Blessing in disguise
As the Vioxx headlines emerged over the past few weeks, I have to admit to feeling a little smug. We’ve been throwing up the red flag on it since the November 2001 issue of Nutrition & Healing when Dr. Wright gave readers the results of a major trial involving Vioxx.
That study showed that taking Vioxx results in a significantly higher risk of “myocardial infarction, unstable angina, cardiac thrombus [clot], resuscitated cardiac arrest, sudden or unexplained death, ischemic stroke, and transient ischemic attack.”
Nothing happened then. But when Merck tested the drug recently as a potential preventative treatment for colon polyps, they got the same sort of results. And this time, they took action, pulling Vioxx off the market entirely. They haven’t released actual statistics on the number of study subjects that experienced these problems, or just how significant the “increased risk” is. But it must be high for Merck to take this kind of sweeping, and costly, step.
As I’ve watched the headlines emerge, and I’ve listened to what people are saying about all this, I’m thinking that it just might be a blessing in disguise. The FDA is on the hot seat. Consumers are questioning the safety of approved drugs. Hopefully, they will also start asking their doctors for natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals. If it’s true that every cloud has a silver lining, the Vioxx debacle might be ours.
Most of us want to believe in the myth of the magic pill. We want there to be a drug — even two or three — that takes away our aches and pains. But please remember that every patentable pharmaceutical concoction is based on something that Mother Nature already figured out. And when we fiddle with it — change a molecule here and there so we can make more money from it — we generally screw it up. There’s just no nicer way of putting it.
Bottle by bottle, we need to go through our medicine chest and keep asking our doctors — “what can I use instead of this that will solve my problem without the nasty side effects?” For a while, I predict we’ll get blank stares. But sooner or later, as the whistle gets blown on the FDA and the drug companies, the truth will come to light. More research will be done on natural products and on nutrition, and we will get the answers — and access to the natural products — we need to stay healthy.
The bottom line is this: No one gets to own Mother Nature. And her bounty of natural cures should be available to us all.
Flushing Vioxx
Q: OK, I gave up my Vioxx, and now I’m afraid of Celebrex and the rest of the lot. Can you give me the rundown on how I can combat my arthritis pain without them?
JVW: I think many people who are glum about giving up their synthetic pain relievers will be pleasantly surprised at how effective the natural remedies for arthritis are. Here’s a rundown (although for a more extensive discussion you might want to look up the April 2003 Nutrition and Healing Newsletter):
Eliminate nightshade vegetables from your diet such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant. This will not work for all arthritis sufferers, but it’s worth trying it for three to four months to see if just this elimination works for you.
Eat a low-carb diet, and incorporate foods that are high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. Thy’re nature’s anti-inflammatory, and getting enough of them could slow or even reverse your arthritis completely, depending on the type and the root cause of your condition. Starting with fish oil supplements and 400 IU of vitamin E right away is a great place to start.
Glucosamine and niacinamide: Both of these remedies have proven effective in studies, and are safe when taken as directed. I generally recommend 500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate three times a day. I also recommend 1,000 milligrams of niacinamide three times a day. You won’t feel the effects of this for three to four weeks, so be patient. (About 1 percent of people who take this dose will experience nausea if you do, stop taking it immediately and the nausea should go away promptly).
Last, but not to be overlooked, there are some herbs that will provide relief, including: boswellia, white willow bark, and holy basil. These are all known to be natural cox-2 inhibitors (see what is…below).
Of course, it’s always best to work with a physician familiar with natural remedies. If yours is not, you can call the American College for Advancement in Medicine (800-532-3688, 949-583-7666, www.acam.org) for a listing of doctors who can help you make the switch from patented arthritis medications to a more natural, and effective, alternative.
What is … cyclooxygenase?
Cyclooxygenase refers to an enzyme that oxidizes arachidonic acid to prostaglandin, and there are two forms of this enzyme in your body: COX-1, which is involved in regular body systems such as kidney function and stomach protection; and COX-2, which is triggered by inflammatory mechanisms.
When you have arthritis or any kind of chronic pain, your body is constantly producing COX-2. Reduction of that production can also reduce inflammation and the resulting pain.
Many pain relievers on the market, also known as NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Inflammatory Drugs), block production of both COX enzymes. The formulation of pain relievers like Vioxx that only inhibit the production of COX-2 was heralded by mainstream medicine “experts” as a breakthrough. But apparently, those “experts” spoke too soon.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
Hawkey CJ. “COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors.” Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2001; 15(5): 801-820
Mukherjee D, Nissen SE, Topol EJ. “Risk of cardiovascular events associated with selective COX-2 inhibitors.” Can Fam Physician 2002; 48: 1,449-1,451.
