Tag Archives: nsaids

NSAIDs and FQs Damage Mitochondria, Increase Oxidative Stress, and Cause Cell Death

May 10, 2016 Comments: 20

As I noted in the post, Why NSAIDs Suck for Floxies (and Probably Everyone Else Too), NSAIDs often exacerbate fluoroquinolone toxicity symptoms, and there are several mechanisms through which NSAIDs can interact with fluoroquinolones. The results of a recent article published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology by researchers at UC Davis, Different effects of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs meclofenamate sodium and naproxen sodium on proteasome activity in cardiac cells, help to further explain why NSAIDs trigger fluoroquinolone toxicity symptoms, and why they are a horrible combination.

NSAIDs and Fluoroquinolones Damage Mitochondria

The study showed that NSAIDs “Attack mitochondria, reducing the cardiac cell’s ability to produce energy” (source).

Likewise, fluoroquinolones have been shown to attack mitochondria. The studies, Bactericidal Antibiotics Induce Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Damage in Mammalian Cells and Delayed cytotoxicity and cleavage of mitochondrial DNA in ciprofloxacin-treated mammalian cells show that fluoroquinolones damage mitochondria, deplete mitochondrial DNA, and cause oxidative stress.  Also, the FDA admits that mitochondrial damage is the likely mechanism through which fluoroquinolones cause peripheral neuropathy.

Healthy mitochondria are vital for cellular energy and health. Unhealthy mitochondria have been linked to many diseases, including M.S., fibromyalgia, M.E./C.F.S., P.O.T.S., diabetes, cancer, aging, and more. Do NSAIDs and fluoroquinolones increase one’s chances of getting those diseases that are related to mitochondrial dysfunction? It’s certainly reasonable to think so – via the mitochondrial damage link – but studies have not shown a direct connection (mainly because neither have been researched).

NSAIDs and Fluoroquinolones Increase Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

NSAIDs also “Cause the production of reactive oxygen species, which stresses heart cells and is associated with many diseases, including heart disease” (source).

Fluoroquinolones have also been shown to increase production of reactive oxygen species (ROS – aka oxidative stress). The article, Oxidative Stress Induced by Fluoroquinolones on Treatment for Complicated Urinary Tract Infections in Indian Patients notes that, “Several in vitro and in vivo study using animals revealed that fluoroquinolones induced oxidative stress by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS)” and that in vivo human studies show that, “ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin induce more reactive oxygen species that lead to cell damage than gatifloxacin.”

ROS are described as follows:

Without oxygen, we could not exist. However, in the process of generating energy by “burning” nutrients with oxygen, certain “rogue” oxygen molecules are created as inevitable byproducts. Known as free radicals and reactive oxygen species, these unstable, highly reactive molecules play a role in cell signaling and other beneficial processes when they exist in benign concentrations.  But when their numbers climb, as may occur as a result of aging and other conditions, they may wreak havoc with other molecules with which they come into contact, such as DNA, proteins, and lipids. As such, these “pro-oxidant” molecules become especially toxic.

In fact, a prevailing theory of disease and aging states that the gradual accumulation of pro-oxidant molecules, and the harm they incur, is responsible for many of the adverse changes that eventually cause various diseases. These include cancer (possibly triggered by free radical-induced damage to cellular DNA) and inflammatory and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. While scientists have not yet reached consensus on the topic, accumulated evidence overwhelmingly identifies increased oxidative stress with age as a source of damage to cellular structure and function. (source)

To drastically over-simplify things, ROS are the opposite of antioxidants. If you’ve ever read about the benefits of antioxidants like vitamin C or glutathione, ROS have the opposite effects. In excess, ROS are harmful and damaging to cells.

NSAIDs and Fluoroquinolones Cause Cell Death

NSAIDs were found to “Impair the cardiac cell’s proteasome, the mechanism for degrading harmful proteins. This leads to toxic buildup and eventually to the death of cardiac cells” (source).

