Voltaren gel

From my own research it's a it can hurt your liver.

oh no. I use it regularly. My liver is one thing that my systemic illness haven't targeted yet. Everything else u nder the sun. Been ill most of my life and we keep adding to the list. I am sad to hear this because I use it everyday.
Everything causes side effects even anti-inflammatory creams. WTH. As the saying goes and whick is true, take a pill, get a side effect and take a another pill for the side effect, and the chase begins. Wishing health and happiness to everyone. Trying to manage all the illnesses, meds, drs., appts. tests bloodwork, personal family issues, major depression and anxiety, I can't take it anymore and have almost given up....
God Bless.
Maria

Perhaps a google search might clear things up...good luck !

I believe only the Voltaren pill can cause liver problems but I could be wrong

Don't give up Maria. I do know how you feel though. It's so hard to find any decent Drs. where I live. But there are a few more I can try, so I guess I will. The side effects of pills are bad, but what can we do? Try to keep up with whatever you can do. Maybe take a break from it all for awhile if you can, then get back refreshed.

When you are considering a new pill, ointment, exercise or even sunshine, I have found that checking with my Pharmacist to be invaluable. They help navigate all those scary warnings on labels. Remember those things are written by lawyers! To get real 'applied to my personal situation' advise, my Pharmacist will evaluate based on my personal medication regime.
Voltaren gel, I find wonderful. But remember you have to take it for a day or two before the benefit kicks in.
Best of luck on your research!

@thisoldewe - you’re right, your pharmacist is your best source of medication information!

Yes, this gel does have the potential to cause liver damage. I have liver cysts so I am very careful about what I apply or ingest. That is why I stopped applying Voltaren after learning the info from reputable sources. I had applied it on lumbar region for about three weeks. That was over 16 yrs ago. My husband was prescribed the gel and I made him aware of the caveats, but he insisted that he'd use it on an "absolutely too much pain" basis. I am very uneasy with his using this medication, and I wear nitrile gloves when applying it very sparingly on painful areas on his back. He finds OTC creams/gels pretty useless and odiferous. I can't take prescription pain meds so I apply heating pad, take Aleve (what my primary told me to take sparingly since it can raise my blood pressure), apply Blue Emu cream (works for me; has no odor), and listen to my body telling me to slow down/rest, which I have to do since my entire body is affected when there is high pain in any given area.
If you decide to use the Voltaren, do apply it very sparingly and only on the affected areas. Use gloves, dispose of them afterwards, wash hands thoroughly anyway. And make sure that bloodwork includes testing liver enzymes, etc.

Yes the pharmacist (a good one) knows so much and has much more information than even the care givers sometimes. They only deal with medication and what it can cause and know from experience. I have only one pharmacist that I love and will only talk with her when she is in.

I use diclofenac gel generic with few concerns.
Very little is absorbed through the skin. Most warnings
apply to higher doses taken by mouth. No need for
gloves unless you are allergic to NSAIDs and applying it
as a caregiver. It is available as eye drops.