Painkillers

Selecting a safe painkiller is important , because studies have shown that certain pain killers increase the risk of  heart disease or stroke, as the probability of  clot formation increases. All pain killers may not be equally effective, but their side effects also have to be considered.

Aspirin and Tylenol are recommended for muscle and joint pain. Tylenol does not affect blood clotting. If these medicines are not providing relief from pain, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can be tried. In this class of  drugs, Naproxen and Ibuprofen have minimum side effects.

Diclonefac and Celebrex (which is a COX-2 inhibitor drug) should only be used if  there is no other alternative, as studies have shown that these drugs increase the risk of  blood clots which cause heart attacks. Alternately  for short term pain, a narcotic pain reliever like Tramadol, Codeine or Fentanyl may be used for some people.