Painkillers can cause fatal stomach bleeding

[theearthisround]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050824/hl_nm/painkillers_bleeding_dc;_ylt=ArFCZ2GO.6OCICMfcLA2kJIDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

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.

--------
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.

--------
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.

(more)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050824/hl_nm/painkillers_bleeding_dc;_ylt=ArFCZ2GO.6OCICMfcLA2kJIDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[Talismom]

1. My dad thought he was preventing a heart attack by taking a baby asprin

every day and ended up in the emergency room, pale, passing out and getting 2 (or was it 3) units of blood transfused into him because of gastric bleeding. It was really scary.

[burrowowl]

3. Check for ulcer

or the bacteria that causes them, if clear, a baby aspirin won't hurt.

[Talismom]

5. That's not what they told him in the hospital. He definitely had a

bleeding ulcer but they said it was brought on by the aspirin. Evidently it's not for everyone.

[mccoyn]

25. My dad just went on this regimine.

It makes you wonder if they asprin a day advice was made to hastily. Since the drug is already approved by the FDA did they have to run tests to make sure the new uses are safe?

[hyphenate]

34. A baby aspirin

at 81mg, isn't much, however, if there is any hint of ulcer or perforation in the stomach, it is wise to check before administering it.

Truth be told, the reason an aspirin regimen is begun in the first place is to thin the blood to prevent clots from forming in the bloodstream, and causing ischemic (lack of oxygen) incidents in the arteries of the heart (which can result in a heart attack). There are already well known blood thinners out there, including Coumadin, Heparin, Warfarin and Plavix, but they are mainly used under tremendous observation because of the anti-clotting factor which could resemble the effects of hemophilia if there was no caution. Plavix is a fairly new drug and it is one of the few that has been allowed for home use on a more regular basis, and I know there are others, but you don't want to subject someone who has massively thinned blood to be in a position where they could bleed to death.

If someone has had an angioplasty with stent insertion, they are more likely to need blood thinners in order to keep a blockage from reforming in an artery. Someone who has had bypass surgery is less likely to need them immediately because they're working with fresh arteries harvested within the patient's own body (leg artery or mammary artery) or from a cadaver.

[soleft]

2. running out of options for pain

I can only ice my knees for so many hours a day

[Roland99]

4. Only one thing left:

:toast: :toast: :toast:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Ever try acupuncture?

I have friends who swear by it.

[soleft]

8. I was just at an acupuncturist on Sat with a friend who's going

She loves it. Hmmmm. Needles in skin. Hmmmmm. I'll have to look into it a little more.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. Here's a "daily tip" I saved from Dr Weil...

Acupuncture 101

Acupuncture is a wonderful way to correct imbalances and help restore health. Traditionally performed by placing very fine needles into specific points of energy flow called meridians, acupuncture unblocks the movement of energy (Qi or Chi) throughout the body. If healing in this manner seems, well, unlikely, consider that the practice of acupuncture has been around for at least 2,500 years and has proven to be an effective method of promoting healing and addressing illness. If you've never experienced acupuncture, the following can help you to know what to expect during a visit to an acupuncturist:
The practitioner will ask you questions to get to know more about you and your health concern.
He or she may take pulses from around your body to determine the imbalances in energy flow.
The experience of being "needled" varies tremendously, but it's nothing to be afraid of. Some people don't feel the needles at all, while others have a sensation like a very small electric charge upon insertion.
Adverse side effects are rare and usually resolve quickly.
Learn about other forms of Body Therapies.

http://www.drweil.com

I hope you find relief soon!

[soleft]

13. Thank you!

[Thor_MN]

17. It's unknown how or why acupuncture works... may be placebo effect

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthology/story?id=991172&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

In both studies, researchers found that acupuncture led to significantly fewer headaches than no treatment at all.

Curiously, however, this traditional method of applying long needles to specific pressure points was no more effective than sticking fewer and smaller needles at random sites around the body.

Dr. Wolfgang Weidenhammer, a German researcher who was involved in both studies, said that the exotic nature of the procedure and frequent contact with a specialist may cause headache sufferers to think they are being helped by the treatment when it is really their own thoughts that are controlling the pain.

No personal experience, so I'm willing to keep an open mind, but...

[HuckleB]

39. Actually, for some ailments it's been shown to be better than placebo.

Acupuncture relieves pain and improves function in knee osteoarthritis
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newssearch.php?newsid=18130

Acupuncture Offers Short-Term Benefit For Arthritis
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newssearch.php?newsid=27152



On edit: Of course, there's nothing wrong with placebo...

