themedicinecounter

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Certain pain relievers put heart attack survivors or those with heart disease at higher risk for heart attack or death according to a new study in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. The new research says that even short-term use non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly known as pain relievers is unsafe .
Pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and others provide relief for those who suffer from painful arthritis, lupus or other debilitating conditions. In 2007, the American Heart Association, recognizing the dangers for this population, released an advisory statement recommending that doctors prescribe these pain relievers at the lowest dose for the shortest period of time. But the new study out of Denmark says using pain relievers even at those levels may be putting people at risk.

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Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers are medicines that you can buy without a prescription. There are two main types of OTC pain relievers available; acetaminophen which is found in medications like Tylenol, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, known as NSAIDs. NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen (found in Advil and Motrin), and Naproxen(found in Aleve). Some products combine the two, such as Excedrin Extra Strength and Excedrin Migraine.

OTC pain relievers can be very helpful in treating many types of pain, including arthritis, earaches, headaches and back pain. They can also treat pain from the flu, a cold, sinusitis, strep throat or sore throat. Acetaminophen works by targeting the parts of the brain that receive pain messages, and it can be used safely by most people on a long-term basis for chronic conditions. It's also useful for reducing fever by controlling the body's temperature.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)has warned that consuming opioid pain relievers like codeine, oxycodone or hydrocodone just before or during early pregnancy can increase the risk of certain birth defects, especially congenital heart defects.

The warning extends to prescription painkillers including Vicodin, Oxycontin and Tylenol-3, as well as generic versions of these. The overall risk for any individual woman is still relatively modest, according to the CDC, and the study examined only prescription use of the drugs, not illicit use. Congenital heart defects are one of the more common birth defects, affecting nearly 40,000 infants in the US. Many of these will die from the condition in the first year of life, and those that survive may require numerous surgeries. Exposure to the opioid painkillers doubled the risk of having an infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, one of the most critical heart defects.