Expert: Nigel Simmons - 11/23/2005

Question
Dear Mr. Simmons,

How long does it take Diclofenac to take effect ? is it a matter of days or hours because Ibuprofen you feel the effect right away.

Is too much pepper (in diet) bad for prostatitis and in general for health ?

Regards,

Jack

Answer
Jack

Other than dispersible tablets that are disolved in water before taking, all other formulations are either sustained/slow release or enteric coated.

Sustained release tablets are designed to release the drug in small doses over an extended period of time - typically 12-18 hours. This means that blood levels and effectiveness is low for the first few doses, but by day 3 the effect should be maximum.

Enteric coated tablets are designed to prevent release of the Diclofenac in the stomach (where it can cause ulceration), but the whole dose is released after the tablet leaves the stomach. Typically this would mean a delay of 1-2 hours before any effect is noticed, depending on whether the tablet is taken before or after food. After will delay the onset further.

Ibuprofen tablets are almost all immediate release (despite still having a risk of stomach ulcreation), so will have a faster onset of action.


With regard to pepper and prostatitis, it is likely that chemicals within the pepper can potentially iritate inflamed tissue. There are numerous references on Google for the link, but I would be very dubious about any claims that they make as none really relate to credible medical websites. At best they are for a "doctor" who may have a product to sell. The best advice would be to use pepper in moderation and if you find it causes problems then do without it completely. Also be aware that pre-packaged and take-away foods may contain pepper extracts, so again be cautious as they are unlikely to appear on labelling as anything other than seasoning.


I hope this helps.