Q I am a 50-year-old woman and have taken anti-inflammatory painkillers for more than two months whenever my chest hurts. Is it alright to keep taking them?
A Anti-inflammatory painkillers help reduce pain in the acute phase, but long-term use can bring burdens such as heartburn or damage to the stomach lining. Caution is especially needed if your meals are irregular or your stomach was already weak. If use is becoming prolonged, it is worth revisiting the duration with the prescribing clinician.
Detailed Answer
Suppressing pain with medication is not itself a problem. But needing it continuously for more than two months is also a sign that the cause producing the pain remains in place. Checking why the pain keeps returning comes before increasing the dose.
Many people also use medicated patches or hot and cold packs. Patches left on the same spot too long can macerate the skin, so keep to the stated wearing time and stop if the skin reddens. As a general rule, use cold packs right after an injury or when there is swelling and heat, and warm packs for long-standing stiffness.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Those who have taken painkillers for a long time often have an unsettled stomach or reduced appetite, so we check digestion alongside pain treatment. We aim to lower pain intensity with acupuncture and moxibustion so that reliance on medication becomes less frequent, and for those with a weak stomach we consider digestive burden first even when using herbal medicine matched to the constitution.
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