Ray Strand, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 He suggested that Bill try a new pain medication that had just been released a few months earlier. In fact, he told Bill he had personally tried Duract for his own back strain from a golfing injury.The doctor said that it worked great and was safe because it was a nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory medication like Motrin and Aleve. Unlike others, Duract was much more effective in its ability to relieve pain.
He wrote the script for Duract and gave Bill several refills in case he needed to take the medication for a while. Bill went home and began taking the Duract along with the muscle relaxant. |
| Sure enough, a day or so after I quit taking the pain medication, the vertigo went away.
The important point to remember is that drugs can mimic disease and essentially cause any symptom you can name. A list of your current medications will help alert you and your physician to this possibility. Remember, reactions to medications are often delayed. They may not always occur right after you start a medication. For instance, if a drug is causing liver damage, it may take months before any symptoms develop. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
See book keywords and concepts |
 A study done at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that up to 81 percent of subjects given pain medication before surgery felt no pain nine and a half weeks after the procedure, whereas only 44 percent of those not given an analgesic prior to surgery were pain-free at that point. You may wish to discuss these findings with your doctor and ask him or her to administer pain medication before your operation, rather than waiting and treating pain afterwards.
DIETARY GUIDELINES
¦ Depending on the type of surgery, your physician may prescribe a specific diet for you. |
Cynthia A. Foster, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 The doctors had left her with pain medication to control the pain of the cancer spreading everywhere in her body. The only problem was that the pain medications were all horribly constipating, and this woman had such a severe problem from this side effect that her bowel was in danger of bursting - it was called a bowel obstruction. She had not had a bowel movement in over a month.
I felt sad for her, as she had given her life to the belief that her medicine would save her, and now she was not only not being saved, but she was suffering unbearable pain. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
 The Food and Drug Administration does not require the manufacturers of Tylenol and other brands of acetaminophen to adequately warn people with kidney disease to avoid this pain medication. However, for those in chronic pain who cannot find relief from natural pain relief therapies (see Pain and Arthritis protocols), it is suggested that Tylenol and other brands of acetaminophen be used sparingly.
To illustrate how dangerous acetaminophen can be, studies show that people who used acetaminophen on a regular basis more than doubled their risk of kidney cancer (Kaye et al. |
Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA
See book keywords and concepts |
| The irritated digestive tract precipitates food allergies, which aggravates the arthritis, prompting ever-higher doses of pain medication and Tagamet. Pretty soon sleeping pills are prescribed to help get through the night, and the person is groggy during the day. Just a few months of this type of scenario is enough to land an independent elderly person in a nursing home. Please don't underestimate the potency of these drugs.
What Do They Do in the Body?
Relieve pain from inflammation and lower elevated body temperatures.
What Are They Prescribed For? |
| If you have chronic pain caused by a disease such as arthritis or fibromyalgia, the waters become a little bit muddier in terms of deciding when and how to take pain medication. Most painkilling drugs don't work for very long or very well for these types of pain. The most important part of managing chronic pain is preventing and eliminating the source of the pain. You'll find solutions that generally work much better than pain-suppressing drugs at the end of this chapter. |
Mark Hyman, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Over the years, however, his pain increased and he finally consulted his doctor, who diagnosed Rudy with arthritis in his spine and began giving him prescription anti-inflammatory drugs and pain medication.
Each new medicine would work for a few months, or even up to a year, but then the effect would wear off and Rudy would be immobilized with pain again. This process escalated as he took stronger and stronger medications.
Three years ago Rudy was overcome by an ominous wave of weakness and he passed out. |
Kevin Trudeau
See book keywords and concepts |
 Vioxx is a pain medication. It was an outrageously expensive drug that reduces pain no better than an over-the-counter drug. The drug company that sold Vioxx made billions in profits. Whistleblowers now say that both the FDA and the drug manufacturer of Vioxx knew that this drug would cause over 100,000 people to die. Whistleblowers say that the decision was made to let the people die because of the potential huge profits that could be made. In my opinion, this happens all the time. Over-the-counter drugs are some of the biggest culprits. |
| I have taken in my life aspirin, or Tylenol, or ibuprofen, or other over-the-counter pain medication.
