDs. Others develop ulcers, high blood pressure, elevated liver enzymes or other reactions such as drowsiness or mental fogginess.
Readers searching for pain relief without such complications sometimes benefit from home remedies such as pineapple juice or gin-soaked raisins.
Others find herbs helpful: “I have osteoarthritis and can no longer take NSAIDs due to a spike in liver enzymes and a family history of heart disease. After I read in your column that turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory I started taking it. Now I feel as well as I did on NSAIDs with no side effects. My rheumatologist is skeptical and wants more information.”
We are sending you our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis with pros and cons of arthritis drugs and other approaches such as home remedies and supplements like boswellia, ginger, MSM or turmeric.
