FDA Warns: NSAIDs Increase the Risk of Strokes and Heart Failure

Are you one of those using NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs? If the answer is yes, you are definitely not the only one. They are the most common painkillers worldwide. Statistically, in the US there are over 70 million prescriptions of these drugs every year.

Aspirin and ibuprofen, in particular, are sold in over 30 billion doses every year. These painkillers can treat everything from headaches, and backaches to rheumatoid arthritis and menstrual pain.

How Do These NSAIDs Work?

NSAIDs inhibit the body’s ability to synthesize prostaglandins, chemicals similar to hormones that respond to cell injuries. However, people are not aware that these drugs can seriously harm their overall health.

Vomiting, stomach upset and nausea are just some of the effects that these drugs can cause. According to some studies, these drugs can lead to more serious side effects and even death.

The American Journal of Medicine published a study in 1998 that stated that every year around 107,000 patients are hospitalized due to NSAID-related gastrointestinal complications. Also, there are around 16,500 deaths among arthritis patients every year.

NSAIDs Lead to Serious Health Risks

Vioxx is one particular deadly NSAID that was released in 2000. Prior to his approval, there were some warnings about the cardiovascular risks related to this drug. Before Vioxx was removed from the market, nearly 60,000 deaths took place over a period of four years.

In 2004, the FDA warned that NSAIDs such as COX-2 inhibitors including Bextra, Celebrex, ibuprofen, Aleve, and aspirin can cause serious side effects such as:

GI bleeding
Cardiovascular problems
Ulcers
High blood pressure
Kidney problems

This year in February, the FDA inspected the heart risk linked to different NSAIDs. According to research, naproxen may be less risky than NSAIDs. However, there were 16-9 votes against the change of the warning label on naproxen in order to point out that it is safer for the heart than any other drug in this class.

Avoid the Usage of NSAIDs in Pregnancy and Colds

There was a special warning against the use of NSAIDs during pregnancy. One particular study found that over-the-counter and prescription non-aspirin NSAIDs including naproxen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and celecoxib cause an increased risk of miscarriage.

These NSAIDs obstruct the production of prostaglandins, compounds needed for proper implantation of the embryo into the womb. Other side effects of NSAIDs that are linked to pregnancy include low amniotic fluid, heart problems in the offspring, and prolonged labor.

Also, if you usually take acetaminophen or aspirin when having a cold, bear in mind that it was discovered that these drugs can obstruct the production of antibodies and even increase the symptoms of a cold. Further on, this can lead to longer infectiousness.

In test studies, aspirin reduced the ability of the white blood cells to destroy harmful bacteria. According to some other studies, painkillers such as ibuprofen and aspirin inhibited the white-cell production of antibodies by nearly 50%.

NSAIDs Can Increase Heart Risks

According to a recent Dutch study, published in BMJ Open, NSAIDs can significantly increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. This is a heart condition characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat. So, this condition can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease.

The Counsel & Heal reported that the researchers have analyzed a number of NSAIDs including ibuprofen, aspirin, Toradol, naproxen, Celebrex, and Aleve. The study examined nearly 8,423 participants who were nearly 68 years old and did not have atrial fibrillation. They were monitored for a period of 13 years.

The results have shown that those people who used NSAIDs were 1.8 times more likely to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation than those who have not used any painkillers. So, current and chronic users have a 76% increased risk of this condition.

According to previous research lumiracoxib or Prexige and rofecoxib or Vioxx (both of these NSAIDs were withdrawn from the market) doubled the risk of a heart attack while ibuprofen leads to a three times higher risk of stroke. Also, diclofenac and etoricoxib or Arcoxia cause an increased risk of cardiovascular death.

Are There Some Safe Pain Relieving Methods?

Truthfully, there is nearly no pain-relieving method based on drugs that do not cause serious side effects. Recently, the FDA limited the amount of acetaminophen in prescription medicines and put a boxed warning because of the liver toxicity concerns.

So, make sure you avoid all types of medications, especially OTC drugs as much as you can. Because you do not need a prescription, it does not mean that the drug is harmless. You must bear in mind this fact especially if you use OTC drugs for your children.

Dr. Bruno H. Stricker, a senior author of the study reported for the New York Times that older people should be very careful with NSAIDs. These drugs won’t do anything for their health except relieve pain. However, pain is a problem but dying is also a problem.

How to Address Pain with no Drugs

Health Harvard has provided 9 alternative painkillers to NSAIDs. Here is the list:

Boswellia. This herb is known as “Indian frankincense” or Boswellin and it is rich in potent active anti-inflammatory properties. It provides many benefits to people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Medical cannabis. It is popular for its natural analgesic qualities. Until the present day, about 20 states in the US have legalized cannabis for medical purposes.
What makes cannabis a potent analgesic are the high amounts of medicinal terpenes, cannabidiol, and flavonoids. There are different types of cannabis, some of them have a low level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana that makes people feel “stoned” but a low level of medicinal CBD.
FDA which is a publication of the American Pain Society provided a list of studies that examined the pain-relieving effects of cannabis.
Turmeric. According to a study of osteoarthritis patients, a daily dose of 200 mg of Copy Me That in these patients increased their mobility.
Another study has shown that curcuminoids in turmeric can effectively block inflammation and prevent the overproduction of a protein that triggers pain and swelling.
Cayenne cream or capsaicin. Capsaicin is an active ingredient in chili peppers which can deplete the body’s supply of substance P and thus relieve pain. This chemical is the component part of nerve cells that transmits pain signals to the brain.
Devil’s Claw. This South African plant is highly effective in relieving pain due to inflammation such as muscle pain and arthritis.
Prevent Disease states that the devil’s claw reacts in the same way as other painkillers for osteoarthritis pain. This fact comes from a particular study that included specific devil’s claw root powder with 2% of harpagoside and 3% total iridoid glycoside, both important components of the devil’s claw.

K-Laser Therapy

If you experience pain from arthritis, injury, or other inflammation-related pain, you should try K-laser therapy. This therapy can treat many painful conditions including acute injuries. So, if you practice this therapy, you won’t need to depend on painkillers.

This is a class 4 infrared laser treatment that can reduce inflammation, and pain and improve tissue healing, in soft and hard tissues such as ligaments, muscles, and even bones.

It’s the improved microcirculation that provides these benefits because this laser therapy stimulates the proper flow of red blood cells in the affected area. This therapy also improves lymphatic and venous return. The infrared wavelengths in this treatment target specific areas in the body and are able to penetrate deeply into them.

Here is an interview with Dr. Harrington which gives more details about this revolutionary technology.

Drug-Free Pain Relief Solutions

So far, we have discussed the risks related to NSAIDs and other narcotic painkillers. These drugs kill more people than any other type of accident. So, it is high time you turn to safer alternatives including:

1. Avoid consuming grains, processed foods, and processed sugars. In this way, you will reduce the levels of leptin and insulin as well as reduce leptin and insulin resistance. These are the major reasons for the production of inflammatory prostaglandins.

2. Enrich your diet with high-quality, omega-3 fat, especially krill oil. Omega-3 are precursors to prostaglandins, the mediators of inflammation.

3. Improve your production of vitamin D by regular exposure to the sun which will reduce your pain through different mechanisms.

4. Ginger. It is a potent anti-inflammatory agent which can relieve pain and offer stomach-setting properties. For this reason, step in some fresh ginger in boiling water or add it to some vegetable juice.

5. Borage oils, black currant, and evening primrose. All of these ingredients are high in gamma-linolenic acid, an important fatty acid for the treatment of arthritic pain.