NSAIDs - Are They Dangerous?
What do the experts say? What are NSAIDS anyway? Why do I care about them?
NSAIDs stands for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are currently the most prescribed medication in the United States. They can also be obtained without a prescription from your local pharmacy or market. Their name reveals their intended use, to combat inflammation. Common brand and prescription NSAIDs are Alleve, aspirin, Motrin, Ibuprofen, Bayer, celecoxib --Celebrex®, diclofenac -- Voltaren®, etodolac --Lodine®, fenoprofen -- Nalfon®, indomethacin -- Indocin®, ketoprofen - Orudis®, Oruvail®, ketoralac --Toradol®, oxaprozin -- Daypro®, nabumetone -- Relafen®, sulindac -- Clinoril®, tolmetin -- Tolectin®, rofecoxib -- Vioxx®.
You may be taking these medications without realizing the potential long term side effects, the most serious of which is death. In order to understand how these toxic substances can kill you we need to look at their physiology. They are absorbed by the stomach which causes the stomach to decrease its mucous production resulting in a bleeding ulcer. The cause of death is long term bleeding associated with liver and or kidney damage. Many doctors blame bacteria for the cause of ulcers, specifically Helicobacter Pylori. There are a few problems with this assertion. Although Helicobacter Pylori is found in 70-90% of ulcer sufferers, it is not found in all. The second problem is that Helicobacter is found in the stomachs of otherwise healthy persons, indicating that Helicobacter may be natural flora. According to Marieb, an authority on human anatomy and physiology, "alcohol and aspirin are absorbed by the stomach lining and cause gastric bleeding which provides for a place for Helicobacter Pylori to proliferate".
Recent studies done in premier medical journals have examined the subject of toxicity and death due to NSAID poisoning. The New England Journal of Medicine reported that in 1999 NSAIDs were the cause of death in approximately 16,500 arthritis sufferers. This does not account for the rest of the population that regularly take NSAIDs and do not suffer from arthritis. To put that number in perspective, it was estimated that in 1999, 16,685 died as a result of AIDS. That is only 185 more than deaths resulting from NSAID overuse.
Another study done in the journal Pain (Pain, 2000;85:169-182) says 8-10% of the 50,000 annual kidney failures are caused by acetaminophen (a popular NSAID). AHCPR (Acute Low Back Problems in Adults) says "Gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation are not the only hazards of NSAID use. High doses can lead to liver damage and massive single doses can lead to fatal hepatic necrosis". The journal Spine says "NSAIDs continue to be one of the most common drug groups associated with serious adverse events". A popular medical sports journal, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation says "NSAIDs are prescribed in treatment of acute muscle trauma, despite a relative lack of scientific data supporting their use. In fact recent studies suggest that the recovery process and rate of muscle fiber regeneration may be delayed when NSAIDs are prescribed". The study goes on to say "this data, along with the risks for serious side effects, such as acute renal failure and gastrointestinal bleeding, should caution both patients and physicians when prescribing these agents". In the journal Geriatrics, Dr. Cohen, MD says adverse drug reactions (ADRs) cause 76,000-137,000 fatalities per year and is the 4th-6th leading cause of death in the United States. The reported leading causes of death in the United States are heart disease, stroke, cancer, then ADRs. This is ahead of pneumonia, diabetes, motor vehicle accidents and AIDS! In a more recent study it was shown that COX-2-selective NSAIDS (like Celebrex) not only delayed healing but the healing process actually failed (Journal of Bone & Mineral Research Volume 17, Number 6, 2002).
If you are currently taking these types of medications for an inflammatory type of condition it is important that you realize what you are doing to your body. These medications interfere with essential enzymes in your body which you need in order to repair it correctly. So the medication may take the pain away in the short term but in the long run you are causing significant damage.
What Every Body Needs Chiropractic prides itself on information. If you choose to take medications that seem necessary you need to be aware of the risks involved. Unfortunately patients are misinformed by the media and by many of the physicians prescribing these drugs. Many times alternatives to harmful medications are available. One such example is glucosamine sulfate to help in the treatment and prevention of arthritis. Many health care practitioners denied any therapeutic benefit of this supplement for years. Now even the New England Journal of Medicine has touted its benefits. Likewise, there are alternatives to NSAIDs. If you have any questions contact us @ frontdesk@whateverybodyneeds.net.
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