Long-term treatment with Voltaren can change your liver enzymes. On a blood test, your levels might be higher than normal even before you have symptoms.
3) Diclofenac (Voltaren, Cambia)
Any NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) can cause liver injury, although it's very rare. This class of medications includes popular drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. But when it comes to liver injury, diclofenac is the NSAID with the highest risk.
Liver damage
This can happen as early as within the first month of starting this medication. Your risk is higher if you use topical diclofenac with other medications that can also cause liver damage, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Augmentin (amoxicillin / clavulanate).
As a topical gel, a smaller amount of diclofenac from Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel reaches the bloodstream compared with the oral form of diclofenac. In a clinical study, the systemic exposure with Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel was 6%, or 94% less than the systemic exposure with the oral NSAID diclofenac.
Severe Adverse Reactions to Voltaren
You should also know that long-term NSAID use can lead to serious kidney problems like renal papillary necrosis , a condition where parts of the kidney die.
Diclofenac sodium (the medication in Voltaren gel) can stay in the body for nearly 3 weeks.
Diclofenac may also cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using Voltaren Arthritis Pain gel, especially in older adults.
For osteoarthritis of the knees, ankles, or feet using Voltaren® 1% gel: Adults—Apply 4 grams (g) to the affected skin areas four times a day (a total of 16 g each day). However, the total dose should not exceed 32 g per day over all affected joints. Use the enclosed dosing card to measure the appropriate dose.
A slew of studies, though, show diclofenac — sold under the brand names Voltaren, Cambia, Cataflam and Zipsor — is just as likely to cause a heart attack as the discredited painkiller Vioxx (rofecoxib), which was pulled from the U.S. market in 2004.
This medicine is not recommended for use in children under 14 years of age. Do not apply the gel to skin that has (i) a rash or eczema (ii) cuts or open wounds. Stop the treatment if a skin rash develops after applying the product.
Therapy with diclofenac in full doses is frequently associated with mild serum aminotransferase elevations and, in rare instances, can lead to serious clinically apparent, acute or chronic liver disease.
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER. Topical NSAIDs are associated with almost four times more local skin adverse events but about one-third fewer gastrointestinal adverse events than their oral counterparts in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain up to 12 weeks.
Get medical help right away if you have any very serious side effects, including: signs of kidney problems (such as change in the amount of urine, pink/bloody urine), unexplained stiff neck. Diclofenac may rarely cause serious (possibly fatal) liver disease.
They also recommend that doctors measure transaminases periodically in patients undergoing long-term therapy with Voltaren gel. Elevated levels of transaminases can be an early indicator of future liver problems brought on by the gel.
The amount of diclofenac sodium that is systemically absorbed from Voltaren® Gel is on average 6% of the systemic exposure from an oral form of diclofenac sodium.
Don't use more than the recommended dose of gel. If large areas of the body are covered with gel, more diclofenac will be absorbed into the body and this will increase the risk of side effects, especially if the gel is used frequently.
It's a potent medication that is very effective for many people and is often used for arthritis pain. For superficial joints – like hands, wrists and even knees – it can be very effective. However, the joints of the cervical spine in the neck, and most of the shoulder joint, are deeper than the Voltaren can penetrate.
Diclofenac tablets and capsules can cause an ulcer in your stomach or gut if you take them for a long time or in big doses. There's also a small risk of heart failure or kidney failure if you take very big doses (150mg a day) for a long time. It's best to take the lowest dose that works for the shortest possible time.
Take NSAIDs at the end of a full meal or with an antacid
Drugs that reduce stomach irritation include misoprostol (Cytotec), or a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole (Prilosec), esomeprazole (Nexium), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid), or rabeprazole (Aciphex).
NSAIDs, including Voltaren Gel, can lead to high blood pressure or worsening of high blood pressure, which may add to the increased risk of heart attack and stroke. There is a potential for elevation in liver function tests during treatment with diclofenac containing products.
In all these tests, there were no unwanted effects attributable to long-term treatment with Voltaren. Our study would indicate that Voltaren is a safe drug which has no effect on the organs of haemopoiesis, nor on hepatic or renal function, even in long-term therapy.
Voltaren Arthritis Pain is not for immediate relief and may take up to 7 days to work. Consumers should stop use and seek medical attention if their arthritis pain is not improved in 7 days or they need to use the product for more than 21 days.
An alternative to pills, Voltaren gel is a topical analgesic that targets pain directly at the source to deliver nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine for powerful arthritis pain relief. Voltaren is clinically proven to relieve joint pain, reduce stiffness, and improve mobility.
It reduces inflammation and pain. Voltaren gel is approved for use on arm and leg joints only. It has not been studied for use in the hips or spine. You should not use Voltaren gel to treat muscle pain in other areas of the body, such as the lower back.