NSAR as ointments

NSAID is a collective term for a wide range of active ingredients, including diclofenac, ibuprofen, aspirin and methotrexate. Some of them are available in tablet form, but also as ointment or gel. These include diclofenac and ibuprofen.

Aspirin and methotrexate are not available as ointments, gels or creams. Diclofenac in gel form usually contains an active ingredient concentration of about 10 mg per gram of gel. In gels containing ibuprofen, the active ingredient concentration is about 50 mg per gram of gel.

This sounds like a lot. However, it should be borne in mind that the skin is a distinct barrier and only a small amount of the active ingredient passes through it. For this reason, it is necessary to start with a particularly large amount of active ingredient in the gel in order to achieve a sufficient effect.

Voltars

Voltaren® is the trade name for diclofenac from GSK. It designates various drugs containing diclofenac. Voltaren is available as gel, tablet, soft capsule, patch and spray.

In general, Voltaren is a pain medication that also has an anti-inflammatory effect. Depending on the dosage form, there are different areas of application and dosages. Voltaren Gel contains 11.6 g of diclofenac per gram of gel, Voltaren forte 23.2 g per gram of gel.

It is mainly used for pain of the locomotor system, i.e. joints and muscles. The same applies to Voltaren spray, which contains 40 mg of diclofenac per gram of solution. Tablets and soft capsules contain 25 mg of active ingredient and can relieve mild to moderate pain.

The maximum daily dose of diclofenac in tablet form is 200-300 mg and should not be exceeded, otherwise the probability of side effects increases dramatically. Voltaren as a patch contains 180 mg diclofenac. Advantages of patches are the continuous, longer-term release of the drug and their local effect. This means that the active ingredient is only effective where the patch sticks. It lasts for a longer period of time and therefore rarely needs to be changed.