Acetaminophen, advertised as a safe alternative to the NSAIDs that cause stomach upset, is not a harmless panacea. Although it is an over-the-counter drug, it can have serious side effects, such as liver and kidney damage. Each year many thousands of people are unknowingly harmed by liver damage caused by acetaminophen. This is especially true of children whose parents carelessly give them liquid acetaminophen at the least sign of discomfort. In 1997, more than 10,000 acetaminophen overdoses were reported. This drug is found in so many over-the-counter cough, cold, fever, and pain preparations—many of which are taken in combination—that it’s easy to accidentally take too much.
While aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen can be very useful for the odd headache or sprain, they are potent drugs with serious side effects that should never be taken for more than a few days in a row or more than a few days a month.
Side Effects of Some Over-the-Counter NSAIDs
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What Causes Arthritis Pain
One of the most common types of pain is arthritis pain. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects more than 27 million Americans. It affects 80 percent of people over the age of 50. Although conventional medicine doesn’t have much to offer in the way of relief from arthritis aside from painkilling drugs, we do know a lot about what causes arthritis, and alternative medicine has had great success treating it.
The major risk factors for arthritis are well known. Smoking has been proven over and over again to increase the risk of arthritis. A recent study of twins done in Great Britain compared arthritis in those who smoked and those who didn’t, and found that those who smoked had a much higher risk of arthritis.
Obesity may be the single biggest cause of arthritis. According to an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the single biggest risk factor for osteoarthritis in the hips and hands of people over 60 is being overweight. Reducing the symptoms of this painful disease should be a great inspiration to drop those pounds! Gentle movement and exercise are highly recommended for all types of arthritis.
Naturopathic doctors have discovered that food allergies are often a direct culprit in arthritis pain. Crippling arthritis can clear up simply by elimination of the nightshade family of plants from the diet (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant).
NSAIDs and Melatonin Don’t Mix
Melatonin is a wonderful hormone for treating jet lag, occasional insomnia in younger people, and chronic insomnia in older people. This amazing hormone is secreted in the human brain in response to darkness and is truly important to a good night’s sleep.
Some drugs, including NSAIDs, interfere with the brain’s production of melatonin. In fact, just one dose of normal aspirin can reduce your melatonin production by as much as 75 percent. If you’re taking these drugs, take the last dose after dinner. Other drugs that can interfere with melatonin production in the brain include the benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax, caffeine, alcohol, cold medicines, diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, stimulants such as diet pills, and corticosteroids such as prednisone.
If you’re in the habit of having a midnight snack, some of the foods that can boost the production of melatonin include oatmeal, corn, barley, bananas, and rice. A hot bath before bed can also raise melatonin levels.
Other common food allergens are citrus fruits, dairy products, wheat, corn, and soy.
In the long term, the NSAIDs and acetaminophen can actually aggravate arthritis because they inhibit collagen synthesis and accelerate the destruction of cartilage. Collagen is the glue that holds tissues together, and any chronic pain relief program should be building collagen, not destroying it.
Track Down the Cause of Your Headache
An estimated 30 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, and 90 percent of those are thought to be “tension headaches.” This doesn’t necessarily mean these headaches are caused by emotional tension (though that is often the case); it means they are caused by tension in the muscles of the shoulders, neck, and head, and by constriction or congestion of the blood vessels in the head. Tension headaches have dozens of potential causes and often a combination of causes.
Another 20 to 30 million people suffer from occasional headaches, often called “too much” headaches. This includes “too much” sugar, alcohol, drugs, staying up late, stress, sun, or whatever else it is that gives you a pain in the head. Eyestrain, sinus infection and allergies, ear infection, and fever are also well-known culprits.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are probably the single most common cause of headaches in older people. In fact, so many drugs can cause headaches that if you’re taking any type of medication, you can assume first that it’s the culprit and go from there. If you’re taking more than one medication, chances are even better they are the culprit.
Lesser-known causes of tension headaches are constipation, hypothyroidism (low thyroid), high blood pressure, hypoglycemia, caffeine withdrawal, and adrenal exhaustion. Changes in vision or eyestrain can also cause headache, so have your eyes checked if you think this could be part of your problem. Allergies or sensitivities to substances such as perfume, car exhaust, paint fumes, and cigarette smoke can also cause headaches.
Migraine headaches afflict fewer people but make up for that in the intensity of the pain they inflict. The good news is that, in most cases, the causes of migraines are fairly easy to track down once you know how.
For women, hormone imbalance is a common cause of headaches: some 6.1 percent of men compared to 14 percent of women have four or more headaches a month. Three times as many women as men suffer from migraines, and many women’s migraines occur premenstrually. (Whenever women are suffering from an ailment twice as much as men, or vice versa, it’s a good tip-off that the underlying cause is hormonal.) The culprit in these cases is usually a progesterone deficiency and a resulting excess of estrogen. Synthetic hormone replacement therapy (i.e., Premarin, Provera, Prempro) is probably the most common cause of headaches among menopausal women. Read the book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause by John R. Lee, M.D., and Virginia Hopkins, or their book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause for details on how to balance your hormones naturally.