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Fluoroquinolones have also been found to cause cell death (apoptosis). This has been shown in many articles that note that fluoroquinolones are useful as chemotherapeutic agents specifically because they kill cells. Unfortunately, they don’t just kill cancer cells, they also kill healthy cells. The following articles note that fluoroquinolones are chemotherapeutic drugs that damage and kill cells:

  1. In an article published in the journal Urology, it was noted that, “Ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin exhibit significant time and dose-dependent cytotoxicity against transitional carcinoma cells.” That’s great – excellent, actually – if you happen to have carcinoma cells in your bladder. But if you just happen to have a bladder infection, chemo drugs that exhibit toxicity toward human cells – cancer or otherwise – are inappropriate for use (1).
  2. The mechanism for action for fluoroquinolones is that they are topoisomerase interrupters (2).Topoisomerases are enzymes that are necessary for DNA replication and reproduction. All of the other drugs that are topoisomerase interrupters are approved only for use as chemotherapeutic agents. It is only appropriate to use drugs that disrupt the process of DNA replication and reproduction when someone’s cells are already so messed up that they have cancer.
  3. Fluoroquinolones have been found to interfere with the DNA replication process for human mitochondria (3, 4, 5). Mitochondria are vital parts of our cells, (cellular energy is produced in our mitochondria), and disrupting the process through which mitochondrial DNA replicates causes cellular destruction, oxidative stress and disease.
  4. Fluoroquinolones have been shown to be genotoxic and to lead to chromosomal abnormalities in immune system cells (6).
  5. Fluoroquinolones disrupt cellular tubulin assembly (7). All of the other drugs that disrupt tubulin assembly are chemotherapeutic drugs.
  6. Fluoroquinolones disrupt enzymes, including CYP1A2 enzymes, which are necessary for detoxification.

Avoid NSAIDs and Fluoroquinolones

Dr. Aldrin V. Gomes, one of the authors of Different effects of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs meclofenamate sodium and naproxen sodium on proteasome activity in cardiac cells, “advised caution when using NSAIDs either topically or orally” (source). Likewise, caution is warranted when using fluoroquinolones, as one can gather from reading any of the stories of pain and suffering caused by fluoroquinolones. Personally, I will do everything in my power to avoid both NSAIDs and fluoroquinolones for the rest of my life. Mitochondrial destruction, oxidative stress, and cell death aren’t things I want.

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Floxie Hope Podcast Episode 15 – Richard

March 3, 2016 Comments: 8

Richard Floxie Hope Podcast

I had the pleasure of interviewing Richard for episode 15 of The Floxie Hope Podcast. Please check it out –

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/floxie-hope-podcast/id945226010

http://www.floxiehopepodcast.com/episode-015-richard/

At the age of 23, Richard was “floxed” by a single pill of Avelox (while he was also on NSAIDs). For the following 4 months he was acutely ill, and for ten months following that he was slowly recovering. Richard goes over his journey through fluoroquinolone toxicity in the interview – what helped, what hurt, and what he learned along the way. He has excellent advice to share with all of you.

Thank you very much for listening!

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Pharmaceuticals Contraindicated with FQs

August 11, 2015 Comments: 34

I’m not a doctor. If you want to know exactly what medications you should or shouldn’t take given your personal medical history, please ask your doctor. Please also know that these are not hard and fast rules for every floxie. Given that there is so little research into fluoroquinolone toxicity, there aren’t many definitive rules for what pharmaceuticals people can and cannot take post-flox. Following is information though, and with information, perhaps you can make a more informed choice about which drugs to take and which ones to avoid.

From the Cipro/ciprofloxacin warning label:

  • Corticosteroid drugs increase the risk of tendon ruptures (in the black box warning).
  • “Ciprofloxacin is an inhibitor of human cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) mediated metabolism. Co-administration of ciprofloxacin with other drugs primarily metabolized by CYP1A2 results in increased plasma concentrations of these drugs and could lead to clinically significant adverse events of the co-administered drug.” Drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 include Alosetron/Lotronex, Caffeine, Clozapine/Clozaril, Flutamide/Eulexin, Frovatriptan/Frova, Melatonin, Mexiletine/Mexitil, Mirtazapine/Remeron, Olanzapine/Zyprexa, Ramelteon/Rozererm, Rasaglinie/Azilect, Robinirole/Requip, Tacrine/Cognex, Theophylline, Tizanidine/Zanaflex, Triamterene/Dyrenium, Zolmitriptan/Zomig (Source).
  • “Concomitant administration with tizanidine is contraindicated”
  • “Concomitant administration of ciprofloxacin with theophylline decreases the clearance of theophylline resulting in elevated serum theophylline levels and increased risk of a patient developing CNS or other adverse reactions.”
  • “Ciprofloxacin also decreases caffeine clearance and inhibits the formation of paraxanthine after caffeine administration.”
  • “Ciprofloxacin should be avoided in patients with known prolongation of the QT interval, risk factors for QT prolongation or torsade de pointes (for example, congenital long QT syndrome , uncorrected electrolyte imbalance, such as hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia and cardiac disease, such as heart failure, myocardial infarction, or bradycardia), and patients receiving Class IA antiarrhythmic agents (quinidine, procainamide), or Class III antiarrhythmic agents (amiodarone, sotalol), tricyclic antidepressants, macrolides, and antipsychotics.”
  • “Altered serum levels of phenytoin (increased and decreased) have been reported in patients receiving concomitant ciprofloxacin.”
  • “Hypoglycemia has been reported when ciprofloxacin and oral antidiabetic agents, mainly sulfonylureas (for example, glyburide, glimepiride), were co-administered, presumably by intensifying the action of the oral antidiabetic agent (see ADVERSE REACTIONS). The concomitant administration of ciprofloxacin with glyburide has, on rare occasions, resulted in severe hypoglycemia.”
  • “Probenecid interferes with renal tubular secretion of ciprofloxacin and produces an increase in the level of ciprofloxacin in the serum.”
  • “Renal tubular transport of methotrexate may be inhibited by concomitant administration of ciprofloxacin potentially leading to increased plasma levels of methotrexate.”
  • “Metoclopramide significantly accelerates the absorption of oral ciprofloxacin resulting in shorter time to reach maximum plasma concentrations.”
  • NSAIDs – “Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (but not acetyl salicylic acid) in combination of very high doses of quinolones have been shown to provoke convulsions in pre-clinical studies.”

