The sense of urgency that the attacks coming from gout seldom fails in gaining the attention that it needs. Well, I guess nobody would want to suffer from any of the lingering pain and inflammation that it causes for a long period of time. In any case, it is not me and not you, of course. Because of this particular reason, the faster the medicine, the better it is for those who suffer from gout. The second of the norms of the medication for gout is going to be the effectiveness. Who would want a fast medicine that cannot even do a thing, right?
In this article, you will get to know about diclofenac and how it is used in treating gout. What is the proper dosage of it? Does it really work for gout? Find out the answers to these questions below. So what are you waiting for, give this article a read now!
Before we get to the answers to our questions, let us first define what diclofenac really means.
What is Diclofenac?
Diclofenac is a medication that is recommended to those who suffer from gout. This specific medication for gout does not lower the level of uric acid. Conversely, it helps in alleviating the inflammation and pain for a short period of time. Moreover, Diclofenac is a Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs or NSAID. Thus, it works by preventing the cyclooxygenase enzyme. This particular enzyme has a very important role in relieving and kindling the inflammation and pain produced by the illness. Moreover, diclofenac is beneficial in getting rid of the inflammation and pain by way of removing your capacity to feeling them. However, this is not the only prowess of diclofenac; it is not just for gout. Diclofenac can be used in some other illnesses, which are in connection with inflammation and pain.
Diclofenac: Is it effective for gout?
There is no doubt that diclofenac is very effective in eliminating migraine and headache. But there is a doubt when it comes to treating gout. As we all know, gout is very far from a headache. Well, in the actual fact, in comparison to some other Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs or NSAIDs, the diclofenac performs better in treating gout. Maybe it is a bit slower than the others, but at least, it has lesser side effects.
Do you also wonder what happens to the diclofenac once it enters the body? Well, let’s see!
Diclofenac: Way of Action
In order to relieve the inflammation and the pain, diclofenac mainly relies on the disruption of inflammation and pain. If you swallow or take diclofenac, you are like taking a signal jammer.
The inflammation, as well as the pain signals that are disrupted aren’t just in there to give you the agony. These signals actually act as warning signals that send something in to the alarm system, which is we know as the nociceptors. These nociceptors will then send signals to the brain and that’s it! The pain settles in and then the gouty joints will get inflamed all at once.
Note, the signals that are being sent by the nociceptors doesn’t always send the signals. This mainly depends on the strength of the pain signal that’s being sent. Moreover, the nociceptors have their own thresholds for each pain signals. This just means that the nociceptors may tolerate up to a certain signal strength. And if the pain signal breaks into this threshold, then the gout attack begins.
When the cells die, they discharge a substance known as arachidonic acid, which is then converted to prostaglandins by the cyclooxygenase enzymes (cox1 & cox2) –these will become the pain signals.
This is now where diclofenac enters. If you take diclofenac for gout, it disrupts the cyclooxygenase enzymes in order for the arachidonic acid to remain unharmed, and not converted into prostaglandins. Therefore, there will be no pain and inflammation to occur and irritate you. Moreover, there will also be no gout attacks for a day or two, or even a week. The best thing here is that diclofenac mostly prevents the cyclooxygenase cox2 and not the cox1. This means that the diclofenac causes fairly lower cases of the gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding in comparison to the other NSAISs.
Negative Effects of Diclofenac
The negative side of diclofenac, in comparison to some other NSAISs is actually the fact that it has a moderately slower action. This is due to the fact that it uses sodium salt base rather than potassium salt. Furthermore, it also means that it may help in inducing the undesired reactions to various individuals who cant tolerate sodium. Moreover, it may also still cause gastrointestinal bleeding and ulceration.
In addition, diclofenac may also cause psychotic reactions, nightmares, irritability, anxiety, and even depression. Taking any risks is not worth it, remember that! Most especially because diclofenac doesn’t really lower the uric acid. Even though it temporarily relieves the pain, it does not treat gout –it may still haunt you back.
