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.
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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.
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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.
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