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There are many conditions that may (or may not) be related to fluoroquinolone toxicity that have “drugs to avoid” lists. Here are some of them:

There are a lot of questions about timing of drug administration that neither I, nor anyone else to my knowledge, know the answers to. It’s right there on the warning label that concurrent administration of ciprofloxacin and NSAIDs can induce convulsions (seizures), but does that mean that people who have taken ciprofloxacin in the past should avoid NSAIDs in the future? There is anecdotal evidence that NSAIDs should be avoided by floxies, but some people seem to handle them fine, and that’s valid anecdotal evidence too. When might it be safe for a floxie to take the drugs listed above? I don’t know the answer to that.

Another question that I don’t know the answer to is – Do adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones either uncover or cause another syndrome? Some of the possible syndromes that fluoroquinolone toxicity may or may not be related to are G6PD Deficiency and porphyria. Both G6PD Deficiency and porphyria can be brought on by adverse reactions to drugs. It’s possible that fluoroquinolone toxicity is related to these diseases, but I haven’t seen much evidence to support that assertion (so please just take it for what it’s worth).

I encourage everyone reading this to read the entire warning label for any drug you are prescribed, go over the potential benefits and risks with your doctor, and look up any drug you’re prescribed on www.askapatient.com and http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/. After that due diligence, I wish you luck with whatever decision you make. Know that fluoroquinolones are more dangerous than many, maybe most, drugs, and that sometimes pharmaceuticals are necessary, so try not to be too anxious about having to take one.

I hope this helps!

 

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Why NSAIDs Suck for Floxies (and Probably Everyone Else Too)

October 29, 2014 Comments: 37

After fluoroquinolone toxicity, many people have trouble handling NSAIDs.  By “have trouble handling” I mean that NSAIDs lead to an explosion of fluoroquinolone toxicity related symptoms for many (but not all) people.  I know that the last time I took a NSAID corresponded with the flox-bomb going off in my body – my hands and feet swelled and were painful, I had hives all over my body, my energy was gone, my tendons were weakened, my memory and concentration were shot, I had a massive amount of anxiety and many other symptoms.  I intend to avoid NSAIDs for the rest of my life because of this, and other people’s similar experiences.

That’s nice anecdotal evidence, Lisa, but it’s anecdotal and therefore not very convincing. 

From the warning label for Cipro/ciprofloxacin –

“NSAIDs – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (but not acetyl salicylic acid) in combination of very high doses of quinolones have been shown to provoke convulsions in pre-clinical studies.”

Also, from Pharmacology Weekly, “convulsive seizures have been reported in patients taking fluoroquinolones, especially if they are also taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).”

Well, that sucks, but I’m not taking NSAIDs concurrently with fluoroquinolones and I haven’t had seizures.  The question remains – Why shouldn’t I have NSAIDs after fluoroquinolone toxicity?

Nasty Carboxylic Acid Molecule

The answers, I think, come from the fact that both fluoroquinolones and NSAIDs have a carboxylic acid molecule in them.

