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Chronic conditions
Your condition affects which pain relievers are safe to use
Your condition affects which pain relievers are safe to use
All medicines have both benefits and risks. This includes the ones used to treat your condition and others you can buy 'over the counter' without a prescription.
Over-the-counter pain relievers may contain the same (or similar) active ingredients as the medicines prescribed for your condition. Taking both may cause side effects or an accidental overdose.
Over-the-counter pain relievers can also interfere with your medicines or worsen your condition.
Always ask your doctor or pharmacist before using a pain reliever
Always tell your pharmacist or doctor about what medicines you already use and ask for their advice on which pain reliever is safest for you. Keep a medicines list to record all the medicines you take and show it to your doctor or pharmacist.
Remember to list all of your medicines, including over-the-counter pain relievers, and always follow instructions.
Have your medicines and pain management plan reviewed regularly
If you are using prescribed medicines for pain, and you often use additional over-the-counter pain relievers, talk to your doctor about whether you need to develop or adjust your pain management plan.
Know the active ingredient
Make sure you know the active ingredient of all the medicines you are taking, including any over the counter pain relievers. This will help you learn which pain relievers are safe for you to use.
Know which medicines you can take safely
- Arthritis pain
- Chronic pain
- High blood pressure
- Asthma
- Heart failure
- Impaired kidney function
- Impaired liver function
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- People over 65 years
Pain resources from NPS
NPS has developed some resources to help you be medicinewise when taking over-the-counter medicines for chronic conditions.
Be MedicineWise DL flyer
This flyer is a reminder that there can be risks in taking over-the-counter pain relievers when they:
- are not taken as directed
- interact with another medicine
- are used by people who have certain health conditions.
Order online here.
Be MedicineWise prescription wallet
Keep your prescriptions together in this be medicinewise prescription wallet. The wallet also comes with a Medicines List to help you keep track of all your medicines.
Order online here.
Top 5 medicinewise questions
When managing pain with chronic conditions
- What pain reliever medicine is best for my condition?
- Does my condition affect which pain relievers I can take safely?
- What is the active ingredient in this pain reliever?
- What do I need to tell my health professionals before taking this medicine?
- How regularly should my medicines and pain management plan be reviewed?
Know which medicines you can take safely
- Arthritis pain
- Chronic pain
- High blood pressure
- Asthma
- Heart failure
- Impaired kidney function
- Impaired liver function
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- People over 65 years
Date published: 2011-02-25 00:00:00
Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the date of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health professional. Health professionals should rely on their own expertise and enquiries when providing medical advice or treatment. Where permitted by law, NPS disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer.
References to brands should not be taken as an endorsement by NPS.
