[Warning] Pain Pills POISONING Americans
Dear Reader,
Millions of Americans pop OTC drugs at the drop of a hat these days because they assume they’re harmless.
Have a headache? Grab a Motrin.
A little sore from gardening yesterday? Advil is just the ticket.
Tossing and turning at night? Pop an Excedrin.
Sound familiar?
If you find yourself reaching for these pills on a regular basis, I’ve got bad news for you.
Because not only are drugs like these dangerous… they’re downright deadly.
Don’t feel bad if this is news to you. Plenty of doctors have been lulled into the OTC-drug deception too.
Let’s take NSAIDs for example. Millions of people pop these pills every single day without a second thought. In fact, nearly 50 percent of the people who use NSAIDs admit to taking more than the recommended dose.
After all, if you can buy it at Walmart, it must not be that bad, right?
WRONG.
Anti-inflammatory drugs KILL over 16,000 people every year in the U.S. and send over 100,000 to the hospital.
They’re literally killing an American every 30 minutes.
These meds are the NUMBER ONE cause of liver failure. And frequent use of ibuprofen can TRIPLE the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A recent study has even cited these types of drugs as a critical factor in the development of HEARING LOSS.
Still ready to pop a few pills just because of some minor discomfort?
Another dangerous class of drugs are the anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl, Zantac, and Tagamet. These are drugs that are used to treat allergies, colds, and sleep problems.
But they’re TERRIBLE for older adults.
Using this class of drugs every day for one year increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 19 percent. Using them for 3-7 years catapults that to a 54 percent increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Other studies have noted more immediate issues with memory and cognition. They also reduce functional ability in older adults – that’s the ability to do everyday tasks that allow you to be independent, like getting dressed or brushing your teeth.
And it’s no wonder! Anticholinergic drugs work by interfering with the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is critical for healthy muscle function and a healthy central nervous system.
Call me crazy, but I’d take hay fever over Alzheimer’s any day of the year.
If you take any of these drugs ON OCCASION, they’re much less likely to cause any damage. But people tend to use them to treat chronic issues – which leads to chronic overuse. And that’s when your problems begin.
In most of these cases, there are natural alternatives that come with ZERO side effects.
To find a practitioner near you that focuses on a more complete approach to healing, visit the website of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, at www.acam.org.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