When not metabolized properly, carboxylic acid molecule containing substances can form poisonous acyl-glucuronides and acyl-CoA thioesters.  Poisonous metabolities.  And, unfortunately, “When such metabolites react with critical proteins, cellular functionality may be disturbed or an immune response may be induced, eliciting adverse effects that in serious cases can be fatal” (from the article, Metabolic activation of carboxylic acids – all quotes in this post are from that article, unless otherwise specified).

Carboxylic acid molecules are found in various xenobiotics (a chemical or substance that is foreign to an organism or biological system), including fluoroquinolones and NSAIDs, as well as in biological systems “such as fatty acids, keto-acids, bile acids, messenger molecules and breakdown products from hormones and other endogenous molecules.”  The existence of carboxylic acids in our natural environment and processes has led us to be able to metabolize carboxylic acid molecules well.  Usually.  Until we aren’t able to metabolize them well any longer.  The conversion of carboxylic acid molecules into poisonous metabolites that react with proteins has to do with the following:

“It was also recognized early on that the isomers of acyl glucuronides (formed as a result of intramolecular acyl migration) can be equally or even more potent electrophilic species than the parent acyl glucuronide, and that these iso-glucuronides covalently bind to proteins via another mechanism [4]. Furthermore, acyl glucuronides are not only able to directly acylate cellular proteins, but they can also transacylate the cysteine thiol of glutathione (GSH), leading to drug-Sacyl- GSH, which in turn is a highly reactive species [5]. However, we still know very little about the overall toxicological significance of acyl glucuronides or their derivatives. A discussion about the causal role of acyl glucuronides in drug toxicity must not only consider the differential reactivity of the drug acyl glucuronides (e.g., type of substitution at the alpha carbon, half life [6-8]) but also the nature of the nucleophilic targets”  from Editorial [Hot Topic:Acyl Glucuronides: Mechanistic Role in Drug Toxicity? (Guest Editor: Urs A. Boelsterli)] by Urs A. Boelsterli (213-214).

Got that?  Don’t worry, most people don’t.  Even the author of that quote, Urs A. Boelsterli, goes on to say that, “Like for other signaling paradigms, it seems that the complex balance between bioactivating and protective pathways may ultimately determine the outcome in vivo, rather than one single factor (reactivity of an acyl glucuronide) alone. Thus, the exact role of acyl glucuronides in drug safety assessment is simply not known and cannot be generalized.”  Basically, it’s not known why carboxylic acid containing drugs sometimes turn into poisonous metabolites that form covalent adducts with critical protiens.  They don’t always.  But sometimes they do.  And when they do, a whole load of bad health outcomes occur.

Removal of carboxylic acid containing drugs from the market

Many carboxylic acid containing drugs, including NSAIDs, have been removed from the market because of safety issues.  “Many of the carboxylic acid containing drugs that have been associated with toxicity – idiosyncratic or otherwise – belong to the therapeutic class of NSAIDs.” And “Of 29 drugs withdrawn from the market in the UK, Spain or USA between 1974 and 1993, nine were carboxylic acid-containing drugs, making this compound class the most frequently involved in drug discontinuations in this period.”

Several fluoroquinolones have been removed from the market.  Omniflox/temafloxacin, Raxar/grepafloxacin, Trovan/trovafloxacin, Zagam/sparfloxacin, and Tequin/gatifloxacin have all been taken off the market in the U.S.

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Interactions between carboxylic acid containing drugs and mitochondria

Diclofenac is a NSAID that is still on the market despite its association with immune-mediated toxicity and hepatic failure.  “studies have shown that diclofenac inhibits mitochondrial function, minimising ATP production and mitochondrial permeability transition [85,86] . Uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation may be a class characteristic of NSAIDs and other carboxylic acid drugs; they act as proton ionophores.”

There is quite a bit of evidence that fluoroquinolones interfere with mitochondrial function “Bactericidal Antibiotics Induce Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Damage in Mammalian Cells” and “Delayed cytotoxicity and cleavage of mitochondrial DNA in ciprofloxacin-treated mammalian cells” are two of my favorite articles.  Also, the FDA admits that mitochondrial damage is the likely mechanism through which fluoroquinolones cause peripheral neuropathy.

Acyl-CoA thioester formation is one of the metabolic pathways through which carboxylic acid molecule containing substances can form “chemically reactive metabolites that are capable of participating in nucleophilic-type reactions leading to the formation of covalently bound protein adducts.”  Acyl-CoA formation is “an integral part of mitochondrial energy metabolism.”

