Experts caution against excessive intake of painkillers

Medical experts have warned against excessive use of painkillers and analgesic drugs as such actions may result in undesirable outcomes.

Painkillers are drugs administered to a patient in order to alleviate pain and discomfort such as in the treatment of migraine pain or general pain symptoms. Though it usually plays a significant role in the life of a patient who is in need of them, these drugs may turn out to be detrimental to health.

“The simple painkillers like paracetamol are very safe but when used over a long period of time or taken in excess, it can have deleterious effects on the liver, causing hepatotoxicity. As a result its use should be only when necessary,” Bada Azeez, a medical doctor at Beula Medical Center, Yaba, Lagos told BusinessDay.

He further explains that prolonged usage of non opioids analgesics such as Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) which are further categorised as diclofenac, ibuprofen, piroxicam can worsen hypertension and potentially causes analgesics nephropathy. This can as well result in kidney failure, necessitating either transplant or dialysis.

“Lastly opioid analgestics like morphine, pentazocine, tramadol, coden, pethidine and amphetamine, are neurostimulants with addictive properties. If taken over a long time can result in drug addiction and mental imbalance.” Bada said.

He advised that simple analgesics taken within its therapeutic dosage are readily safe but chronic use is detrimental to health.

While painkillers are said to give patients relief, some research findings have also indicated that the prolonged use as well as the abuse of these drugs, whether as prescriptive or over the counter (OTC) products, can in a number of ways actually be very harmful and even fatal for any individual.

Oretayo Oni, a medical doctor also tells BusinessDay that “painkiller drugs are necessary physical and mental wellbeing of an ill patient. They vary in mechanism of action, strength and potency and can be use for various causes of pain starting from mild body aches to pain of cancerous origin”

Oni explains that “the use of analgesics (painkillers) is beneficial provided the safety limit is not exceeded. Abuse of painkillers can lead to addiction, increased tolerance and consequent reduction in efficacy, organ damage (liver, kidney, cardiac, brain) and eventually death”.

“There is no drug that doesn’t have side effect. Even if it is damacin applied for pain, it has to be moderate, and taken with caution because most of the drugs sometimes have effect on liver, kidney etcetera” said Gorge Nwagha a Pharmacist in Lagos.