Long term NSAID use is generally not good for the gut and dietary absorption :( I used to live off nurofen for a while dealing with severe gum pain, a UTI and bad cramps (thankfully not all together. I now realise these were all secondary to significant stress during the first big lockdown). That ended when I got a stomach ulcer that then forced me onto a relatively bland but probiotic diet for a month.
My use was for sciatica. Without aspirin I wouldn't have been able to start the day, once moving the exercise relieved any muscle tension and pain. Now I have lost weight and that seems to have helped a lot so I can stop taking it. But damn no doctor told me of this side effect and it's not on any aspirin packet. I'm on the road to better now. :)
I have intermittent sciatica & back pain — may I ask what other strategies or medications helped you relieve your symptoms? I exercise and take NSAIDs infrequently. Also tried medical marijuana, which was admittedly fun and def eased anxiety around pain flare-ups but didn't reduce the physical pain noticeably. And yeh trying to avoid opiates for obvious reasons.