The 3 Most Dangerous Over-the-Counter Medications
Just because you can buy medicine without a prescription doesn't mean it is safe. In this article, I share the three most dangerous over-the-counter medications and offer simple solutions to avoid these drugs.
As a disclaimer, please don't stop any medications without speaking to your doctor first. As with everything in life, your doctor can help you weigh the risks versus benefits of any treatment. It is possible that your doctor has you on one of these drugs to prevent a life-threatening health condition.
1. Proton Pump Inhibitors (Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium)
Proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, are a multi-billion dollar industry. No other stomach acid blocking medication comes anywhere close to PPI drugs with regards to efficacy. As 60% of all Americans experience acid reflux in any given year, it is no wonder why PPI drugs are so popular.
While PPI drugs may help to prevent cancer in people with a diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus, a new study this week showed that taking PPI drugs increases your risk of stomach cancer. If the risk of stomach cancer wasn't frightening enough, my former Stanford professor, Dr. John Cooke, recently published a study showing that PPI drugs can wear out your heart, brain, and kidneys.
Studies also show that PPI drugs block the absorption of crucial vitamins and minerals for health like magnesium, iron, vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin C. Perhaps this explains why PPI use is associated with an increased dementia risk. Lastly, PPI drugs have been shown in studies to wreak havoc on the gut flora.
With all of these risks, why do people still take PPI drugs? Speaking as someone who used to gobble down PPI drugs for eosinophilic esophagitis, PPI drugs allowed me freedom from acid reflux chest discomfort without having to change my lifestyle.
In my case, eliminating dairy and junk food, in addition to losing 35 pounds, cured me of acid reflux. For most of my patients, cleaning up their diet and losing weight has also got them safely off PPI drugs. As one of the main causes of acid reflux is increased pressure within your abdomen, just losing weight may be your acid reflux cure.
I should point out here that just because you have acid reflux doesn't mean you should avoid dairy. Dairy and junk food, in addition to being overweight, were my acid reflux triggers. What it does mean is that you should look for your own specific acid reflux triggers or food allergies.
Other natural treatment strategies for acid reflux include eating smaller meals, avoiding fatty foods, staying away from anything with caffeine, sitting up for a few hours after eating, eating an early dinner, increasing physical activity, and finding ways to embrace stress. If you must take a PPI drug, make sure your doctor is aware and that you take the lowest dose possible to control your symptoms.
2. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (Advil, Motrin, Aleve, etc.)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can seem like a lifesaver to people with arthritis or musculoskeletal pain. As someone who used to suffer from an autoimmune disease, ankylosing spondylitis which attacks the spine, my neck and back were always in a state of discomfort. NSAIDs, or in my case Aleve, is what helped me to get through the day.
The two main problems with NSAIDs are that they increase your risk of a heart attack and internal bleeding. Indeed, studies show that all NSAIDs increase your risk of a heart attack by about 50%. In addition to the heart attack risk, studies also show that NSAID users have up to a 4-fold increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and are at significant risk of kidney failure.
In my case, the two most important things I did to dramatically reduce my NSAID use was cleaning up my diet and losing 35 pounds. As most people take NSAIDs for arthritis or musculoskeletal pain, getting back to a normal weight allows your joints to heal na...
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