- Think twice before popping a pain reliever for every minor ache or pain.
Do you regularly take over the counter pain medications to relieve yourself of minor pains you may be feeling? Well, something my Grandma Carol said got me searching the internet again for answers. Here’s what happened:
“Ouch!” My grandmother, who had started to get up, clutched her hip and sank suddenly back into her chair. Across from her on the sofa, I looked up from my crossword puzzle with concern.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded as she struggled to get comfortable in her chair. I had made an unexpected trip to her small home in Florida after she had thrown her back out two weeks ago and had become temporarily bedridden. After four visits to the chiropractor, she had improved significantly, but she still experienced pain if she walked for more than a few minutes at a time.
“Do need anything? Do you want me to get you some Advil?” I asked, not convinced by her nodding. I remembered that when I had thrown my own back out the previous year, my doctor had prescribed regular doses of painkillers, not only because they made the pain manageable, but because they took the swelling down.
Grandma Carol shook her head, still wincing slightly. “No, thank you, I’m all right.”
I wondered if she was just trying to be heroic. She always had a hard time accepting that she was no longer twenty years old. Was this just another example of her bravado? However, when I asked her if she were sure, the explanation became clear.
“My doctor told me not to take…what did he call them?” She fumbled for the word for a moment, and then, finally recovering it, exclaimed, “oh yes, NSAIDS!”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. I had always thought of such painkillers as go-to medications for most types of discomfort. “Did he say why?”
“He said I can take them if the pain gets really bad and I don’t have any other options, but that I shouldn’t take them every day because they increase my risk of heart attack and stroke. He said even taking them regularly for a week isn’t a good idea. I can take Tylenol, but now that I’m sitting again I think I’m okay, dear.”
She dozed off in a moment or two, and I pulled out my laptop and did some research. Could taking painkillers actually be dangerous? I was surprised to read reports indicating that seniors who regularly took NSAIDs were fifty percent more at risk for heart attack, stroke, and even death, than those who did not. Apparently even healthy people can experience negative effects. I guess next time I have a headache, I’ll think twice before I pop a pill!
We hope this was helpful. If you have any questions or if you know of a senior that could benefit from our vast array of home care services in the Emerald Coast area , please call us in Fort Walton at 850.243.6464, Panama City at 850.522.1919, or email us. We accept most long term care insurance as payment and have a full time staff of over 150 trained and certified home care personnel covering the Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and Destin, Florida areas.
