Painful News Consumers who've reverted to good old aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen because of sometimes-conflicting health warnings about the newer painkillers Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx may need to think again: A new study shows that regular use of those traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) substantially increases risk of ulcers and bleeding in the small intestine. The new findings add insult to injury for users of naproxen (Aleve), which was recently cited for possible ties to heart trouble, too.
A Peek Inside NSAIDs have long been linked to stomach bleeding, (resulting in anemia and even death), but their effect on the small intestine has been hard to determine. David Graham, a gastroenterologist at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, had 21 regular NSAID users and 20 people who used either acetaminophen products (such as Tylenol) or nothing to treat their arthritis pain swallow endoscopic cameras. Resulting pictures showed that 71 percent of NSAID users suffered small-intestine injury. Only 10 percent of the control group had such injuries, and theirs were comparatively minor. None of the participants in the study -- which appears in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology -- showed or felt outward symptoms of the intestinal problems.
Regular use of NSAIDs such as ibuprofen increases the risk of intestinal bleeding, finds a recent study.
(Jennifer Domenick -- The Washington Post)
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Ditch the NSAIDs? Not so fast. "If I were a patient, I'd just kind of file this away for now," said Graham. (He is not the David Graham of the Food and Drug Administration, who blamed the agency recently for trying to suppress findings of Vioxx's heart-disease risks.) "We really need to rethink the whole situation as to how to use pain drugs most effectively." Tylenol is not an NSAID, but it has its own risks, including liver damage if a dose is too high or is taken with alcohol. Risks of any drug must always be weighed against benefits; consult your doctor before changing a regimen.
-- Jennifer Huget
