Diclofenac and side effects, should I worry?

[radiotbot.]

Hi

I have an ongoing lower back problem which causes upper back and shoulder problems, MRI Scan, Xrays, injections, lots of private physio, lots of walking, acupunture (which helped with muscle spasms in neck and shoulder), lots of time off work ect ect, you've heard it all before no doubt!
I absolutely hate taking painkillers...my hubby says I read too much and the result is total worry of what these drugs might do to my insides. My GP perscribed Diclofenac 50mg 3 times a day to take along side the cocodamal - I only take stuff when it gets that bad that I am totally down with pain - today one of them, hence the post....

I'm worried about the internal bleeding side effect - should I worry? How would I know I'd have this and what would be the out come?
can anyone advise please - pharmacy says "it's ok, you have to be taking them for a long time to get these type of problems"!

Cheers
Susan

 

[Xania]

I've taken Diclofenac (Voltarol) several times. The first was when I broke my neck in a car crash in 1988 and the last was about 5 years ago when it was the only painkiller (alongside paracetomol) that I could take for post-op pain following major kidney surgery (I'm allergic to morphine). At no point have I ever had one single side effect from this and I've never taken a dose as low as 150mg per day.

I hope that helps. Take it when you need it. You're not going to be taking it forever. And remember, just because a particular side effect is listed, even if 1:20 suffers the side effect (in which case, it probably wouldn't get a licence anyway), you're more likely to be one of the 19 than the 1.

 

[ACMILAN!]

I've been prescribed it a couple of times. Didn't seem to have any side effects, but then it didn't seem to have any effect at all!

 

[Rickie]

I have been prescribed these but my doctor has also prescribed me Omemprozole to protect my stomach from all those nasty side effects.

 

[Eman G]

i have been on them before for my back and they did nothing for me, no side effects. but i was give dyacodine and i went a bit funny on them.

 

[AyHy]

ive been prescribed these for hip pain ,,,i have not found that i have any side effects although i am taking as and when required and not 3 times a day

 

[xgeczujoiueihoeqb]

my mum had bad problems with her lower back - something that seems to run in the family, so im waiting my turn, lol
anyway, she was just like you, had all the things you did, scans acupuncture, the lot. she had diclofenac and i dont think she got side effects with it.
she doesnt need it now tho cos she had an op on her back as that was the only way to fix it.

 

[kellywebb]

i have been on that dose of diclofenac for months now and have (touch wood) had no problems at all. i think the most important thing to do is take them with food, even if it's just a biscuit or something. i also think it's important to take them regularly and not let the pain and therefore the inflamation build up. but i'm not a doctor...that's just what i've found.

i've had more stomach problems with the cocodamol....constant constipation. am now taking senna and lactolase to help with this, but it's still not great.

hope that helps and you feel better soon.

take care,
jess xx

 

[pvnmvecv]

I agree with Jess, with medication such as diclofenac the pain-killing effect builds up over time so it is important to take them regularly rather than as needed, because they just wont work if you do that.

If you are likely to be taking them for quite a while it might be wioth asking your gp for some omeprazole or similar like one of the posters suggested above, to protect your stomach. If nothing else, at least your mind will be put at rest!

In the short term they wont damage your stomach at all unless you are one of the very rare cases that are particularly sensitive to them. I was prescribed them after major stomach surgery, when my stomach was already at its most sensitive, and had no problems at all.

C x