The Slimming Pool Weight Loss Blog: Hey, I was Eating That!
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Are Safe Drugs an Oxymoron?
You'd think the pharmaceutical companies were running scared the way they're suddenly announcing dire consequences should you be so foolhardy to actually use their drugs, yet many aren't being pulled from the market. Naprosyn (Naproxen) suddenly causes heart problems? That's interesting since it's been on the shelf for years and prior to that was prescription only. I didn't research it, but it's probably been in use for 20 years or longer, so why are we only now hearing about it's possible link to heart problems?
Interesting how these drugs can still be sold, despite deaths, yet they pulled Ephedra in a fat hurry. Wonder why? Could it be because it wasn't manufactured by a drug company.
Here's a listing of the less commonly known side effects: Abdominal bleeding, black stool, blood in urine, changes in liver function, chills and fever, colitis, congestive heart failure, depression, diarrhea, dream abnormalities, general feeling of illness, hair loss, hearing disturbances or loss, inability to concentrate, inability to sleep, inflammation of the lungs, inflammation of the mouth, kidney disease or failure, light-headedness, menstrual disorders, muscle pain and weakness, peptic ulcer, red or purple spots on the skin, severe allergic reaction, skin inflammation due to sensitivity to light, skin rashes and hives, sweating, thirst, throbbing heartbeat, vertigo, visual disturbances, vomiting, vomiting of blood, yellow skin and eyes.
You must be kidding me? And this is sold openly over-the-counter? Cripes. Yellow skin and eyes? Kidney disease or failure? What the heck?
These side effects are not suddenly showing up. They were there all along but the drug companies (big pill) do not care. They justify their costly drugs under the guise that the side effects are not worse than the disease being treated, but pain relief causing another serious health problem is another story. Most people taking pain relievers on a regular basis are older, and the older you are the more likely heart problems start to become an issue.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers Cause Heart Problems
It was announced Friday that a national study found that those given high doses of Celebrex had a 240 percent increase in heart problems, including death (yikes! death is a pretty serious side effect). Merck painkiller Vioxx was withdrawn from the market entirely after a study found that it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke by more than 100 percent. And, lest they be left out, Pfizer announced recently that a study of Bextra found that it increased the risk of heart attacks in those who have had cardiac surgery.
Industry insiders are beginning to point out that, "all drugs have risks." Well duh. Yet the pharmaceutical companies continue to bury us in ads for everything from allergy medicines to Viagra and back again. They want us to believe our kids all should be taking a drug so they won't act childlike, restless, bored. Do you remember being forced to sit in a boring, hot, smelly classroom for hours on end? Were you restless? Did they drug you? Probably not, but that was then and this is now, and times have changed, haven't they?
The Best Prescription for Good Health
Best prescription? Healthy living. Good fresh air, brisk walks, home cooked meals with fresh ingredients, and a happy home. Strive for a bit of relaxation everyday, and stop gripping the steering wheel so tightly. High stress is more likely to knock you down, and it causes increased pain and weight gain for that matter, so go get a massage and relax. It can help with the pain relief, and it will help with the stress, so what better prescription?
