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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
        
(Message started by: Melissa on Aug 24^th, 2005, 9:41pm)

Title: Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
Post by Melissa on Aug 24^th, 2005, 9:41pm

Quote:

Painkillers can cause fatal stomach bleeding
Wed Aug 24, 3:41 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Approximately one third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents ( NSAIDs) painkillers like ibuprofen, a study in Spain suggests.

Moreover, up to one third of these painkiller-related incidents may be due to low-dose aspirin.

Dr. Angel Lanas, at University Hospital in Zaragoza, and his associates evaluated data from 26 Spanish hospitals on hospitalizations related to peptic-ulcer disease or complications such as bleeding or perforation, as well as drug use during the month prior to hospitalization.

They report their findings in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

A total of 8010 serious gastrointestinal bleeding events were reported, and among these, the mortality rate was 5.7 percent.

The authors report that the proportion of complications and deaths attributed to NSAID and aspirin use was 36.3 percent. They also note that nearly 90 percent of deaths occurred in patients older than 60 years of age.

To extrapolate the impact of aspirin and NSAID use on the general population of Spain, Lanas' group obtained data from 197 hospitals representative of all the hospitals in the Spanish National Health System.

Their results suggest that the death rate resulting from NSAID- or aspirin-related gastrointestinal complications was between 21 and 25 cases per million inhabitants. This translates to about 15 such deaths for every 100,000 users of aspirin or NSAIDs.

According to the authors, these results highlight "the importance of taking ever-greater steps to research new and better alternatives to treat pain and inflammation in the elderly, to heighten physician and public awareness of the associated problems of NSAID therapy, and to educate them on the use of appropriate prevention strategies."

Dr. Byron Cryer, from the Dallas VA Medical Center, agrees with this conclusion. He writes in a related editorial: "Although clinically significant gastrointestinal events with NSAIDs are uncommon, as a result of the vast numbers of patients who take these medications, when assessed by percentages these complications remain a significant public health concern."

SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology, August 2005.

Title: Re: Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
Post by Bob P on Aug 25^th, 2005, 8:43am

Been there, done that!

3 asprin every 3 hours for a month created the best duodenal ulcer you can get. Nothing like having a cluster and heaving up blood at the same time!

Title: Re: Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
Post by Lizzie2 on Aug 25^th, 2005, 9:46am

Mine wasn't even low dose aspirin...ugh!

It was I think the 325mg aspirin...twice a day? Was supposed to prevent clots after the knee surgery - especially since I have a history of clots.

Well...after I started getting large bruises from things like my own fingerprints - not even anything other than lightly resting my right hand on my left arm while sitting listening to a lecture. Started getting all sorts of bruises that I couldn't even explain! Thought I should stop the aspirin or at least cut back on the dose at that point!

Can be very wicked stuff!!

Thanks for posting this, Mel!!

Title: Re: Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
Post by floridian on Aug 25^th, 2005, 4:15pm

Don't forget about acetominophen (tylenol) - it is one of the leading causes of liver problems - half of drug induced cases of liver failure are from this common med. Usually it is from a large dose, but occasionally a single tablet. It's especially unwise to use tylenol when drinking alcohol.

Title: Re: Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
Post by Jimmy B. on Aug 26^th, 2005, 11:37am

Not my aspirin :( say it ain't so... :( I take aspirin (81mg) once a day and also found that it's the only OTC Pain Killer that can come close to handling my cervical and thoracic nerve pain.

I will be more careful...but until something better comes along, that you can get without fighting the DEA...I'll continue to use it. I guess I'll start taking the buffered variety...they say that's a little easier on the gullet.

Jimmy :D

Title: Re: Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
Post by BMoneeTheMoneeMan on Aug 26^th, 2005, 10:08pm

Actually, a lot of the reason why tylonol is so toxic for the liver is cause people take things like vicodin and percocet that contain it.
If you take any drug for over 6 months, you should get your liver checked to see how it is holding up.

Tylonol, though, is the only med that a pregnant woman is supposed to take. Not any of the other popular OTC pain meds.
BMonee

Title: Re: Please be careful with OTC Pain killers!
Post by cootie on Sep 2^nd, 2005, 11:44pm

I have pain medication for my back which contains tylonal........was even told to take as many as 10 tbs a day if I needed it.......wait a minute......that's over the supposidly safe amount of tylonal you can take a day. Am goin to ask for something without tylonal next visit comeing up soon. I rotate it with one not containing tylonal and never feel SICK like the other can do 'out of the blue' at time and screw me up bad. Since it is chronic pain I think I best ditch the bad stuff......I don't take it EVERY day but either way I am supposed to. That stuff scares me........imagine that......sumthin as simple as tylonal ?? I know with iburporopen it is written to NEVER EVER give it to a dog for pain cuz it has been stated that it probly WILL cause bleeding and could cause massive bleeding. So if it does that to a dog that can eat about anything and get away with it what does it do to us. Sumtimes I wonder about this world we live in......where foods that are good have so many additives they are killing us slowly.....meds are doin the same that are ment to do us good. And there is alot of articles about pet foods causeing kidney problems in the long run......WTF. Maybe we should go back to pickin berries and wackin rabbits over the head with a club and get our daily exercise at the same time that is good for the heart. Back to basics Pam