Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra were expected to be blockbuster drugs: improving clinical results and reaping in huge profits for the drug companies. Instead, after learning about the side effects linked to these drugs, many patients have been leaving these drugs behind, and turning to over-the-counter medicines for a safer option. Many have turned to aspirin. At one point after the news, the nation's No. 1 online pharmacy, Drugstore.com, saw a 15 percent increase in aspirin sales. And it's no wonder, aspirin has been around for over 100 years. It is one of the oldest, and must trusted painkillers. Interestingly, because it has been around for so long, it never had to undergo the rigorous testing most new drugs undergo before hitting the market as an over-the-counter drug.
Headaches, toothaches, arthritis symptoms, soft tissue or muscle injuries, aspirin is effective in reducing pain from a variety of sources. Over 100 billion tablets are consumed each year on this planet, and although occasional use is mostly side-effect free, reliance on aspirin does carry risks. Long-term use may result in serious problems such as gastrointestinal bleeding, so doctors usually do not recommend it for chronic pain sufferers. In fact, some pharmacists believe that if aspirin were a new drug today, it would not be given 'over-the-counter' status. Just because something is sold over the counter, people tend to think it is safe. This isn't always the case. Some facts might help shed light on this discussion. Research shows that of patients that are taking low-dose aspirin in an attempt to prevent a heart attack, over 10 percent develop peptic ulcers.
Peptic ulcers may have no symptoms. Using endoscopy, researchers from the University of Western Sydney in Australia studied 187 patients taking between 75 milligrams and 325 milligrams of aspirin daily for at least one month. They discovered that 10.7 percent of the patients developed ulcers at least 3 millimeters in diameter, but only 20 percent of them experienced symptoms of the ulcers. Three months later, they repeated the endoscopy for the 113 people who did not have ulcers when the study began and found that over 7 % had developed an ulcer during this period. This increased the annual ulcer rate to 28 percent! These researchers concluded that the possible adverse health risks of aspirin should be carefully considered before long-term use begins, especially for patients that are at low heart attack risk to begin with.
In some conventional medical circles, aspirin is considered a useful tool in lowering cardiovascular risk at just one dose a day. But let's not forget that aspirin is a drug, and all drugs can be both beneficial and harmful. Once you have a firm grasp on natural medicine principles, it's clear to see that no drug is the best solution for a chronic, degenerative disease. Even though short-term use can give wonderful benefits, long-term use can bring a combination of side effects greater than the benefits.
Consider Vioxx. Tens of thousands of hopeful users lost their lives in an attempt to temporarily solve their pain problems. If you read the studies on the safety and efficacy of aspirin, you too can see that it carries potentially greater risks than benefits. Other than peptic ulcers, chronic users may develop: kidney damage, gastric bleeding (including possible life-threatening levels of blood loss), and increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Women especially are at increased risk for pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a particularly quick and deadly form of cancer. Research has shown that women taking more than 1 aspirin each day for twenty years increased pancreatic cancer risk by almost 60 percent! Women who took more than two aspirin per day had an 86 percent greater risk than controls. While pancreatic cancer affects only 31,000 Americans per years, most patients don't make it past their third year after diagnosis.
Regarding taking aspirin to avoid cardiovascular events, a British research trial of 5000 men showed that while those men that previously had a heart attack clearly benefitted from taking long-term, low-dose aspirin; the results for men without a history of heart attack were not a rosy. It seems that men with high blood pressure don't derive the same benefit from aspirin therapy, while those with low blood pressure had a modest benefit. All had an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. In those men with high blood pressure, controlling that high blood pressure should offer more benefit than taking aspirin.
So what are the alternatives? Simple lifestyle choices such as exercising, and taking an omega-3 rich fish oil supplement can have huge benefits. For relief from arthritis, sore muscles and joints, and back pain, try Biofreeze. It's a deep penetrating, long-lasting gel or spray. Formula 303 offers natural relief from muscle spasm, tension, and stress. For minor pain & inflammation, Inflavinoid can offer great relief.
Even though these natural alternatives to aspirin are effective, you need to ask yourself a few questions: What's the reason I need an anti-inflammatory or pain-reliever? Why isn't my body healing and repairing itself like it should? What changed in my life when these symptoms began?
The best way to answer those questions is with a foundational blood analysis. It provides a window into your body's systems, to see where they have gone off track. When you are lacking nutrients, or your eating habits are reducing your ability to heal, or you are dealing with toxin build-up in your body, it shows in your test results. Recommendations based on your test results, including diet, lifestyle, and supplements can propel you to reach your health goals.
Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following:
1. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only.
2. Your individual health status and any required health care treatments can only be properly addressed by a professional healthcare provider of your choice.
Remember: There is no adequate substitution for a personal consultation with your chosen health care provider. Therefore, we encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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