NSAID’s, the common name for over a dozen or more non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(including aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen), are used to treat rheumatoid and osteoarthritis^45.
However, for the past few years, these drugs have been given to people for such simple complaints as
recurring headaches or inflammation. In return for the pain relief, however, the patient may die as a result
of gastric bleeding caused by the extreme toxicity of the drugs. A warning placed on each NSAID
prescription says: “Serious gastrointestinal toxicity such as bleeding, ulceration, and perforation can occur
at any time, with or without warning symptoms, in patients treated chronically with NSAID therapy.” If
this doesn’t sound like Russian Roulette to you, the death toll from taking these drugs may convince you
otherwise. In the U.K., 4,000 people die each year from taking NSAIDS. In the U.S., the fatality figure is
up to five times as high as it is in the U.K. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized
due to gastric bleeding caused directly by taking NSAID's. Other side effects include perforation of the
colon, colitis, Crohn’s disease, blurred vision, Parkinson’s disease, liver and kidney damage, hepatitis and
hypertension.
A 20-year-old acne medicine that millions of American teens are, no doubt, taking every day has been
linked to a stunning array of negative psychiatric conditions including suicide, depression, psychosis,
violent and aggressive behaviors, mood swings, emotional instability, paranoia and changes in
personality. This makes one wonder if any drug, no matter how commonly prescribed is even remotely
safe.
With the enormous variety of drugs available today, many doctors no longer have the time to study the
side effects of each drug they prescribe, and most patients never read the list of side effects that
accompanies the drug. Also, few patients read the small printed contraindications or ask their doctor about
the possible dangers of the drugs. Doctors don’t seem to have the time to warn their patients about
possible side effects either. One report on a survey published in a 1996 issue of the British Medical
Journal found that less than two-thirds of patients recalled receiving any advice from their doctors on
potential side effects. Although the doctor has a moral as well as a legal obligation to inform the patient
about the risks of treatment, in most cases this important step is omitted. The drug company is legally
protected as long as the side effects and contra-indications are listed. This leaves it up to the patient to
decide whether to take a drug.
Read Side-Effect Labels to Save Your Life
Side effects arising from the use of common pharmaceutical drugs can develop into some of the most
grotesque symptoms imaginable. The Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), which can progress into a
complication called TENS (toxic epidermal necrolysis), is caused by adverse drug reactions. Before you
start taking common prescription drugs, you may need to inform yourself about this often-fatal reaction.
The list of drugs that may be problematic includes antiepileptic and anticonvulsant drugs, sulfonamides,
ampicillin, allopurinol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), as well as some vaccinations
(such as anthrax).
The frightening fact about these drugs is that the body's reaction to them is completely unpredictable.
For instance, you may have taken ibuprofen, a popular NSAID, a hundred times, but you can never know
for sure whether or when the body will suddenly become hypersensitive to the drug. When your body
starts fighting the drug, it will go into an extreme inflammatory response that causes your skin to die and
literally burn away. This side effect can occur with any age group, from infants and teens to the elderly.
The mortality rate ranges from 25-80 percent. Those who survive the ordeal are scarred for life, often to a
(^45) A new study by the Tel Aviv University in Israel and a second one by the University of Miami concluded that ginger extract
(255 mg per day for 6 or more weeks) may be optimal for the treatment of osteoarthritis.