Placebos trigger an opioid hit in the brain
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7892

[belle]

15. There's also "acupressure," same principles, but no needles...

just the hands on pressure points, like a massage, but much more focused.

[FlaGranny]

23. Now they also have laser acupuncture.

I tried it out last Monday. Sometimes you can't feel it at all and sometimes it is more intense than needles (which I had in the past). The laser acupuncturist said that acupuncture makes the body release endorphins and that is what helps with pain. That makes sense to me.

[hyphenate]

36. From what I understand the needles

are so thin you can barely feel them. If you have ever had to get a shot of insulin, they use those same tiny needles, and you can usually not even feel them.

[HuckleB]

37. You won't feel the needles.

I was needle-phobic, but had to give acupuncture a try, and boy am I glad that I did.

Still, there are many questions out there. These two references bring up some valid issues that must be explored, IMHO:


Full of Holes, By: Shermer, Michael, Scientific American, 0036-8733, August 1, 2005, Vol. 293, Issue 2

Acupuncture or acupuncture? By: Sjolund, Bengt H., Pain, Volume 114, Issue 3 , April 2005, Pages 311-312


Note other references in post 39.

[kestrel91316]

9. I swear by the little blue pill, naproxen ....................

I have a really crappy back, bad knees, and troublesome ankle and hips, along with occasional migraines and cramps. I would have had to shoot myself years ago if not for naproxen.

When I had a REALLY bad back problem I took it according to the instructions for a week straight and was as good as new.

But I don't take it every day. If I take it for a week or so, then I lay off for a few days also.

[soleft]

10. That's Aleve, right? Better for the stomach?

[niallmac]

26. Not really.

Aleve, naproxyn, ibuprofen, advil on and on, all the "NSAIDs" are irritating on the stomach lining. Always take with food if you need to take. The previous poster takes naproxen only now and then and that is much better than daily etc. Some folks have to. Another thing I look for in people who have taken NSAIDs for a long time is kidney damage. If your kidneys are not up to par it is very doubtful you should be taking NSAIDs at all. Depends on the kidney damage. This as they say is not intended to be medical advise just some very general comments about a class of anti inflammatory pain relievers. Lots of stuff out there for folks with serious rheumaoid disease too besides the NSAIDs so medical consult is a good idea when in doubt.

[Ms. Toad]

41. Worse...in my experience

I'm an aspirin and ibuprofen junkie, having had migraine headaches all my life that can only be conquered (if I catch them early enough) with mega doses of aspirin or ibuprofen. If I miss the window of opportunity I'm flat on my back in a dark room for hours and eventually hanging over the porcelain throne. You can imagine I don't take many chances and probably pop pills at the first sign of a headache.

Never had a problem - until I was on naproxen for a back injury. That created ulcers throughout my GI system (visible ones on both ends, and classic ulcer symptoms in between). I had to drop it, and the symptoms disappeared and have not returned, despite my still regular aspirin and ibuprofen use.

[Digit]

12. If you need to try and grow new cartilege...

Try bionicare...a non-invasive "stimulation" therapy.
I am renting one for my knee for $37.00/month for up to 4 months.
Bionicare.com
Oh, and acupuncture is supposed to do wonders for knee pain.
Good luck.

[soleft]

14. Hey, you Pm'd me about that a while ago, I'll go back and reread it, thank

[raysr]

28. I use methadone

from the VA, 2 arthritic knees, one fused wrist and another wrist that needs to be fused. X-truck driver.

[Bigmack]

18. Bilateral knee replacement....

...finally... at age 55 (in 1998) finally cured my knees.

A new life! Biked 3200 miles last year, walk all I want, and can sleep like a baby.

Titanium is better than beat-up bone anyday.

Pain? You BET! For about 4 weeks, then better and better. Percocet helps.

Drug-free and pain free since 1998.

[Jack from Charlotte]

27. Can one run after knee replacement surgery.....

Run for excercise.

I heard the post surgery is very painful, too.

[Bigmack]

40. I wouldn't....

The replacement lasts longer (depending on how long you live, of course) if you do non-weight-bearing exercise. I bike a LOT, swim some, and hike a bit. No pain with any of it.

Not suposed to kneel on hard surfaces.... I use pads.

Post-op pain is bad, but do-able. Percocet is my friend.

[LivingInTheBubble]

30. try cannabis. NT

[hyphenate]

35. Tell me about it

I can barely walk right now, and all I keep thinking is how soon am I going to need a scooter? It's sad, but it's the way it goes.

