Question

1. What can anto-inflammatory agents be used for?

2. What are the risks of long-term NSAID ingestion?

3. What have you heard about corticosteroid use? What are some of the side effects?

4. What advice to advoid gout do you give to a person who drinks alcohol daily?

Answer 1

1) Anti inflammatory agents are used forreducing pain and inflammation in following conditions-

Arthritis (like in Rheumatoid Arthritis)

Headaches

Joint or bone Injuries

Toothache

Polycythemia (low dose aspirin is given to reduce blood viscosity)

2) Risk for long term NSAIDS ingestion-

Nausea, Vomiting, Microscopic Gastro intestinal bleeding

Bleeding Time will be prolonged

Elevated Liver enzymes will be seen.

With prolonged use of NSAIDS, Severe Liver necrosis may happen.

There is also Risk of renal injury with prolonged use of NSAIDS.

3)Corfocosteroids are used in treatment of various pathology from skin diseases to brain tumors. Some of the Major uses are as follows

Joint pain or Joint inflammation

Temporal arteritis

Dermatitis

Asthma(Status asthamaticus)

Anaphylactic shock

Auto immune hemolytic anemia

Crohns Disease

Chronic ulcerative colitis

Allergic conjunctivitis

Cerebral edema

The side effects of corticosteroids are as under

Cushing syndrome,

Getting prone for infection,

Hyperglycemia,

Myopathy,

Peptic ulcer,

Acne, Hirsutism,

Teratogenic effects,

Reactivation of tuberculosis etc

4) Alcohol is known to be risk factor for gout. It is a source of pirone and also increase the metabolism of purines which causes Rise in uric acid level in the body. It also prevents the uric acid excretion. Hence it is advised to drink only in moderation to avoid the flare up of gout.

It means-

up to one drink for females per day of all ages

up to 2 drinks per day for males aging 65 or younger

up to one drink per day for males having age more than 65

Here one drink implies one 12 oz glass of beer with 5% alcohol by volume, One drink means In case of wine , one 5 oz glass, One drink means In case of distilled spirit 1.5 oz glass.

Also it is suggested to patients to remain hydrated for proper excretion of uric acid.