Self-medication with analgesics in rheumatology

Analgesics are drugs commonly used to relieve pain, but their consumption requires vigilance, particularly because of the possibility of drug interactions and the occurrence of undesirable side effects when misused. However, they are often taken as self-medication. In this context, we conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study involving 150 patients followed up in the rheumatology department (consultation or hospitalization) of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis, from March 2023 to June 2023. The mean age of patients was 51 years, with extremes ranging from 15 to 82 years, with a predominance of women. Concerning the pathologies for which our patients were followed in rheumatology, 81 patients had inflammatory pathologies and 69 patients with mechanical pathologies; RA was the most frequent pathology (40 patients). The duration of disease progression varied according to each pathology, but chronicity was present in all pathologies. The mean VAS pain score was high, with averages ranging from 5 to 8. Self-medication was common practice in our population.