NSAIDs are the most commonly used class of human medications in the world.
NSAIDs inhibit the enzyme cyclooxygenase by blocking the production of prostaglandins associated with pain, fever, and inflammation.
Two drugs in this category, ibuprofen and naproxen, also reduce fever in addition to inflammation.
They are sold as tablets, capsules, caplets, liquids, and rectal suppositories and some are available in chewable, extended-release, or delayed-release forms.
The NSAIDs work by affecting some chemicals in the body which cause inflammation, the prostaglandins.
The anti-inflammatory effects may take from a few days to three weeks to come on, so it is worth persevering for a while before deciding that a NSAID is not going to help.
Unfortunately the same group of chemicals are involved in the stomach, and so the NSAIDs tend to cause indigestion.
Although NSAIDs are available in nearly every form, non-oral routes of administration avoid the direct irritation of the stomach, they do not avoid the indigestion and ulcer risks, as these are caused by the chemical once it is in the blood stream.
