15% of adults take dangerously high amounts of pain relievers, study indicates

Many adults who use ibuprofen and othernonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs take toomuch, increasing their risk of serious side-effects likeinternal bleeding and heart attacks, a U.S. study suggests.

About 15 per cent of adults taking ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or other NSAIDs like Aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex), meloxicam (Mobic) and diclofenac (Voltaren) exceededthe maximum recommended daily dose for these drugs, the study found.

"NSAIDs are among the most commonly used medicines in the U.S. and worldwide," said lead study author Dr. David Kaufman of Boston University.

"These drugs can have serious side-effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding and heart attacks, and are often taken without medical oversight because many products are available over-the-counter," Kaufman said by email. "The attitude that users can choose their own dose regardless of label directions, along with poor knowledge of dosing limits, is associated with exceeding the daily limit."

Ignoring label concern

Even so, the findings highlight a potential downside of making NSAIDs widely available without a prescription, said Dr. Gunnar Gislason, director of research for the Danish Heart Foundation in Cophenhagen.

"I believe that the message sent to the consumer when these drugs are widely available in convenience stores and gas stations is that these drugs are safe and you can use them safely for pain relief thus no need for reading the label," Gislason, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.

Even when people do read the label, they may still ignore it.

"If the recommended dosage does not give sufficient pain relief, it is easier to take more pills than seeking professional advice from a healthcare person or doctor," Gislason added.

On its website, Health Canada recommends that these ibuprofen products have a maximum recommended dose of 1,200 milligrams per day, and are to be used for seven days or less.

While doctors may prescribe NSAIDs for some muscle and joint disorders and certain other health problems, these drugs aren't appropriate for many of the reasons that patients may buy themat the drugstore, said Dr. Liffert Vogt of the Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

"In my opinion NSAIDs should not be available as an over-the-counter drug, because of all their deleterious effects," Vogt, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.

"For occasional use, acetaminophen (again in the right dose) is a much safer option and very efficacious as a pain killer," Vogt added. "But we know that many people use NSAIDs forindications other than pain, such as flu, allergies, fever and there is no medical base that indicates that NSAIDs or acetaminophen are of any use under these circumstances."