Before using anti-inflammatory drugs, patients should tell their physician if they have any of the following conditions:

• Stomach or intestinal problems such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis or stomach ulcers. Recent research suggests that short-term use of COX-2 inhibitors may be safe for people with inflammatory bowel disease.
  
  
• Diabetes. Corticosteroids can glucose (blood sugar), and long-term use can even induce diabetes. Some diabetic patients are prescribed daily low-dose aspirin to help prevent or control cardiovascular disease, but people with conditions such as diabetic kidney disease (nephropathy) may be advised by their physician to avoid aspirin and other NSAIDs.
  
  
• History or risk of kidney disease. Use of painkillers including aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen can cause acute kidney failure, especially in those with risk factors such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and long-term can cause chronic, irreversible kidney failure, according to the National Institutes of Health. Other pain conditions that can involve kidney damage include sickle cell anemia and uncontrolled benign prostatic hyperplasia.
  
  
• Liver disease.
  
  
• High blood pressure.