Fibromyalgia and Dangers of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be helpful, especially when used for inflammation that comes from traumatic injuries (sprains, strains, accidents, etc.). They can also be effec¬tive in relieving pain and inflammation associated with chronic pain syndromes including all forms of arthritis and some cases of fibromyalgia.

However, long-term use of these medications can cause a host of unwanted side effects, and NSAIDs do not actually correct the cause of pain. Treating symptoms instead of cause(s) often leads to more symptoms and poor health. Use of NSAIDs is no different.
In fact, they can accelerate joint destruction and cause intestinal permeability, which leads to more inflammation.

You might have heard of how drug company Merck pulled its NSAID Vioxx off the market years ago. They were responding to the results of a long-term (18-month) clinical trial that revealed that some patients developed serious heart problems while taking the drug. The data that ultimately persuaded the company to withdraw the drug indicated 15 cases of heart attack, stroke, or blood clots per thousand people each year over three years, compared with 7.5 such events per thousand patients taking a placebo.

One of the FDA’s own scientists, Dr. David Graham, estimated that Vioxx has been associated with more than 27,000 heart attacks or deaths linked to cardiac problems. There is disagreement within the FDA over these findings, but they are still staggering to consider.

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Potential side effects of drugs like Vioxx-COX-2 Inhibitors:

Vioxx is what doctors call a “COX-2 inhibitor.” These drugs were developed to reduce pain and inflammation without the risk of ulcers and other—po¬tentially deadly—gastrointestinal side effects posed by aspirin and similar medications. But in solving one serious problem, COX-2 inhibitors might be causing another. By blocking COX-2 enzymes, Vioxx reduced the risk of internal bleeding but also kept COX-2 enzymes from doing the important work of counteracting COX-1 enzymes, which narrow the blood vessels. The blood vessels were then remaining too narrow, increasing the chances of a dangerous blood clot forming.

Other COX-2 inhibitors, including Celebrex and Bextra, are being linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It may be a matter of time before all COX-2 inhibitor drugs are pulled from the market.

Just before Celebrex and Vioxx were approved and launched, a group of researchers led by Garret FitzGerald, MD, chair of the department of Pharmacology, and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at Penn, observed that both drugs suppressed prostacyclin in humans. Based on the potentially cardio-protective properties of prostacyclin, which relaxes blood vessels and unglues platelets in test tube experiments, the team predicted that shutting down this protection with inhibitors would cause heart attacks and strokes.

New research now implicates Voltaren (Diclofenac), which is listed on the EML of 74 countries, increased the risk of cardiovascular events between 38% and 63% in different studies. The increased risk with diclofenac was similar to the COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx, a drug withdrawn from worldwide markets because of cardiovascular toxicity.

More than 10 years later, it is now clear what the COX inhibitors do in the body. Eight placebo-controlled, randomized trials, they posed a cardiovascular hazard, similar in magnitude to that resulting from being a smoker or a diabetic, notes FitzGerald.

And the really sad news is that although Vioxx did apparently protect the stomach as intended, other COX-2 inhibitors do not. Celebrex and Bextra (now removed from the market) have turned out to be no safer to the stomach than older NSAIDs. And studies show that neither drug alleviates pain any better than the older medicines.

Plus, the COX-2 inhibitors cost close to $3.00 per pill.

These include Mobic (meloxicam), Motrin (ibuprofen), Daypro (oxaprozin), and Napros¬yn (naproxen). But still, unless nothing else works to control your pain, NSAIDs shouldn’t be used for any extended period of time.

Potential side effects of other NSAIDS:

A person taking NSAIDs is seven times more likely to be hospitalized for gastrointestinal ad¬verse effects. The FDA estimates that 200,000 cases of gastric bleed¬ing occur annually and that this leads to 10,000 to 20,000 deaths each year. NSAIDs more than double a person’s risk of developing high blood pressure, possibly leading to more medication. In one study, 41% of those who had recently started on medication to lower their blood pressure were also taking an NSAID.

Treating symptoms instead of causes isn’t the answer, especially for those with fibromyalgia. The question is what is the reason for your fibro pain? Why do you have inflammation and pain? Find the cause, treat the cause-excess weight (increases inflammation), poor sleep increases inflammatory chemicals by a whopping 40%, low serotonin and norepinephrine levels, drug side effects (Lyrica and Neurontin can actually cause more pain, statin drugs, bone building drugs, etc.).

If You Are Ready To Stop Treating Symptoms With Potentially Dangerous Drugs And Start Correcting The Cause(s) of Your Poor Health And Fibromyalgia Call My Clinic Right 205-879-2383 and Schedule An Introductory New Patient Phone or In-Clinic Consult.

I’ve helped thousands feel good again. Most likely I can help you too. What are you waiting on? A new drug…another stupid doctor to tell you to get more rest or that you need to lose weight…really? You know what you need to do. You need to get healthy and you need some one to help you do it. Don’t wait call 205-879-2383 and start living again.

Feel Good Again!

Yes I can Do It All By Phone – 90% Of My Practice Is By Phone

You don’t have to travel to Birmingham Alabama – If I accept you as a patient, I order blood work that you have done in your town. I also order special tests kits, saliva, blood, urine, or stool tests. You do the tests, the labs send FedEx to pick up your kit. I get the results of all your tests and then put together a plan to help you sleep each night, feel refreshed each morning, have dramatically less pain, boost your energy, lose weight if needed, correct your IBS and or RLS once and for all, and if can start to eliminate drugs that aren’t helping.

Call 205-879-2383 ask for Juno my new patient coordinator or her assistant Gina. Hey we are southerners we won’t bite and we love to help so give us a call.

Here some of my favorite patients sharing their amazing stories on how they were able to overcome their fibromyalgia, CFS/ME, and poor health: /testimonials-from-fibromyalgia-patients/