Ketoprofen: An Alternative Way to Relieve Pain

According to a 2005 study published in Gastroenterology, - the journal of the American Gastroenterological Association - chronic users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen, sold as Advil, Motrin or Nuprin, naproxen, sold as Aleve or Naprosyn, or COX-2 inhibitors, sold as Celebrex) have an increased risk of bleeding and visible changes to their small intestine. It has always been known that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause potentially deadly stomach complications, but the extent of damage to the small intestine was not known until this study.

Every day, more than 30-million people take over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription NSAIDs for pain relief, headaches, and arthritis. There are 20 NSAIDs available by prescription only but many, including ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin are available over the counter.

Each year the long-term use of NSAIDs cause nearly 103,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths according to the 2005 study. In the study, it was found that 71 percent of those who were exposed to NSAIDs for more than 90 days had visible injury to their small intestine (from small erosions to ulcers).

In 2003 the AGA actually launched a campaign called R.E.D.U.C.E. (Risk Education to Decrease Ulcer Complications and Their Effects from NSAIDs).

Several years ago I discovered an alternative way of using NSAIDs that some physicians think greatly reduces the risk of gastrointestinal problems. I had what is known as a "frozen shoulder". This is a condition that can come on spontaneously, without injury, especially in women in their fifties. It can cause one shoulder to freeze up, accompanied by intense pain, especially when lying down at night. The pain and gradually "freezing up" stage can last one to two years. The pain eventually subsides but it may take another year to "unfreeze" the shoulder and regain range of motion.

I found, as have other women I've talked to with the same condition, that even narcotic pain relievers didn't touch the excruciating pain of this condition. My nights were terribly disrupted by pain and my days impacted because of the sleep deprivation.

But my daughter's best friend's father was a compounding pharmacist (a pharmacist who compounds medicines just the way they did in the old days). With my doctor's permission, I tried something new to me: a topical NSAID called ketoprofen. I would apply the ketoprofen cream (patches are also available) directly to the affected area several times a day. Relief was almost instantaneous. I had none of the side effects I usually experience with NSAIDs taken orally such as stomach upset and pain and drowsiness. An old-fashioned rubber ice bag plopped on my shoulder helped as well to get me through more than a year of terrible pain.

Of course, even when applied to the skin with a cream or a patch, some of the NSAID gets into the body's systems and can cause side effects, even dangerous ones, especially in persons with compromised renal (kidney) systems.

Topical ketoprofen has been used in other countries for years and is available on the internet. But Endo Pharmaceuticals obtained the right to do clinical trials in the United States. They are studying the efficacy of a Ketoprofen Topical Patch (20%) in the treatment of pain associated with shoulder, elbow, or knee tendonitis or bursitis. The U.S. National Institutes of Health publicized this official trial which began in January of 2007 and is expected to be completed in October of 2007.

I'll just bet that the results will be just as promising as those I experienced. Ask your doctor whether this is an option for you. Topical ketoprofen may be available through your pharmacist. If you obtain the product online, be sure to check with your doctor first. As mentioned above, side effects in certain persons can be deadly. No drug is without some side effects.

But pain relief may head in a new direction if these current clinical trials turn out positive. And you might want to check out Endo Pharmaceuticals on the stock exchange!