Suggest Pain Medicines For Back Pain While On Coumadin

Posted on Sun, 27 Apr 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 27 Apr 2014 Answered on

Sat, 24 May 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : What pain medicine can I take for my back when on coumadin?
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Answered by Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
See below

Detailed Answer:
Dear Mr XXXXX;

Thanks for your query. When on coumadin, the pain medications that you need to avoid are from the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory group: the most common members are aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, indomethacin. Acetaminophen, at doses below 4 grams a day (up to 8 big pills) are reasonable for a short term if liver function is fine. Otherwise, "semi" narcotics such as tramadol or narcotics like hydrocodone or hydromorphone should be OK for a short term period.

Safest long-term for mild-moderate pain: acetaminophen
Safest long-term for moderate-severe pain: tramadol

Hope this helps, wish you the best,

Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic MN
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Cardiology

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar