Side Effects of Painkillers

Side Effects of Painkillers Tablets

1.NSAIDs and Ulcers
Taking ibuprofen and naproxen doesn't pose as great a risk to liver function as acetaminophen. However, some damage to the stomach lining is a possibility, which can lead to blood loss from the irritated area, stomach pains (gastritis), and even ulcers. This is also true of aspirin, which is related to NSAIDs and has many of the same properties. And if you use aspirin along with ibuprofen or naproxen, the risk to your stomach is even greater.
"Any of these pain drugs alone can cause ulcers, and using them together only increases the risk," says Glaser. "All three of these medications reduce pain through their effects on the prostaglandin pathways." Unfortunately, those same effects are what lead to an increased risk of gastritis and ulcer formation.

2.Long-Term Effects of Central Nervous System Depressants
Termed “central nervous depressants,” these medications work by slowing down the brain’s normal activity. They are often prescribed to patients who are unable to control rapid brain activity and experience anxiety, insomnia, seizures or panic attacks as a result. Included in this classification of prescription drugs are barbiturates (e.g., mephobarbital and sodium pentobarbital), benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium and Xanax), and sleep medications (e.g., Ambien and Lunesta). Deadly when abused or taken in large doses, they are also extremely dangerous when combined with other drugs, including alcohol.

3.Ongoing Risk of Overdose and Death
Many people are under the mistaken impression that those who are new to the use of prescription drugs are the most likely to experience an overdose or to die as a result of their drug use because they are unfamiliar with the medication and unsure what they’re body can handle. While it is true that those who take any prescription medications for the first time without the guidance of a doctor are at risk of overdose if they take too much, chronic abusers of prescription medication are also at high risk of dying due to their use of the drug.
When ongoing drug use is a problem, body chemistry changes from day to day and yesterday’s “normal” dose may be overwhelming today. Furthermore, the addition of other drugs makes the equation even less stable, and when under the influence, many teens incorrectly calculate the time between doses, which means they have more in their body than is manageable.

4.Painkillers and Blood Thinners
Ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin have a mild blood-thinning effect. This isn't a problem for most people, but for those already on blood-thinning medications, it can be an issue. "In patients on blood thinners such as Coumadin or Plavix to prevent clots, these medications [NSAIDS and aspirin] can lead to the unintentional over-thinning of the blood and excessive risks of bleeding," Glaser says. "Additionally, these NSAIDs have been shown to raise blood pressure. In most cases the increase is small, but it can be variable."

5.Muscles and kidneys

 If a person abuses painkillers to the point of becoming comatose, he can suffer severe and life-threatening injury that has nothing directly to do with the respiratory suppression effect of the drugs. A condition called "rhabdomyolysis" can occur. This is a rapid breakdown of muscle tissue that results from a person lying completely immobilized for a number of hours. The compression experienced by the muscles causes the tissue to begin to disintegrate. The chemicals that are produced by this disintegration pour into the bloodstream and cause a chain reaction of damage in other organs. This is a leading cause of kidney failure. If dialysis is not started in time, a person can die. Damage to the heart can also occur, including heart attack.