Diclofenac and Stomach Pain: What Users Say

• Tom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2018

Diclofenac for Pain "Voltaren 75 mg for knee inflammation. Stay away! This drug nearly killed me! I am an overall healthy 39-year-old male. Side effects: bloody diarrhea, tarry stool, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, faint, lightheaded, dizzy, racing heart, passed out and fell twice (gastric bleed)! I believe I was on the verge of a heart attack. I cannot believe this drug is still available! No relief whatsoever."

• Cal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 1, 2019

For Osteoarthritis "I have taken this drug for over 3 years. Not daily, but as needed (maybe once or twice a week). I am not able to take narcotics, so my doctor prescribed this for my neck arthritis, back spasms, and a frozen shoulder. This med took away at least 90% of the pain from all of the painful areas. I never had any of the reported side effects like stomach pain or diarrhea (and I have preexisting stomach issues). This is a game-changer for me because it's the only thing that has worked."

• fri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 29, 2015

Diclofenac for Osteoarthritis "I have tried 3 other medications, and this is the only one that worked well for me. All others were either too strong, causing stomach pain, or they would help for a few hours, then the pain would come back. Moving around was easier, and I had no side effects from this medication. Answer to my prayers!"

• ibm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2018

For Sciatica "Absolutely life-changing. I’m a 22-year-old with sciatic pain and back pain. Keeps pain very, very manageable and allows me to live a relatively normal life. Don’t know what I’d do without it. I do worry about long-term consequences, such as cardiac risks and stomach ulcers, but for now, cost is highly outweighed by the benefit. Best is 50 mg dispersible tablets for rapid relief, or 75 mg slow release every 12 hours for day-to-day relief."

• who...
• May 16, 2015

For Osteoarthritis "The drug works great. Helped on first dose, but man, the side effects are horrible: severe swelling, major weight gain, want to sleep all the time as I have no energy, stomach pain, etc. Not sure which to deal with... pain or side effects, and if you have asthma, it affects that as well. What to do? Maybe I will try what I saw someone on here said: take for 3 days until I can't take the side effects anymore, then stop and resume when pain is severe, so good for pain. Wish there was something like this without side effects. For pain, it is a miracle, side effects are horrible. Wish I had checked side effects months ago."

• wrp...
• March 7, 2011

Diclofenac for Back Pain "I was suffering from an impingement of a nerve root exiting the left side of the T10-T11 junction. I was prescribed Zipsor in combination with Skelaxin (muscle relaxant). The combination provided no discernible pain relief. However, I did suffer from significant stomach and intestinal pain. The stomach and intestinal pain stopped within 12 hours of discontinuing the Zipsor. Overall, not a pleasant experience."

• Mz ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 28, 2017

Diclofenac for Pain "Well, I have been on this medication for 7 months now. At first, it worked well for my pain. Your body has to get used to it. This medication works well for my joint pain in my back and knees. It will work for headaches also. But these past 2 months, I've had terrible side effects. I get these stomach pains from hell. I get sick and throw up. The stomach pain is unbearable. Taking the 18 mg 3 times a day, sometimes only able to take 1 a day with food for sure, and the stomach pain will come. It has also caused an upper respiratory infection 2 times now."

• Epi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 11, 2013

For Migraine "Cambia was prescribed to treat my migraines (which last for days) and also the excruciating pain from nerve damage in my arm. I'm 25, and I have epilepsy, which puts me at greater risk for migraine attacks. But I have a warning for those who take Cambia. Do NOT take it without food, and do not take it for longer than a few days. I learned the hard way that this medicine is very bad for the GI tract. I ended up with a severely inflamed and eroded stomach lining. I do not drink alcohol or smoke; it was definitely the Cambia that caused this. Please be mindful of your body's signals while you take any medication. Cambia can put you in the hospital even if you take it exactly as directed. Call your doc immediately if you experience GI pain!"

• gar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 12, 2023

For Ankylosing Spondylitis "Unfortunately, I could no longer take it due to severe stomach and esophagus issues, though it seemed to help some. I have ended up with a few hospital stays due to bleeding ulcers. I no longer can use NSAIDs as the lining of my stomach is nearly eaten, so please be careful with NSAIDs. Watch for sharp stomach pains and constant reflux, and of course, you know to go to the ER immediately if you have bleeding. I have advanced AS with organ involvement."

• Meh...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 7, 2021

For Back Pain "I’m a 23-year-old female. I took diclofenac and paracetamol for a headache, but just after 1/2 an hour, my severe stomach pain started, and my pain also reflects to my back. But I got relief from the headache, and for the stomachache, I took one more medicine, which makes me feel good after an hour."

• deb...
• December 28, 2011

Diclofenac for Back Pain "After taking Voltaren occasionally over a 6-week period, I suddenly started having the following symptoms: severe bloating, severe gas, severe stomach pain, nausea, constipation, weakness."

• Fin...
• January 24, 2016

For Osteoarthritis "Liver problems, severe stomach pain, severe constipation, memory issues, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, nausea, to name just a few. Otherwise, it took my knee pain away."

• sfi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2014

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I did take it without food, and my stomach did not like the pain, like gas high in the stomach and right side pain. Given by the VA."

• Anonymous
• September 20, 2009

For Osteoarthritis "Great for pain, but the nausea and stomach pain are terrible."

• Mal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 28, 2020

For Frozen Shoulder "Diclofenac did not alleviate the pain I have from a frozen shoulder, and it gave me side effects of stomach pain. I'm glad it works for others. I was hoping it would have worked for me."