FDA warns public about pain relievers
Everyone loves pain relievers for one thing: their ability to take away all the aching and pain from whatever ails you at the moment. However, the FDA is strengthening its warning about pain relievers, and how they increase the risk for heart attack and stroke. The warning is specifically for the type of medication known as NSAID, or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug.
NSAID, for those who don’t know, is one of the more common pain relief meds one can get and is used to treat a variety of pain symptoms. But also it is used to lower swelling and fever.
The Risks of Pain Relievers
Although there is already a written warning on all boxes of pain meds warning of the risk of heart attacks and strokes, the FDA is increasing the seriousness of the warning. Researchers are not sure exactly what is causing the attacks to occur, but the unfortunate side effects can occur in the first few weeks after taking a pain reliever.
It is important to remember that if you are continuing to use NSAIDs, then the risk of having those attacks increases. Also, it is noted that although aspirin contains NSAID, the risk warning does not apply to the medication.
Further warnings
Naturally in prescriptions, there may be a few times when your doctor or physician prescribes more than one medication for you for pain management or other reasons. In these cases, considering the topic of discussion, you should avoid taking multiple meds that contain NSAID.
The reason being that other prescription medications contain NSAID. So if you were to take more of the same ingredient, naturally your risk of attack goes up exponentially.
Right now, the FDA is calling for manufacturers to update the information that is printed on medication both prescription and over the counter. The updated information with medication containing NSAID will be more specific in its risks of heart attacks and strokes. The FDA is also requesting that the manufacturers update their facts page about the pain reliever ingredient, NSAID.
Unfortunately, if you have already suffered a heart attack or stroke and you take pain relievers with NSAID, then the risk for you goes up as well. This means millions of Americans that suffer from heart disease and heart attack victims are at an increased risk of having another attack in taking the medication. People were dying due their vulnerability as a result of the mix of medications, which is why the FDA is issuing out the increased warnings about the NSAID ingredient to the public.
