Many pain medications are not suitable for long term use because of the potentially damaging side-effects. You might recall that Vioxx® was taken off the market in September 2004 after the release of a study showing that the drug doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke in long-term users.

Now a co-author, a senior cardiologist of a Danish study is recommending that one of Australia’s best known pain killers, Voltaren be taken off the market as well. Even Ibuprofen, commonly sold as Nurofen and Advil, was linked to a 30 per cent increased risk of stroke when more than 1200 milligrams were taken. See the article in the Sydney Morning Herald here.

It’s worth looking back at the Vioxx® and Celebrex® story. Vioxx® and Celebrex® as a new class of COX-2 inhibitor drugs were promoted as “wonder drugs” because they were friendly to the stomach. As it turned out however, Vioxx® in particular proved to significantly increase the risk of stroke and heart attack among long-term users.

What was Merck & Co’s (manufacturer of Vioxx®) initial response when the medical profession discovered there may be a link between cardiovascular disease and the long term use of the drug? They sponsored an educational symposia and circulated media articles to discredit the cardiovascular concerns associated with their drug. They then spent more than $100 million a year to promote the drug with consumer direct advertising. Vioxx® was finally taken off the market in September 2004 after the release of a study showing that the drug doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke in long-term users.

By their very nature, drugs are designed to block or inhibit normal processes within the body such as an enzyme performing a vital role. They can be life saving when used in acute care, but alternative approaches should be seriously considered in the longer term. Drugs can only be of value in a disease state, only then can the body benefit from blocking an essential process and there are almost always unwanted side-effects. So by the very nature of their actions, drugs cannot play a role in wellbeing, only in sickness. Nutrients on the other hand are enablers, they give the body the building blocks it needs to maintain wellbeing and resist disease. The impact is not immediate but the benefits come over the long term.

Sick of taking drugs for pain? You should be. Learn more about the Lifestyle Therapies Chronic Pain Guarantee and how to get off the pharmaceutical merry-go-round.