The doctors ' warning – popular pain-relieving gel

"The doctors' warning – popular pain-relieving gel"

"At the muscle aches and sport injuries takes many often to the gel sold over the counter. But it barely makes any good and are also bad for the environment, warns the committee is in the Region of Gävleborg, writing the Whole of Hälsingland. "

"Voltaren is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs that are popular in gelform and one of the most sold egenvårdsläkemedlen on the the Swedish pharmacy. According to the description of the product should it alleviate muscle aches and sport injuries."

"the Committee is in the Region of Gävleborg raises, however, a warning finger, write the Whole of Hälsingland. "

"– We do not recommend the use of this gel. It has a very limited available power. But above all it is dangerous for the environment, " says familjeläkaren Björn Ericsson, who is the chairman of the committee, to the newspaper. "

"”the Skin only takes up four per cent”."

"It is diclofenac, the active ingredient in Voltaren, which is the culprit. Diclofenac may not be taken care of by the treatment plants, but flows out into water bodies where it hurts such as fish. "

"As gelform, it is extra dangerous then most of the product is flushed out in the drain. A tube of Voltarengel enough to contaminate the fresh water equivalent to 25-metersbassänger, according to the trade association the Swedish Water."

" When you use this gel takes the skin only up four per cent of the product. The rest showers you away. The medical effect of the product is thus very small while the environmental impact is very large, " explains Björn Ericsson."

"According to him, there are several pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs that do not contain diclofenac, for example, ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen. "

"Voltaren are rarely out prescription, go to buy over the counter. Therefore, it is not primarily the medical profession to be convinced, but the public, he says."

"– If people knew the risks with this preparation, they would not buy it, " he says."

"the pharmaceutical company rejects the criticism"

"It is the pharmaceutical company GSK, GlaxoSmithKline, which manufactures Voltaren. They reject criticism from Björn Ericsson."

" It is important that the patient's access to medicines is based on a scientifically complete assessment of the impact for both the patient and the environment, writing, Helena Bladh, doctor and medical expert at GSK, in a written comment to the Whole of Hälsingland. "

"According to her is Voltaren gel a approved drugs in both Sweden and internationally, whose effect is well-documented."

"– When it comes to environmental impacts, it may today be difficult to advocate the use of alternative products because of their risk to the environment not always have been fully assessed, which makes it difficult for the patient to be able to make an informed decision. To use medicines in a sustainable way, both for the patient and the environment, you should always use the correct dosage, do not treat more often or for longer than is necessary and always return any leftover medicines to the pharmacy, she writes in her comment to the newspaper."