Delayed reactions and tolerance thresholds

A couple explanations for the delayed adverse reactions that people experience from fluoroquinolones come from the metabolites formed by the carboxylic acid molecules in FQs and NSAIDs, and also from their reaction with mitochondria.  Urs Boelsterli notes that, “On the other hand, although glucuronidation of carboxylic acid-containing drugs may cause delayed toxicity due to reactive acyl glucuronide intermediates, this process may at the same time protect from the acute toxicity of the aglycone or its oxidative metabolite(s).”  (Uhhhh…. Thanks for the delayed reaction that made this whole ordeal deniable for doctors?  Well, it’s better than acute death, so there’s that.)

In “Mechanisms of Pathogenesis in Drug Hepatotoxicity Putting the Stress on Mitochondria” it is noted (by Urs Boelsterli and others) that:

“…damage to mitochondria often reflects successive chemical insults, such that no immediate cause for functional changes or pathological alterations can be established. There is indeed experimental evidence that prolonged injury to mitochondria, such as that which typifies oxidative injury to mitochondrial DNA or to components of the electron transport chain (ETC), has to cross a certain threshold (or a number of thresholds) before cell damage or cell death becomes manifest.”

To put this section in more simple terms, delayed reactions and tolerance thresholds are real and there are several hypotheses for why people experience delayed adverse reactions to fluoroquinolones, NSAIDs, and other carboxylic acid containing, mitochondria damaging drugs.

Staying in the Lipids

Another possible explanation for delayed reactions and relapses is that fluoroquinolones and NSAIDs stay in the body.  I’ve always been skeptical about that possibility, but maybe they stay in the lipids.  “For example, several studies have shown the ability of xenobiotic carboxylic acids to be incorporated into complex lipids (e.g., formation of ‘hybrid’ tri-acyl glycerols by ibuprofen or fenbufen [90-92] ), thus prolonging the time the drug stays in the body, or potentially causing adverse effects through inhibition of lipid-metabolizing enzymes etc. [93] . The toxicological effect of such hybrid lipids is not known at present.”

Fluoroquinolones thoroughly mess up lipids.  The article “Comparison of the Effects of Subinhibitory Concentrations of Ciprofloxacin and Colistin on the Morphology of Cardiolipin Domains in Escherichia Coli Membranes” goes over how ciprofloxacin adversely affects cardiolipin, “an important component of the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it constitutes about 20% of the total lipid composition” (wiki).  “Characterization of the Interactions between Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics and Lipids: a Multitechnique Approach” is also an informative article.

Something to note is that the tests for autoimmune diseases aren’t testing the activity of the immune system, as one might assume, they are testing for cellular damage antibodies.  Antibodies to phospholipids are a category of tests for lupus, and the one of the tests in that category is that for a cardiolipin antibody.

Autoimmune Diseases and reactions

Some of the things said in “Metabolic activation of carboxylic acids” made me think that carboxylic acid containing drugs may be (causally) related to autoimmune diseases.

“high intra-cellular or plasma concentrations of acyl glucuronides may lead to the nonspecific formation of haptenated proteins that are able to invoke an immune response in susceptible individuals.”

“When such metabolites react with critical proteins, cellular functionality may be disturbed or an immune response may be induced, eliciting adverse effects that in serious cases can be fatal”

I’m honestly not sure whether or not the “immune response” noted is the same as an autoimmune disease.

It makes me wonder though – What is the relationship between carboxylic acid molecules and autoimmune diseases?  The fact that both NSAIDs and hormones contain carboxylic acid molecules makes me wonder whether carboxylic acid metabolites are the reason that women have more problems with autoimmune diseases than men.  (Women have a lovely monthly cycle of hormonal fluctuations that typically cause pain that is often treated with NSAIDs.)

The flox bomb went off in me 2 weeks after I finished my course of cipro, while I was taking NSAIDs (ibuprofen) because I was starting my period.  Triple whammy.  And it most definitely felt like my body was being attacked from the inside.

GABA issues

I honestly have no idea how GABA receptor issues relate to mitochondrial issues or carboxylic acid metabolism.  I do know that messing with GABA-A receptors is another reason to avoid both fluoroquinolones and NSAIDs, and especially to avoid them together.  From Pharmacology Weekly:

What role do NSAIDs have in the predisposition for developing seizures while also taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic?