After stress, food allergies are probably the most common cause of both tension and migraine headaches, especially in children. There have been controlled double-blind studies showing that elimination of allergenic foods cures migraines in a majority of patients. In one study, 83 percent of the patients who eliminated allergenic foods, drugs, or inhalants cured their migraines. The foods that most often cause migraines are dairy products, wheat, citrus, chocolate, coffee, nuts, eggs, the artificial sweetener aspartame, the flavoring monosodium glutamate (MSG), and other artificial additives and preservatives.
Many people who get migraines are sensitive to foods containing large amounts of the amino acid tyramine. These include aged and fermented foods such as aged cheeses, vinegar, beer, wine, and miso; pickled foods including sauerkraut; meats such as sausages and bologna; and avocados.
If you take migraine drugs for pain relief, you should know that the side effects are significant, and some of them are so toxic that they are only prescribed for five days at the maximum.
Back Pain
Acute back pain is among the easiest types of pain to prevent. You do it by lifting properly, keeping your back and stomach muscles strong, and keeping your hamstrings (the muscles that run up the backs of the thighs) flexible. Good alignment is also important; if you aren’t properly distributing the stresses on your body, back pain can be the end result. Chronic back pain is an extremely common type of pain, especially in older Americans who are simultaneously putting on weight and suffering from chronic stress. Although back-strengthening exercises have permanently eliminated back pain in many people, there is undeniably an emotional component to the majority of back pain.
If you or someone you love has back pain, read the book Healing Back Pain by John Sarno, M.D. (Warne
r Books, 1991). This book was written by an M.D. who had seen thousands of patients with back pain and had little success in treating them until he began addressing the emotional components of this type of pain. It’s an illuminating and useful book, and his suggestions are easy to follow.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive motion disorder caused by repeating one movement over and over again with the wrist. Those who work intensively on computers, cashiers, and waitresses are among those who most commonly suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
Once you have carpal tunnel syndrome, it can be very difficult to heal, so pay attention to early symptoms and treat them right away by making sure the ergonomics of the repetitive motion are correct. Getting some expert help adjusting the setting in which you perform this motion can do a lot to nip the problem in the bud. If at all possible, take a break from doing the repetitive motion. It’s easy to brush off early pain by telling yourself you don’t have the time to solve the problem, but if you wait too long, you may solve the problem by being out of a job. You’ll get some nutritional pointers for treating carpal tunnel at the end of the chapter.
Drugs for Pain Relief
Examples of Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen (various forms of Tylenol, Children’s Feverall, Acephen, Abenol, Apacet, Aceta, Myapap, Maranox, Genapap, Panadol, Neopap, Silapap, Anacin-3, Redutemp, Arthritis Foundation Pain Reliever, Dapa, Ridenol)
Acetaminophen is one of the most overused and abused drugs on the market today because clever advertising and marketing have told us that it is harmless. However, it is potent medicine with great potential to do harm, especially in children. Please use it only when necessary.
Acetaminophen is also used in dozens of prescription and over-the-counter cold, cough, flu, arthritis, and headache remedies in combination with other drugs, including aspirin, caffeine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, propoxyphene, pseudoephedrine, and various cough and cold medications. Read labels.
What Does It Do in the Body? Relieves pain and reduces fever by increasing the dissipation of body heat. It also relieves pain from inflammation, but does not reduce inflammation.
What Is It Prescribed For? Most commonly it is prescribed for headaches, pain from earaches, teething, toothaches, or menstruation, for the common cold or flu, as well as arthritic and rheumatic conditions. It is also prescribed for people who are allergic to aspirin.
What Are the Possible Side Effects? Acetaminophen is notoriously hard on the liver and for that reason alone should be used with caution. If you have any type of liver disease or dysfunction, or if you are drinking alcohol, you should avoid this drug altogether. Other possible side effects include open sores, fever, jaundice, hypoglycemic coma, low white blood cell count, easy bruising, and excessive bleeding.
CAUTION!
Think Twice About Taking This Drug If . . .
• You have severe allergies.
• You are a chronic alcoholic, drink excessively, or even have one drink a day. The combination of this drug and alcohol can produce significant liver dysfunction.
• You have liver disease or a liver dysfunction.
What Are the Interactions with Food? In general, eating foods while taking this drug decreases or delays the drug’s absorption. Eating large amounts of cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and brussels sprouts; carbohydrates such as crackers, dates, and jellies; and foods high in pectin such as apples increases the effects of acetaminophen.
Examples of Aspirin and Similar Drugs (Salicylates)
Aspirin (Bayer, St. Joseph, Bufferin, Alka-Seltzer)
Choline salicylate (Arthropan)
Diflunisal (Dolobid)
Magnesium salicylate (Bayer Select Maximum Strength Backache)
Salicylate combinations (Tricosal)
Salicylsalicylic acid (Amigesic)
Sodium salicylate
Sodium thiosalicylate (Rexolate)
Aspirin is a near miracle drug, especially if you have a “too much” headache or a minor ache or pain. But it can easily and quickly cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding, it can increase the risk of some eye diseases, and it interacts dangerously with a long list of other drugs, so please use it with caution and don’t use it regularly. Aspirin has been loudly and widely touted as a cure-all for heart disease when taken daily in small doses, because of its ability to thin the blood, but it’s not worth the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. See “Should You Be Taking an Aspirin a Day?” in Chapter 10 for more about aspirin and heart disease.
