It can be very challenging to plan treatment for individuals with joint diseases alongside gastric issues. Medications for joint pain often cause harm to the stomach, which can also affect the absorption of other medications.
For patients with joint diseases, the gastrointestinal tract is always the “gateway” for delivering joint medications into the body. However, this “gateway” does not always function well, and it can often be damaged, significantly impacting the use of joint medications. Stomach and duodenal injuries can appear before joint diseases. In many cases, gastric issues are a side effect of joint medications.
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Many joint medications can cause gastrointestinal disorders to varying degrees. First and foremost, there are dozens of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, among which aspirin has been used for over 100 years. Following that are corticosteroid medications such as prednisolone, Medrol, dexamethasone, and others.
Among slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs, chloroquine and methotrexate are well-known for their safety, but they can still irritate the stomach, leading to nausea and gastric pain. The gout medication colchicine is highly toxic to the digestive tract, potentially causing acute diarrhea, even up to ten times a day.
When using joint medications, patients often experience nausea, loss of appetite, epigastric pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Severe complications such as gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastrointestinal perforation can occur. The risk of gastrointestinal complications is significantly higher in individuals with a history of previous ulcers, those who are alcohol-dependent, older adults, or those taking anticoagulants.
Due to frequent nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, patients with joint diseases who also suffer from gastric damage often hesitate to take their medications, and may even refuse to do so. Gastrointestinal disorders also limit the absorption of medications, resulting in insufficient drug concentration in the bloodstream.
Some medications can exacerbate gastrointestinal injuries, causing gastric and duodenal ulcers, bleeding colitis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, gastric or intestinal perforation, and even potentially leading to death.
Therefore, doctors advise patients with joint diseases to regularly check their gastric health and inform their treating physician of the results to ensure appropriate medication use. It is not advisable to change medications on one’s own, as patients may not select the correct type that is less harmful to the stomach.
