Learn about the dangers of painkiller drugs abuse

People often experience various kinds of pain, so painkiller drugs are almost a must-have in every household; at the same time, people often take the attitude of “stop taking painkillers when they feel pain”, so the phenomenon of abusing painkillers is quite common. Some people think that taking painkillers occasionally and in small doses will not damage the gastrointestinal tract; others think that taking painkillers after meals or using external analgesics will not damage the gastrointestinal tract. Is this true?

Antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs are also called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin, acetaminophen, phenylbutazone, meloxicam , nimesulide , rofecoxib, celecoxib , etc. The analgesic effect varies from weak to strong, and they are not addictive. They are widely use and have definite efficacy. They are (Painkiller drugs) use for common pain, such as colds, fevers, muscle aches, colds, fatigue headaches, and neuralgia.

Centrally acting analgesics .

Represented by analgesics, it is a synthetic central analgesic, which has a stronger analgesic effect than general antipyretic analgesics , and its analgesic effect is 1/10. It is mainly used for various moderate acute pains and postoperative pains. It belongs to the second category of psychotropic drugs and requires a special prescription.

Narcotic analgesics .

The most representative of these are painkillers drugs. These drugs have a strong analgesic effect and are mainly used for patients with advanced cancer. These drugs have a strict management system and should be used correctly under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist.

Antispasmodics and analgesics .

It is mainly used to treat spasmodic pain of the gastrointestinal tract and other smooth muscles, such as colic in the gastrointestinal tract, biliary tract , and urinary tract. Representative analgesics include atropine, propantheline, belladonna tablets, scopolamine, etc.

Category 5: Anti-anxiety analgesics .

Patients with headaches are often accompanied by anxiety, tension, and restlessness. Patients with tension headaches have more severe headaches due to the tension and contraction of facial muscles. Anti-anxiety drugs can stabilize emotions and relax muscles, so they are also use to treat headaches. Representative analgesics include diazepam. Diazepam also belongs to the second category of psychotropic drugs and requires a special prescription.

Through classification, it can be see that the painkillers we usually talk about belong to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics.

Studies have shown that healthy people can experience gastric mucosal damage 16 minutes after taking aspirin. Similarly, studies have confirmed that a single or low-dose administration of non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause upper gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation.

The above views are all wrong.

The damage of NSAIDs to the gastrointestinal tract can be divide into two parts. One is the local irritation cause by the drug staying in the stomach, which can be alleviate by taking it after meals or using topical analgesics. However, more than 80% of NSAIDs affect the gastric mucosa through blood circulation, and this damage is unavoidable by taking the drug after meals and using topical analgesics.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics also have the following adverse reactions

1. Damage to the kidneys. Painkillers can cause chronic interstitial nephritis , renal insufficiency, etc. This is because painkillers inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins. Indomethacin is more common.

2. Induce gastric ulcer. Drugs such as salicylic acid, aspirin, and indomethacin can irritate the gastric mucosa, causing severe gastrointestinal reactions, inducing gastric ulcers, and even gastric bleeding and perforation.

3. Bleeding tendency. Salicylic acid , aspirin, etc. can inhibit the formation of prothrombin in the liver, reduce the prothrombin content in the blood, and affect the physiological function of platelets, prolonging the coagulation time, affecting the coagulation function, and causing bleeding tendency.

4. Cause leukocytopenia. Analgin, phenylbutazone , and indomethacin can inhibit the bone marrow and cause leukocytopenia, and even lead to agranulocytosis .

5. Liver damage. Aspirin, phenylbutazone, and indomethacin can cause liver damage and lead to symptoms such as hepatomegaly, discomfort in the liver area, and elevated transaminase.

6. Allergic reactions: Analgin and paracetamol can cause allergic reactions, resulting in rashes, drug fever, or aggravated asthma.

7. The use of indomethacin may cause central nervous system symptoms such as headache, dizziness, etc.

8. Covering up symptoms. For some pain, especially pain in internal organs, temporary pain relief can cover up the condition, delay diagnosis, and delay treatment.