More Side-Effects From Aspirin

Important! Read this if you take Aspirin, Tylenol, Aleve, or other OTC pain medication.


In America, we use Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs, or NSAID's,  for everything from reducing pain and inflammation, lowering fever and for attempting to reduce the risk of heart attacks.

We have long assumed that because they are over the counter drugs and approved by the FDA, that they are completely safe. But are they really?  While we are not suggesting that you stop taking doctor prescribed Aspirin or other pain relievers, you should know the facts.

While this is not a complete list of the side effects from Aspirin or the other over the counter pain medications, it does highlight some of the more common ones and a few of the more serious ones. 

It’s also important to point out that just because you don’t necessarily ‘feel’ a side-effect doesn’t mean it’s not affecting you. It's just below the level of awareness. Of course, different people are affected differently. Still, it's always good to know what the potential effects are because the more you know, the better the decisions you can make.

 And since we're talking about side effects, you won't see the kinds of side effects found in OTC pain medications from herbs. In fact, most herbs that are effective for pain or inflammation such as Turmeric, or White Willow have multiple side benefits due to each herbs diverse chemical nature. So if you want to avoid the side effects from Aspirin and other OTC pain medications, check out our Pain and Inflammation Support Formula. 

The side effects from Aspirin range from the very mild hardly noticeable variety to much more serious and impactful.

According to rxlist.com the most common are rash, gastrointestinal ulcerations, abdominal pain, heartburn, drowsiness, headache, cramping, nausea, gastritis, and even bleeding.(https://www.rxlist.com/aspirin-side-effects-drug-center.htm)

That’s quite a list!
But we can now add another one to the list. And this one can take years to show up.

A recent study on regular Aspirin use showed an almost threefold increase of a certain type of macular degeneration that damages the center of the field of vision, the 'sweet spot,'  causing it to be obscured.

In the study, 9.3% of Aspirin users were affected, compared with 3.7% for non-aspirin users. That's almost 1 in 10 regular Aspirin users that were affected. (https://www.sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=10862)

As I mentioned above Aspirin has a long list of side effects and a long history of causing stomach problems as well as internal bleeding with some people, but we can now add macular degeneration to the list of possible side effects.

Other OTC pain medications also have side effects. Aleve has shown to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. It is also linked to increased blood pressure. (https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-fda-strengthens-warning-non-aspirin-nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory)

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the leading cause of acute liver failure. While we have to consider that there are over 8 billion pills of acetaminophen taken annually, we cannot dismiss its direct impact on the liver.  (https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/acetaminophen-avoiding-liver-injury)

We also cannot forget about Vioxx, the presciption pain medication that was pulled from the market in 2004 after it was found that it increased the risk of heart attack by 100% and led to the deaths of some 100,000 people.(https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fda-strengthens-warning-that-nsaids-increase-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk-201507138138)

Don't forget, the FDA approved Vioxx, and even re-approved it even after it was pulled from the market! Merck wisely decided to not reintroduce it. 

If you decide to take any of the common over the counter pain medications, please do your homework. There are plenty of herbal remedies for many of the common aches and pains we experience that do not have side effects, but are full of side benefits. Compliments to the wonders of nature.

Want a safe and effective natural remedy for pain? Go here.  

Ready to learn more about herbs? Go here.

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