Common pain relievers (NSAIDs) raise heart risk for healthy people

[Elmore Furth]

Source: USA Today

Healthy people who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve minor aches and pains may raise their risk of dying from heart-related problems, a Danish study finds.

The American Heart Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already warn people with heart disease to be cautious about taking NSAIDs, which include ibuprofen (brand named Advil, Motrin) and diclofenac.

The new study is the first to show the same kind of increased risk among people without cardiac problems, says a report in the July issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, published online June 8.

The risks for different NSAIDs — found in an analysis of national medical records of more than 1 million Danes from 1997 to 2005 — varied widely. Participants, whose average age was 39, who used ibuprofen had a 29% greater risk of fatal or nonfatal stroke, compared to those who took no NSAID.


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-11-nsaids-heart_N.htm

[Skip Intro]

1. Damn, I thought ibuprofen was safe. What are you supposed to take for a headache or backache?

D'oh, skimmed the article, answered my own question...

"The majority of studies have shown that naproxen has a safe cardiovascular risk profile and that ibuprofen in low doses (1200 mg and below per day) also is safe in respect to the cardiovacular risk," Fosbol said.

So, Aleve, I guess, until they find out that causes some other huge issue...

[MidwestTransplant]

3. 1200mg is like 6 Advil. That's a lot to take everyday I think.

[shanti]

6. i used to take

800 mg for back spasms. they were horse pills. i wouldn't want to take any more than that tho.

[No Elephants]

11. Depends upon how much pain you're in and whether it's chronic.

[slampoet]

13. I have taken double that on doctors orders for a dislocated knee.

I know someone who was on 2400mg of advil per day for a smashed hand and he stayed on it for nearly a year.

[Taverner]

4. You're supposed to suffer. That's the way gawd intended.

[ooglymoogly]

8. I take Fiorinol for chronic headache, sometimes three and even

4 a day for several years now, with no apparent side effects or immunity to. and by golly it works. My blood pressure reads mostly in the normal range though occasionally slightly above or below. You need a prescription for it, but it is worth getting. Different things work differently on different folks of course. My nephew takes it but not so regularly, also with no side effects. It has one of the most common otc pain relievers, Acetaminophen in it. The chem. name, for the generic, is Butlbtl/apap/caff 50/325,40. It is the diff between night and day; Excruciating headache, stiff neck, back and other arthritic pains and peace from, though it is more specific to headache. Hope this helps someone our there.

Edited to add...I said no side effects but, like aspirin, Acetaminophen can be hard on the stomach for which I take otc ranitadine (don't recall the common name for this, but is the one most used for acid stomach, that used to be prescription and I get it for comparatively cheap money on ebay, about 1/3d or less.

[sasquuatch55]

10. Yes Alieve, and Naproxin are still considered safe. But as studies go, next week that could change.

nt

[eowyn_of_rohan]

16. As of last year Naproxen was NOT considered safe. Can't imagine why it would be safe now

Naproxen can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. This risk will increase the longer you use naproxen. Do not use this medicine just before or after having heart bypass surgery

http://www.drugs.com/naproxen.html

[kestrel91316]

17. If naproxen is "not safe", why is it allowed to be sold?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

20. gee, good question

you might ask the FDA about that

[kestrel91316]

21. I asked you, specifically, because it is YOU making the claim.

Provide a link, dearie, supported by scientific facts and not merely your opinion or that of homeopathy groupies.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

23. Not "my" claim...I included a link in my original post.

homeopathy groupie? NO, I simply do not trust big pharms or their drugs (nor the FDA or HMOs for that matter).

Naproxen has come with these warnings since shortly after its introduction. Pretty weird that these recent articles suddenly claim Naproxen is safe. What a crock.

Peace.

[Xipe Totec]

2. What about aspirin?

Which is an NSAID prescribed as a prophylactic for people at high risk of coronary heart disease?

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. apparently 81 mg. of aspirin daily is what is rec'd

for the prevention thing.
They are even selling it in 81 mg. siges now.
But...aspirin, reg, dose 325 mg, and.or Bufferin, does not work on me as well as 2 generic Ibuprofin work.

When Mr. D.hurt his back, the doc prescribed Motrin 600 mg, TWO tabs, twice a day.
Yikes!
Fortunately, he only took them for 3 days then felt better and stopped them.

[shanti]

5. oh great

not something else...it's the only OTC pain reliever that works form my pain.

[HughMoran]

9. I'm glad I recently switched to naproxen.

Purely by accident, but it sounds like a better choice (though I rarely took more than 400mg Ibuprophen in a day.

[No Elephants]

12. My doc says anti-inflammatories get in the way of healing.

Broke a bone. ER nurse practitioner prescribed Motrin and Vicodin. (I could not tolerate Vicodin.)

Two weeks later, the bone specialist (same hospital) says a study showed rats heal faster without any anti-inflammatories. I wondered why he had not shared that info with his ER.

[slampoet]

14. That doctor likely only works AT this hospital and not FOR it

The same as someone who rents a booth at a farmer's market.

[kestrel91316]

19. When inflammation is the problem, NSAID's are helpful.

[Garion_55]

15. I just smoke a phatty

pain all gone

[midnight armadillo]

18. and here I am on 2400 mg/day

for a herniated disc in the lower back. Although after 10 days I think just repeated icings daily will do the trick.

[UTUSN]

22. Oh. Thought it said "PALIN reliever." Well, she raises *my* heart risk. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

24. She raises the risk...

for anyone standing near her when the lightning bolt strikes. :evilgrin:

[knitter4democracy]

25. Great. Ibuprofen's all I can take.

It gave me an ulcer, and I have to be careful not to use it because of only having one kidney (kidney's process it, not the liver), but it's the only painkiller we've found yet that works on me. Narcotics don't block my pain pathways, but they sure mess me up in other ways.