What Do They Do in the Body? Lower elevated body temperatures while also reducing inflammation and pain.
What Are They Prescribed For? Relief from mild to moderate fevers, inflammation, aches, and pains. Aspirin is also prescribed for reducing the risk of heart attacks, although the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding outweighs the benefits for heart disease, especially considering how many other natural supplements can do the same thing without the side effects. Simply taking 300 to 500 mg of magnesium and 400 IU of vitamin E daily will likely do your heart a world more good than aspirin.
Aspirin is prescribed for a variety of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis.
What Are the Possible Side Effects? Aspirin is particularly hard on the digestive tract and can cause nausea, upset stomach, massive intestinal bleeding, and peptic ulcers. It can also cause temporary liver dysfunction and skin discomforts such as hives and rashes. Anemia, low white cell blood count, prolonged bleeding, and easy bruising are also possible with this drug, as well as severe allergies, mental confusion, dizziness, headaches, and depression. Ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, is a sign that you have taken too much aspirin.
CAUTION!
Think Twice About Taking These Drugs If . . .
• You are scheduled for surgery in a week or less (to avoid postoperative bleeding).
• You are allergic to any salicylates or NSAIDs.
• Your child or teenager has chicken pox or flu. A physician should check for Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious disease, before giving a child or teenager salicylates.
• You have asthma. Some asthmatics are intolerant of aspirin and can go into shock.
• You have liver damage, poor clot formation, or vitamin K deficiency.
• You have kidney disease or dysfunction. Aspirin may aggravate your condition.
• You have gastric ulcers, mild diabetes, gout, gastritis, or bleeding ulcers.
• You have hemophilia or hemorrhagic states.
• You have advanced kidney dysfunction due to magnesium retention. Do not take magnesium salicylate.
What Are the Interactions with Food? In general, eating food of any kind delays or decreases the absorption of these drugs. Taking one aspirin an hour before drinking can raise alcohol blood levels 26 percent above normal.
What Nutrients Do They Throw out of Balance or Interfere With? Aspirin and similar drugs block vitamin C from getting into the cells and lower levels of iron, folic acid, and potassium.
What Else to Take If You Take These Drugs. Increase your intake of foods high in vitamin C and potassium, and be sure to follow the Six Core Principles for Optimal Health (Chapter 9) to ensure an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. Be sure you’re getting 200 mcg daily of folic acid, especially if there’s any possibility of becoming pregnant.
Examples of Ibuprofen and Similar Drugs
Diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren)
Etodolac (Lodine, Lodine XL)
Fenoprofen (Nalfon)
Flurbiprofen (Ansaid)
Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Midol IB, Bayer Select Pain Relief, Nuprin, IBU)
Indomethacin (Indocin)
Ketoprofen (Orudis, Oruvail, Actron, Ketoprofen)
Ketorolac (Toradol)
Meclofenamate sodium (Meclomen)
Mefenamic acid (Ponstel)
Meloxicam (Mobic)
Nabumetone (Relafen)
Naproxen (
Aleve, Naproxen, Naprosyn, Naprelan)
Oxaprozin (Daypro)
Piroxicam (Feldene)
Sulindac (Clinoril)
Tolmetin sodium (Tolectin)
The ibuprofen-like painkillers are another example of a type of over-the-counter medication that is a potent drug with serious side effects when taken by the wrong person for more than a few days. Ibuprofen is a potent anti-inflammatory drug, so it is often used to treat arthritis pain. As many women are well aware, the ibuprofen-type drugs can bring welcome relief from menstrual cramps. (This is probably a result of reduced prostaglandin synthesis.) What many arthritis sufferers and women with menstrual cramps don’t realize is that if you have a sensitive stomach, taking ibuprofen just a few days a month can cause chronic digestive problems all month long. Ibuprofen is closely related to aspirin and can cause diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, gas, gastrointestinal bleeding, and chronic stomach pain and irritation. Taking it with food will help, but it won’t eliminate the problem.
Hundreds of thousands of people get stuck on the drug treadmill when they take these types of drugs. Here’s the scenario: They take ibuprofen or a similar drug for arthritis pain nearly every day and develop chronic stomach irritation. So their physician recommends Tagamet, which blocks the production of stomach acid. As a result of lower stomach acid, nutrients aren’t being properly broken down or absorbed, and the process of low-level malnutrition begins. The irritated digestive tract precipitates food allergies, which aggravate the arthritis, prompting ever-higher doses of pain medication and Tagamet. Pretty soon sleeping pills are prescribed to help get through the night, and the person is groggy during the day. Just a few months of this type of scenario is enough to land an independent elderly person in a nursing home. Please don’t underestimate the potency of these drugs.
Prescription Alternatives Page 31