title: Naturalistic survey on nonsteroidal antiinflammatory treatment in patients with musculoskeletal pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate patients' opinions about the gastrointestinal safety and areas for improvement of conventional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy for musculoskeletal pain, the Louis Harris Institute conducted a survey in 401 patients selected in France using a quota sampling method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and five patients (76%) described their pain as incapacitating. Nearly, one-third of the patients (125/401, 31%) reported gastrointestinal side effects, which prompted endoscopy in 24 (24/125, 20%) and gastroprotective drug treatment (usually by a proton pump inhibitor) in 100 (100/125, 82%). NSAID discontinuation or dosage reduction because of gastrointestinal side effects occurred in 55 patients (55/125, 45%), at the cost of symptom exacerbation, including worse pain, in over half the cases. Among the 401 patients, 304 (76%) wanted more effective NSAIDs and 174 (43%) wanted better gastrointestinal tolerability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under everyday conditions, the use and effectiveness of conventional NSAID therapy are limited by gastrointestinal side effects. Furthermore, patients want NSAIDs with better risk/benefit ratios to control musculoskeletal pain.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Trousseau Teaching Hospital, 37044, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goupille
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Logeart
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Combe
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal