What Are NSAIDs And When Might I Need One?

Dr. Griffin answers the question: 'What Are NSAIDs, When Might I Need One?'

ByABC News
November 11, 2008, 4:00 PM

— -- Question: What Are NSAIDs And When Might I Need One?

Answer: Well, NSAIDs stand for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. And they are a class of drugs that have three actions.

One is to fight fever, the second is to decrease inflammation, and the third is for pain relief. And the most common NSAIDs, the ones that most people know about, are the ones that are available over-the-counter, such as ibuprofen or Motrin, and naproxen or Aleve. But there are nearly twenty NSAIDs, and most of them are available only by prescription.

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