CONSUMER ALERTS

July 2009

Get a handle on your arthritis pain

With the variety of pain relief medications available today, your arthritis pain doesn’t   have to mean you can’t enjoy a full, active life. But what measures can you take to ensure that your medicine is helping—and not harming—you? Find out by reading the free Managing Arthritis Pain package of publications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC).
     For your arthritis pain, your doctor may either prescribe a pain reliever or advise you to buy one over the counter. No matter which medicine your doctor thinks is best for your needs, be sure to ask some important questions about it, including: How should I take it? What side effects should I be on the alert for? What should I do if I miss a dose? Learn what other questions to ask with the Managing Arthritis Pain package.
     Before your healthcare provider prescribes you a new medicine, make sure to inform him or her about any and all other medicines—prescription as well as over-the-counter—that you’re taking. Your over-the-counter cold or flu medication might contain acetaminophen, and if you’re already taking a prescription pain reliever with acetaminophen, you risk causing damage to your liver.
     It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of reading the labels on non-prescription pain relievers before you buy or use them. Note the recommended dose. The fact is, taking more than the amount recommended won’t relieve more pain, and taking a pain reliever for longer than the recommended number of days may cause other problems. For instance, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can all cause bleeding in the intestines or stomach if taken too often. The Managing Arthritis Pain package can tell you more about these kinds of issues.
     With the help of medications taken the correct way, you can better manage your arthritis pain and stay healthy at the same time. There are three easy ways to order the free Managing Arthritis Pain package:

• Send your name and address to Managing Arthritis Pain, Pueblo, Colorado 81009

• Visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/n91arthritispain.htm to place your order online or to read or print these and hundreds of other federal publications for free.
  
  
• Or call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That’s 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time and ask for the Managing Arthritis Pain package.