Healthdirect homepage
Free Australian health advice you can count on

Anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs)

Key facts

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — also called NSAIDs — are medicines that help ease pain, reduce inflammation (redness and swelling) and lower fever.
  • You can get NSAIDs with a doctor's prescription or buy them over the counter at a pharmacy or supermarket.
  • NSAIDs can cause side effects such as stomach upsets, bleeding, kidney problems and high blood pressure.
  • You can reduce your chance of harm by taking NSAIDs for a short time and at the lowest dose that helps with your symptoms.
  • There are many brand names for the same NSAID medicine, and many different NSAIDs available, so be careful not to take more than you need.

What are NSAIDs?

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs are medicines that are used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation (redness and swelling).

In Australia, you can buy low-dose NSAIDs over the counter in a pharmacy or supermarket. You can also get stronger versions of NSAIDs with a doctor's prescription. NSAIDs are widely available.

NSAIDs usually come in tablets or capsules. NSAIDs can also come in liquid, cream, gel, injection, spray and suppository form.

What are NSAIDs used for?

You can use NSAIDs to help treat symptoms caused by many health problems. NSAIDs can be used to:

How do NSAIDs work?

NSAIDs help to reduce pain and inflammation by stopping injured cells from making chemicals called prostaglandins. These chemicals cause inflammation and swelling. NSAIDS do not rely on a steroid to reduce inflammation.

Using an NSAID medicine does not stop the underlying cause of pain or inflammation.

What medicines contain NSAIDs?

NSAIDs are used in many different medicines. Some examples of NSAIDs are:

There are NSAIDs in over-the-counter medicines used for:

To find out if a medicine contains an NSAIDs you should carefully read the label. Your pharmacist or doctor will also be able to help.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

What are the side effects or risks of NSAIDs?

Warning:

Don't give aspirin to children aged under 12 years old unless advised by a doctor. In children, aspirin can cause a very rare condition known as Reye's Syndrome, which can be life-threatening.

All medicines have side effects. Common side effects that can happen after taking NSAIDs include:

More serious but less common side effects include bleeding in your stomach and kidney problems.

NSAIDs (including aspirin) can also trigger asthma symptoms in some people. If you have asthma and need an NSAID for pain relief, talk to your doctor first.

NSAIDs have also been linked to a small increase in your chance of having a stroke or heart attack.

Is it safe for me to take NSAIDs?

You should not take NSAIDs if you:

Learn more about medicine (Opens in new tab) for pain and fever in babies and children.

You are more likely to have side effects from taking an NSAID if you already have medical condition such as:

Other factors that increase your chance of having a side effect from an NSAID include:

  • being older than 65 years
  • being dehydrated
  • already taking another medicine that contains an NSAID
  • taking more than the recommended dose or taking it for a long time
  • being pregnant

Older people should not use NSAIDs on a regular basis because they have a higher chance of side effects, such as:

  • gastric ulcers
  • heart failure
  • renal impairment (kidney problems)

How can I lower my risk of side effects?

In general, your chance of side effects can be lowered if you only use NSAIDs:

  • occasionally
  • for a limited time
  • at the lowest dose you need to control your pain (but within the dose range recommended by your doctor or pharmacist)

You can lower your chances of stomach upset by taking NSAIDs with food.

Warning:

It's important that you always follow the dosing instructions carefully. For children, you need to give the dose written on the bottle or packaging, according to your child's weight.

Is it safe to take NSAIDs with other medicines?

Taking certain medicines can increase your chance of experiencing side effects with NSAIDs. These medicines include:

NSAIDS may be prescribed by a doctor, but you can buy them from a pharmacy or supermarket without a prescription. Take care not to double up (take 2 doses by mistake).

Accidental overdose of NSAIDs

An overdose is when you too much of a medicine. This can happen by accident if you use the same kind of medicine for more than one thing.

You need to be careful not to take one NSAID for a headache and another NSAID in a medicine for a cold.

If you take an NSAID for a chronic (long-term) condition such as arthritis, ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking cold and flu medicines. You need to take care to avoid an accidental overdose.

If you're unsure, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

When should I see my doctor?

If you buy over-the-counter NSAIDs, follow the instructions closely and do not take more than the recommended dose. Do not continue taking them for more than the recommended time.

Talk to your doctor if you have questions about the benefits and risks of NSAIDs. For many people, the health benefits of treatment outweigh the known risks.

If you are buying over-the-counter NSAIDs, talk to your pharmacist or your doctor.

Do not give NSAIDs to your child (Opens in new tab) for more than 2 days without seeing a doctor.

Stop taking NSAIDs and see your doctor if you notice anything wrong, especially any signs of stomach bleeding, such as:

Preparing for an appointment? See our tips on questions to ask your doctor.

Are there any alternatives to this medicine?

If your pain and inflammation are localised (in one place) you could try a topical treatment. Try rubbing an anti-inflammatory gel or cream into sore muscles or using an anti-inflammatory throat lozenge for a sore throat.

You can also use medicines containing paracetamol to manage symptoms of pain and fever.

Your doctor can prescribe medicines that work in different ways to help with chronic (long term) conditions like arthritis.

Resources and support

You can check whether a medicine you're taking is an NSAID, or contains an NSAID, on the healthdirect medicine page.

Speak to your pharmacist for information about prescription and over-the-counter medicines containing NSAIDs.

The Royal Children's Hospital provides information in languages other than English (Opens in new tab) about pain relief for children.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Last reviewed: April 2026

Need more information?

These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Top results

Symptom Checker

Worried about your health?

Select a symptom, answer some questions, get advice

Service Finder

service category
General practicePharmacyHospitalEmergency department
Search other services
Use current location