By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Wellness

You can only deceive the public for so long – or so it seems from a recent headline: “Merck hid Vioxx risk for years.”

According to the attorney for Carol Ernst, the widow of a 59-year-old marathon runner who died after using Vioxx, the pharmaceutical giant hid clinical evidence about the drug’s heart attack risk for years. Specifically, he charged the company with not giving negative data to the FDA, rushing the drug to market, bullying critics who raised red flags over Vioxx and lying in advertisements for the drug.

So what’s new? After all, drug companies have been pulling the wool over consumer’s eyes for decades. And they’ve gotten away with it – until now. If Merck loses this civil suit – and a lot of experts think they will – it will set a precedence for the more than 4,200 Vioxx lawsuits waiting in the wings. And it just might be the wake-up call the powerful pharmaceutical industry needs to clean up their act. But don’t hold your breath.

Meanwhile, consumers have turned their backs on the remaining prescription COX-2 inhibitor, Celebrex, opting instead for over-the-counter relief for their chronic pain. But according to two new studies, that daily dose of Tylenol or Aleve could also be setting users up for cardio complications.

Bad News on the Rise

The studies, which were conducted by researchers at Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, found that high daily doses of everyday pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen were associated with a significantly greater risk of high blood pressure for both younger and older women.

In the first study, the researchers looked at more than 1,900 women between the ages of 51 and 77. Among those, the women who took 500 mg. of acetaminophen – the equivalent of one extra-strength Tylenol – per day had a 93 percent higher risk of developing hypertension. Those taking OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen were also at an increased risk. According to the investigators, women who took more than 400 mg. a day of Motrin, Aleve or other NSAID had a 78 percent higher risk of high blood pressure.

The second study tracked younger women between the ages of 34 and 53. At the same daily dose, acetaminophen doubled the odds of developing hypertention, while the NSAIDs boosted the risk by 60 percent.

Courting Trouble

While neither study specifically looked at why these drugs increased the risk of high blood pressure, the researchers have their suspicions. According to Dr. Forman, the lead author of the studies, acetaminophen depletes glutathione – an incredibly important antioxidant produced by the body. And both acetaminophen and NSAIDs can have an adverse effect on the lining of blood vessels.

But high blood pressure may not be the only risk these drugs pose to your cardiovascular system. In June, a study in the British Medical Journal found that NSAIDs increase the risk of heart attack, while a second study reported a greater risk for premature death among NSAID users who had congestive heart failure.

Based on the evidence, the FDA has, as usual, asked the makers of OTC NSAIDs to give consumers more information on the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal side effects that can occur when their products are used. And, like normal, this government request may well be too little, too late.

Does this mean that, someday in the near future, we’ll see the folks who make these supposedly “safe” pain relieves in court? I wouldn’t bet the house against it. Of course, if Merck ends up spending billions on the victims of the Vioxx fiasco, other pharmaceutical companies just might take note and go for full disclosure – just about the time that pigs learn to fly.

Soothe Pain Safely

If you suffer from backaches, headaches, arthritis or fibromyalgia, there are safer ways to manage chronic pain. Since pain often arises because of inflammation, herbal anti-inflammatories like boswellia can ease pain when taken on a long-term basis. Like NSAIDs, this Ayurvedic herb inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators in the body, especially leukotrienes. But unlike drugs, long-term use of boswellia doesn’t cause cardiovascular or gastrointestinal problems.

Another natural pain reliever is the amino acid, D-phenylalanine (DPA), which decreases pain by blocking the enzymes that break down endorphins and enkephalins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals. While animal studies show that DPA can quell pain within 15 minutes, most human research has tested the pain-relieving effects of 750 to 1,000 mg. of DPA a day taken for several weeks of continuous use. And while it hasn’t worked for everyone taking part in the studies, it has been effective in enough people to make it worth a try.

DPA also makes the pain-inhibiting effects of acupuncture stronger. Several studies have shown that taking DPA the day before undergoing treatment for pain management increased the effectiveness of the acupuncture, especially for relieving dental and low back pain. But acupuncture, by itself, is often a highly successful way to circumvent pain. Numerous studies have found that this ancient Asian healing art is incredibly effective at conquering chronic headaches and arthritis, as well as non-specific pain.

One Last Thing …

Even if your favorite pain reliever does start sporting a warning labels and even if it’s in big black letters, it probably won’t alert you to a little-known side effect common to NSAIDs. These drugs – both the prescription and over-the-counter varieties, including aspirin – have the potential to set off asthma attacks in 20 percent of sufferers.

How can you tell if you’re the one in five asthmatics prone to a dangerous attack from one of these medications? You’ll have an allergic reaction that can include severe wheezing and shortness of breath or milder symptoms like coughing, facial swelling or even hives. And while the reaction can strike swiftly and severely, sometimes it can take several hours to kick in – making the connection much less obvious.

If you do have an adverse reaction to an OTC pain reliever, don’t hesitate to call the doctor – or head to the hospital if the reaction is severe. Or you could just avoid these drugs altogether and opt for one of the suggestions above to help you manage your pain.

Research Brief …

Planning a getaway before summer’s over? If your travel plans include boarding an airplane, there may be another threat to your health. It seems that sitting for an extended period of time, not uncommon during a long flight, can cause blood clots to form in the legs – a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If one of these clots breaks loose and travels to the heart or lungs, the result can be fatal. Warning signs include muscle pain, swelling or tenderness in the legs and discoloration in a painful area. And these symptoms may not occur until many hours or even days after you’ve arrived at your destination.

Known in the airline industry as “economy class syndrome,” DVT is believed to kill more than 100 travelers a year. But, according to a group of Italian researchers, you can avoid becoming one of the statistics by taking a dose of pycnogenol before stepping on the plane. In their study, which involved 169 participants, the researchers found that pycnogenol not only improved circulation, it also prevented the leg and ankle swelling that frequently follows long flights. The standard dose before flying is 100-360 mg. a day, taken in divided doses.

Along with taking supplemental protection, there are a few other things you can do to minimize your risk while flying:

Eat a light meal and drink nonalcoholic beverages during the flight. Wear loose clothing to lessen the chances of blood pooling in the legs.

Keep your legs uncrossed as much as possible. Get up and walk around periodically, particularly on long flights.

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References:

Asamoto H; Kawakami A; Sato S, et al. “Clinical characteristics of near-fatal asthma attack induced by NSAIDs.” Arerugi. 1999;48:1230-1237.

Cesarone MR, Belcaro G, Rohdewald P, et al. “Prevention of edema in long flights with pycnogenol.” Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis. 2005;11:289-294.

Forman JP, Stampfer MJ, Curhan GC. “Non-narcotic analgesic dose and risk of incident hypertension in U.S. women.” Hypertension. August, 2005; early online release.

Hippisley-Cox J, Coupland C. “Risk of myocardial infarction in patients taking cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors or conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: population based nested case-control analysis.” British Medical Journal. 2005;330: 1366.

Hudson M, Richard H, Pilote L. “Differences in outcomes of patients with congestive heart failure prescribed celecoxib, rofecoxib or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: population based study.” British Medical Journal. 2005;330: 1370.

“Lawyer: Merck hid Vioxx risk for years.” CNN Money. 17 Aug 2005.

Russell AL; McCarty MF. “DL-phenylalanine markedly potentiates opiate analgesia – an example of nutrient/pharmaceutical up-regulation of the endogenous analgesia system.” Medical Hypotheses. 2000;55:283-288.