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Analgesics For Headaches: A Solution, Or Do They Cause Problems As Well?

Lots of people have the understanding that over-the-counter medications, in particular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs (painkillers), must be completely harmless, or else they would require a prescription to use them.
It is feasible for over-the-counter medications to have some ill-effects of their own. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones, and the risks that may be associated with their long-term use.
Paracetamol over time can cause kidney damage, even failure. Ibuprofen can lead to ulceration of the stomach and liver dysfunction. An article in the Journal of Rheumatology(1) in 1991 stated that NSAIDS (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) cause over 103,000 hospitalisations yearly in the USA. This was principally due to the severe gastrointestinal complications that they can cause.
If you take aspirin frequently, it may be time to consider alternative care. Regular aspirin use has been shown to increase one’s risk for pancreatic cancer. It’s a regretful and troubling fact that 31,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year: even more worrying is that most are not alive three years later. A study of nearly ninety thousand nurses discovered that those who took 2 or more aspirins every week for twenty or more years had a 58% greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Those taking [14fourteen] tablets or more per week had an 86% higher risk than non-users.(2)
A November 2009 article titled “Are We Hooked on Painkillers?” in The Sunday Telegraph(3) stated “They’re convenient, accessible and effective, but there is a dark side to our use of analgesics?” Some of the points made in the article include:
Even anti-inflammatory tablets that were once prescription-only can now be found among the toothbrushes at your local store
Recurring headaches may be a indication of a more serious issue: the pain-killers you take may be masking the presence of a neck injury, for example. Or perhaps the headache is really stress-related.
While one aspirin study found it should be taken by most healthy men over 48 and women over 57, the latest research suggests otherwise. The findings were presented by the University of Edinburgh’s Professor Gerry Fowkes at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, held recently in Spain. ‘Our research suggests that aspirin should not be prescribed to the general population, although it does have benefits for people with established heart disease or other conditions.’ says Professor Fowkes
“Dr Richard Stark (an Australian neurologist) says that world-wide, about four per cent of people have headaches 15 days or more per month, and about a quarter to a half of these are overusing over-the-counter medications to relieve their ailments.”
It seems analgesics are not as safe as we might believe!
Please remember that your headaches may have a serious or sinister underlying condition, and should always be checked by a qualified medical practitioner. You may also like to consult your chiropractor. A chiropractor will be able to offer drug-free headache relief for many types of headaches, saving your body from the harmful effects of analgesic medications.
1  Fries James F., “NSAID Gastropathy: The Second Most Deadly Rheumatic Disease? Epidemiology and Risk Appraisal”, Journal of Rheumatology, 1991, (Supplement 28), Vol.18, pp.6-10
2  Schernhammer, ES, Kang, JH, Chan, AT et al., “A Prospective Study of Aspirin Use and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Women.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2004;96{1}:22-28.
3  Doherty, Elissa. “Are We Hooked On Painkillers?” The Sunday Telegraph Nov. 1, 2009 

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