Can the pain pills you take for your headaches and migraines, menstrual pain, back aches and arthritis put you at risk for liver damage/failure, kidney damage, increased stroke risk, bleeding, ulcers, hearing loss cardio vascular risk and certain types of cancer?
The answer is a resounding “YES.”
Tens of millions of people suffer chronically from pain caused by migraine headaches, arthritis or other pain causing conditions. Tens of millions of people take pain pills every day, every week or every month and run the risk of significant damage to their short and long term health.
Just recently the FDA announced that just taking the maximum allowed dose of acetaminophen for two weeks could cause significant liver damage. It is widely known that aspirin can cause bleeding, ulcers, and many feel that unless you have already had a heart attack, the risk of taking it daily even at the baby aspirin dose of 81 mg outweighs the rewards.
Ibuprofen and Naproxen
Ibuprofen and Naproxen – Nevertheless, frequent NSAID use can contribute to a number of issues. Perhaps the most common medical problem arising from chronic NSAID use is gastritis, or inflammation of the lining of the stomach. NSAIDs decrease the body’s ability to create a natural protective layer between the lining of the stomach and stomach acid. Without this protection gastric acid can damage the stomach and lead to pain and inflammation. Another frequent effect of chronic heavy NSAID use is damage to the kidneys. NSAIDs can decrease blood flow to the kidneys and over time lead to loss of function. If you are using ibuprofen every day to help control headaches, paradoxically the medicine itself may actually be contributing to them through a process called medication overuse headache (rebound headache).
A study published in the journal, Circulation 2011, examined the effect of ibuprofen taken by otherwise, healthy people to treat aches and pains. An increased risk of heart related deaths was found in this group.
In an article published in the American Journal of Medicine, 2010 Mar; 123(3):231-7 it was reported that the regular use of aspirin, NSAIDs, or acetaminophen increases the risk of hearing loss in men.
In a 2011 article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the researchers found that using acetaminophen four times a week or more for four years increased the risk of certain types of blood cancers by 200%.
The FDA is now requiring that prescription medicines that contain acetaminophen, must add the risk of serious skin reactions that can be severe or even fatal, to their labels.
With this in mind, do you really want to be taking any of the drugs mentioned above on an on-going basis? Do you want to expose your children to these risks when effective and much safer options exist?
There exists substantial clinical (human) data that certain naturally occurring phytochemicals found in specific plants/spices can control and or eliminate pain and inflammation just as well as the drugs discussed above, but most importantly without any of the numerous RISKS that were disclosed in the medical literature.
To learn about which plants/spices can help you safely control your pain, please click on the following link:
Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.
