List of NSAIDs

A list of NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may help provide a better understanding of these drugs used to reduce mild-to-moderate pain, inflammation, fever, and/or stiffness. Among the specific uses for NSAIDs are treating painful menstrual periods, relieving fever temporarily, and treating arthritis symptoms. NSAIDs are available in both brand name versions and generics. A few examples of NSAID medicines include aspirin, naproxen, and diclofenac.

 

List of NSAIDs: An Overview

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDs for short) are a class of medicines used to reduce mild-to-moderate pain, inflammation, fever, and/or stiffness. They are also used to treat a number of medical conditions that cause pain and inflammation. When talking about NSAIDs, it is important to keep in mind that the list of medications is long and not all NSAIDs are approved for the same uses.
 
Some specific uses of NSAIDs include:
 
  • Pain relief. NSAIDs can relieve pain resulting from a procedure, as well as pain caused by straining a muscle or inflammation in a tendon (tendonitis) or bursa (bursitis). NSAIDs can also be used to treat general pain, such as a headache, toothache, knee pain, back pain, or foot pain.
     
  • Treatment of arthritis symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and swelling. NSAIDs can be used to treat several different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis (also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis), ankylosing spondylitis, and gout. NSAIDs do not cure these types of arthritis, nor do they change the progression of the disease.
     
  • Treatment of painful menstrual periods.
     
  • Relief of moderate-to-severe pain in the short term. Short-term is defined as less than five days. Toradol® is an example of an NSAID often used to relieve this type of pain. Toradol is most often used to relieve pain following a procedure, but it may also be used to relieve back pain, cancer pain, pain caused by kidney stones, and other types of short-term pain.
     
  • Temporary relief of fever.
     
(List of NSAIDs Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;