Top Two Chronic Pain Medication Myths
MEDICATION MYTH 1: If You Can Buy Chronic Pain Medications Over-the-Counter They Must Be “Safe”.NSAIDs (Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are the most widely used class of chronic pain medications. Drug companies market more than 30 different types of NSAIDs. U.S. consumers purchase 30 billion over-the-counter NSAID products annually, and fill an additional 70 million prescription NSAIDs through pharmacists.Figures show that annually, in the United States, NSAIDs are responsible for: When used regularly over a period of time, NSAIDs pose considerable danger: The #1 problem of NSAID use is upset stomach, affecting 10-50% of people taking these drugs. In 10-25% of regular NSAID users, the stomach wall erodes, leading to gastritis and gastric ulcers. NSAIDs are now the leading cause of bleeding ulcers. Damage to the gut wall can lead to leaky-gut syndrome, where incompletely digested proteins enter the bloodstream, triggering inflammatory immune responses, food allergies, and increased symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Regular use of chronic pain medications doubles your risk of being hospitalized for heart failure. Seniors with a history of heart disease have a ten times greater risk of hospitalization for heart failure (and seniors are the biggest users of NSAIDs!) NSAIDs use may account for nearly one-fifth of all hospital admissions for heart failure, one of the most serious of all heart diseases. NSAIDs have been shown to accelerate the breakdown of cartilage in joints. People who take NSAIDs to relieve pain of osteoarthritis are actually speeding up the underlying disease process. MEDICATION MYTH 2: If My Doctor Prescribed it, it Must Be "Safe".Let's consider just one class of prescription medications frequently used for management of chronic pain.Corticosteroids are a class of chronic pain medication used by doctors to treat chronic pain, inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Effects of corticosteroids include: "Moon Face" and increased belly fat; increased susceptibility to infection and longer time to heal wounds; and interference with metabolism of key nutrients, including calcium which leads to decreased bone density and osteoporosis. Other common side effects include thinning skin and bruising, high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar levels leading to increased risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes, cataracts and glaucoma, male infertility, menstrual irregularities, and loss of muscle mass. Does this sound "safe" to you?Pain is your body's way of alerting you that something is not right. Listen to the message your pain is trying to tell you and seek an appropriate remedy.Education is the first step to effective pain management. Explore our website,
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