[tocqueville]

7. Not dead yet

Their results suggest that the death rate resulting from NSAID- or aspirin-related gastrointestinal complications was between 21 and 25 cases per million inhabitants.

They also note that nearly 90 percent of deaths occurred in patients older than 60 years of age.

It would be interesting to know if the complications happened to people taking NON-COATED aspirin. But the study doesn't tell.

[FlaGranny]

24. I'm not surpsied -

this has been well known for many years, especially for aspirin. Admissions for stomach bleeding from aspirin are practically routine in every hospital.

[VPStoltz]

16. Don't I know.

My poor old mum, 84, is in hell because she already had ulcer surgery and recently broke her arm in a fall. She got ulceration of the esophogus from her pain meds and now they are trying to cut them down saying she has an abuse problem. Poor thing had a tube stuck in every orafice to check on bleeding, etc. She'll die of the pain if they have to cut back.

[Historic NY]

19. Don't use any of these if you have a drink or two daily.........

my aunt would take ibuprofen one of the name brands twice a day, she worked in the school and would frequently get headaches...we later found out from high blood pressure. Her daily ritual was to fix herself a cocktail after work and took a couple more ibuprofen and finally would usually got to bed fairly early. Well she had a couple of good bleeding ulcers and damn near died from them. Two yrs ago she had an aneurysm and stroke and is on the long road back.

[Trillo]

20. Lots of money in killing the pain, apparently.

Maybe it's as simple as some people not drinking at least a full glass of water, or two, with their aspirin or Advil; and/or taking it for too long a time span.

:tinfoilhat: Perhaps there's more money in outlawing aspirin and Advil. DEA has demonstrated that they'll take away our ability to cheaply buy cold medicine in their mind-control zeal.

[bdot]

21. Life causes death.

[phillinweird247]

22. Cox-1 and cox-2 inhibitors are bad for the stomach ....

because the cox-2 enzyme is also used to heal stomach and intestinal damage so if these enzymes are inhibited your GI tract cant heal itself.

I have ankylosing spondylitis and have done plenty of reading on the subject because I take something everyday for at least 5 years.

The other option is opiates they work great and besides addiction have very little serious side effects

[hyphenate]

38. I can't take anything stronger than NSAIDs

right now. I've had Ultram and it's given me hallucinations. Any strong pain killers (Dilaudid, Percocet, Vicodin, Darvon, etc.) give me wicked nausea. I'd rather take a pill like my Protonix (similar to Prilosec or Prevacid) for my stomach and take the Naproxen for the pain. It ain't a cure-all, but it does lessen the pain to a barely tolerable point instead of trying to deal without it.

[short bus president]

29. file this one under "DUH!"

The adverse effects of NSAIDS on the GI tract have been known for DECADES. This was one of the major driving forces behind development of the cox-2 inhibitors (Vioxx, etc.) - they are/were much easier on the GI tract. It is beyond me why yahoo would consider this latest re-statement of known facts to be newsworthy (again).

[Oreegone]

31. Acupuncture can work wonders

I worked for an acupuncturist and when peoples MD's ran out of options they sent them over. Any body joint can really benefit from this treatment. Tried it myself while I was there. I swear by it. Had a lot of older folks who just came in every few weeks for maintenance or when they overworked and were too slow getting better. Lots of happy campers.

[Oreegone]

32. Acupuncture can work wonders

I worked for an acupuncturist and when peoples MD's ran out of options they sent them over. Any body joint can really benefit from this treatment. Tried it myself while I was there. I swear by it. Had a lot of older folks who just came in every few weeks for maintenance or when they overworked and were too slow getting better. Lots of happy campers.

[hyphenate]

33. This isn't really news

The COX-2 inhibitors, such as Bextra, Celebrex and Vioxx were specifically researched so as to minimize the danger of gastric bleeding by ulcers created by aspirin and NSAIDs. However, as we've already noted, these drugs carry their own problems.

Many people with significant arthritis or pain issues are losing many of the medications which have helped them all along, and which there appears to be no alternative--deal with the pain, or die another way. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) does not reduce the inflammation of arthritis, though it does deal with some pain issues, and it will eventually cause liver damage.

While many people are living far longer than our grandparents' generation did, we're dealing with lower quality of life at the same time.

[lynne]

42. Nothing new here -

- my grandfather passed out face first into the river he was fishing in the 1960's because of internal bleeding caused by the aspirin he'd been taking.

They attributed it to aspirin at the time. Possibly the addition of other NSAID's is newsworthy but this has been fairly common knowledge for some time.