Interestingly, the presence of an NSAID or NSAID metabolite can significantly augment this effect and result in an even greater inhibition of GABA-A receptor activity.  It is, however, important to note that majority of this effect is related to an NSAID that is only available outside of the United States called fenbufen (Afiancen®, Bifene®, Cincopal®, Cinopal®, Lederfen®, Reugast®).9-11,14  It appears that the metabolite of fenbufen, 4-biphenylacetic acid (BPAA), augments the ability of the fluoroquinolone to inhibit GABA binding to the GABA-A receptor.9-11,14  It is important to note that BPPA itself does not inhibit GABA binding to the GABA-A receptor, but rather when BPAA and the fluoroquinolone come in close proximity they interact in such a way that it results in the ability of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic to inhibit GABA binding to a greater degree than by itself.  It is possible that the interaction between a fluoroquinolone antibiotic and BPAA causes some other biologic effect that influences the activity of the GABA-A receptor.  In fact, there is some evidence that some fluoroquinolones (mainly enoxacin and norfloxacin) can increase the activity of nuclear activator protein 1 (AP-1) DNA- and cyclic AMP responsive elements (CRE)-binding activities in both the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.14  It has been suggested that increased activity of AP-1 mediated gene expression is important for activity-dependent plasticity in these regions of the brain and thus contribute to the increased risk for seizures.14  Even though fenbufen has been the main NSAID implicated in this adverse drug reaction, other NSAIDs such as indomethacin, ketoprofen, naproxen, ibuprofen have also been shown to augment fluoroquinolone induced GABA-A receptor inhibition in animal studies.9

While the data most strongly implicate certain fluoroquinolone antibiotics and NSAIDs, CNS side effects and seizures have been reported with many of the fluoroquinolones, including the ones currently on the market.1-5  This is the reason that the product package inserts for the fluoroquinolone antibiotics not only list the above as potential side effects, but also describe the drug interaction with NSAIDs.1-5  As such, until further evidence suggests otherwise, it would be prudent, especially from a medical legal perspective, for healthcare providers to avoid the use of fluoroquinolones with or without NSAIDs in patients who are at greater risk for seizures (e.g., history of epilepsy, severe cerebral arteriosclerosis) or those with a lower seizure threshold (e.g., patients on medications known to do this, renal dysfunction).

Heart Disease

Even if one has never taken a fluoroquinolone, NSAIDs should be used with caution.  The number of NSAIDs removed from the market because they were too dangerous is high.  Vioxx, ibufenac, benoxaprofen have all been removed from the market because of severe toxicity issues.  Vioxx is thought to have directly caused hundreds of thousands of heart attacks.

The Reuters article, “High doses of common painkillers increase heart attack risks” notes that, “Long-term high-dose use of painkillers such as ibuprofen or diclofenac is ‘equally hazardous’ in terms of heart attack risk as use of the drug Vioxx, which was withdrawn due to its potential dangers, researchers said on Thursday.”

Concluding thoughts

Before I got floxed, I would pop ibuprofen like it was candy.  I would take it to ease menstrual cramps, whenever I felt even a little bit achy, and even to help me sleep.  I never had any sort of adverse reaction to it.  I thought of it as “vitamin I.”

It was only after my second exposure to cipro that I could no longer handle ibuprofen.  As I mentioned, the explosion that occurred in my body after taking cipro corresponded with taking ibuprofen for menstrual cramps.  I have not taken an NSAID since and I intend to avoid them, along with every other carboxylic acid containing drug, indefinitely.

Maybe my frequent use of ibuprofen set me up for getting floxed later.

Maybe the horrible reaction that I had to the triple whammy of carboxylic acid molecule containing substances – cipro, ibuprofen and hormones – saved me from future long-term consequences of regular NSAID use.  I don’t know.  I do know that they’re nasty drugs.  Shoot, NSAIDs can cause Stevens-Johnson Syndrome – aka, the worst thing ever, so I’m glad I stay away from them now.

Got it, no NSAIDs.  Problem – I’M STILL IN PAIN!  Any suggestions?

A paragraph at the end of an already-too-long post isn’t the place to fully address this, but I will acknowledge that the lack of safe painkillers is a serious problem.  Here are some options that I have heard good things about (I’m not a doctor, this isn’t medical advice, yadayada) –

  • Tumeric
  • Tart Cherry Juice
  • Vitamin D3
  • Cannabis / Marijuana
  • Opiates (a crappy option in many ways)
  • Acetaminophen / Tylenol (it’s hard on your liver, but it’s not a NSAID)

Here’s an article from Dr. Mercola that lists some additional alternative to pharmaceutical painkillers – http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/02/narcotic-overdose-deaths.aspx

 

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