Q: I am a 29 years old female suffering from severe neck pain for the past 12 years. I am also suffering from backache and feverish feeling. I have been taking Combiflam to get relief from the neck pain. No doctor has diagnosed the cause for the neck pain. Recently, I have noticed that pain specifically starts just a couple of days before my periods and ends up with the start of my period. I am experiencing no pain for the rest of the month. I used to take 5-6 painkillers a month, but recently I heard the side effects of taking painkillers. I am getting so confused. Moreover, the pain starts and increases with the eating of raw onion, spicy food, pickles, sauce, lemon etc. The pain starts with neck and then travels to the entire body. What are the adverse effects of painkillers? How can persistent pain be treated?

A:Most women may have some degree of pain / dysmenorrhoea before their periods and then the pain goes away once the periods get over. This is due to hormone changes in the body. Breasts may feel tender, feverish feeling and irritability may increase. Anti-spasmodic medication may be taken. Paracetamol, Proxyvon, Meftal, Buscopan etc. may be taken. Since Combiflam contains ibuprofen, long-term consumption should be minimum to avoid tendency to ulcers and kidney problems. Consult a gynaecologist to rule out anaemia, urine infection and endometriosis or calcium deficiency as contributory factors.