FDA Strengthens Heart Safety Warnings on Painkillers

[herding cats]

Source: NBC

The Food and Drug Administration is strengthening its warnings about painkillers like ibuprofen, saying they do raise the risk of heart attack or stroke.

People should think carefully about taking these drugs, both over-the-counter versions and prescription pills, the FDA says. It's asking manufacturers to change the labels.

"They used to say they might cause risk of heart attack or stroke. Now we are saying they do cause increased risk of heart attack and stroke," FDA spokesman Eric Pahon told NBC News.

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"FDA is strengthening an existing warning in prescription drug labels and over-the-counter (OTC) Drug Facts labels to indicate that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke, either of which can lead to death," the agency said in a statement.

"Those serious side effects can occur as early as the first few weeks of using an NSAID, and the risk might rise the longer people take NSAIDs. (Although aspirin is also an NSAID, this revised warning doesn't apply to aspirin.)"

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/heart-health/fda-strengthens-heart-safety-warnings-painkillers-n389516

[TM99]

1. It is getting hard to find pain relief over the counter.

Can't take acetaminophen as it is bad for the liver.

Can't take NSAIDS as they lead to stroke and heart attacks as well as ulcers.

Can't take aspirin due to high GERD and chances of an ulcer.

Hell, what is left to take?!

[NutmegYankee]

2. I understand the risk and accept it.

Sure, use of NSAIDs could result in my death one day from a heart attack, but I would rather live a shorter life without constant pain than a long life in pain.

[TM99]

3. No kidding.

What's that old Joe Jackson song? Cancer will give you cancer.

Seems these days we take our risks with all medications.

[REP]

4. If you don't drink and take only the recommended daily amount, acetaminophen is safer

NSAIDs don't just cause strokes and heart attacks; they're also extremely nephrotoxic (toxic to the kidneys). If they're only taken for 3 days or less at the lowest dose once a month or less, there's much less risk but many people don't take them that way. Untreated high blood pressure, a leading cause of stroke, is also one of the leading causes of kidney failure, so those patients taking daily NSAIDs are at the highest risk.

[Coventina]

5. Unfortunately, acetaminophen does nothing for me.

Since I don't drink it would be ideal for me, except it doesn't stop any pain. None.

[Turin_C3PO]

10. See though,

I have to take Ibuprofen. I have severe sinus pain that Tylenol doesn't even touch. I have addiction problems so opioid medications are out, though, of course, those in some ways are the safest for non-addicts. I take 800mg morning and night and yes it does raise my blood pressure (by about ten points) but I don't know what to do for pain otherwise? I've had sinus surgery, do the sinus-rinse, nothing stops the severe pressure. I do have my kidney and liver levels checked regularly (every 6 months) so fingers crossed those organs stay healthy.
Do you have any suggestions for me as far as pain relief that I maybe haven't thought of? (This is a serious question).

[REP]

12. See a neurologist; you may be actually having migraines

And yes I'm serious. I thought I was having severe sinus pain for years ... it was really severe chronic migraine. I felt silly until the neurologist told me that mistaking migraine for sinus headache was pretty common.

I take Topomax, an anti seizure drug, daily to prevent 90% of my migraines.

[Coventina]

6. And, doctors are now tightening writing scripts for opiods.

Even really weak ones like Tramadol.

It's getting to be a more and more painful world for those of us with chronic conditions....

[REP]

7. I guess I'm "lucky"

I have advanced kidney disease. I can safely take only true opioids ... but there are days I'm nearly willing to risk taking an Aleve. Well, I actually did a year or so ago; damn near drowned from the pulmonary edema.

[Sunlei]

8. Can reincarnate as a dog, Tramadol is about $3 a tab & some pets are on it for years.

[CTyankee]

11. red wine? like the old days...

[shanti]

9. that's unfortunate

ibuprofen is the ONLY pain reliever that works for me. i have D2, which also increases the risk of heart attack/stroke. may as well just resign myself to it then...

kind of a tossup between cancer and heart attack though, as they both run in my family. the last four relatives who've died had different types of cancer.