Practical points on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

All nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs act by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis, but the particular agent that will best suit an individual patient's needs cannot be predicted. Each drug should be tried for at least three weeks at maximal dosage before it is considered ineffective. When a particular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent is not effective, one from another class should be tried. Levels of drugs metabolized by the liver are altered by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents. Costs are quite variable.