4. I shower and/or bathe in regular tap water.
5. I drink water out of the tap.
6. I have been in a swimming pool where chlorine was used.
7. I use a cellular telephone without any electromagnetic chaos protection.
8. I use a laptop computer with a wireless device.
9. I watch TV.
10. I own and watch a high-definition television.
11. I use a wireless telephone in my house.
12. I use a remote control for my television or other electronic appliances.
13. I have a satellite television. |
| Most notably, pain medication, as evidenced by many celebrities, including Rush Limbaugh, who were given drugs by their doctor not knowing the addictive nature of the drug. Unable to stop, these people became slaves to the drug. The drugs also caused major medical problems such as permanent hearing loss.
20. Still not convinced that government agencies fight against individuals while allowing big business to go unpoliced? Then consider this:
• The IRS audits three times the percentage of individuals as opposed to corporations, small businesses, and partnerships. |
Ray Strand, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Many serious drug interactions involve the combination of an acute-care medication (medication used for acute treatment, like antibiotics, pain medication for an injury, etc.) with a long-term medication the patient has been taking for years. When patients took Erythromycin after having been on Seldane or Hismanal, the potential risk was sudden death.1 This is why these drugs are now off the market. Be assured other drug interactions can potentially bring the same results.
You must also hold the pharmacist accountable. Choose a pharmacy where the pharmacist will actually talk to you. |
Judith J. Wurtman and Susan Suffes
See book keywords and concepts |
 Stress relief is gradual, sort of like taking pain medication for a headache. After all, you don't expect your headache to be gone seconds after swallowing pain medication. In fact, you often don't feel any change for fifteen minutes after taking the pill and may not even be aware that the headache is entirely gone for another fifteen minutes or even longer. However, once the pain begins to recede you may find yourself going about your business without even remembering the previous discomfort. The same gradual improvement in mood occurs after eating carbohydrates. |
F. Batmanghelidj
See book keywords and concepts |
 The drug industry spends billions of dollars researching painkillers, and even more money advertising their particular brand of pain medication. I don't believe the answer is in these medications, however. Dehydration can be cured by water, for free.
PAIN
To understand the mechanism of pain production in the body, we first need to learn about the way the acid-alkaline balance in the body works. An acidic environment causes irritation of certain nerve endings in the body. |
| Women who used acetaminophen (present in Tylenol) and ibuprofen (sold under many different names, including Motrin and Brufen) as their painkiller were 86 percent more susceptible to develop hypertension than the nonusers of these brands of pain medication. The article seems to whitewash aspirin and did not involve it in causing hypertension.
I have no idea who funded the research and which company stands to gain from the results of this study. |
Tanya Harter Pierce
See book keywords and concepts |
 She was also on heavy pain medication. Since the diagnosis, however, Olga's daughter, Trish, had been trying to find something else that could be done for her mother. Luckily, in late August 2003, when Olga's doctors thought she had only a few more weeks to live, Trish found out about cesium high pH therapy using liquid ionic minerals. She contacted someone who had experience and knowledge about how to use this approach safely and started her mother on it immediately.
Because Olga did not want to take too many different supplements, her treatment protocol was extremely simple. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 In addition, researchers found that young women took more pain medication when their diets were low in both calcium and manganese. Finally, and perhaps not surprisingly, the researchers noted that obese young women who were participating in a weight-loss study requested pain medication more often when their caloric intake was cut in half. In this case, psychological factors, such as a feeling of deprivation, may increase the need for painkillers.
Herbs
Capsaicin—For centuries, herbalists have recommended applying a paste made with chili peppers to the skin to treat muscle and joint pains. |
| In the subjects whose diets were the most severely restricted, pain medication was requested three times more frequently than those who ate more well-rounded meals.
Men and women with a lower-than-normal intake of copper had a much higher rate of pain-killer use than those who consumed normal amounts of copper. In addition, researchers found that young women took more pain medication when their diets were low in both calcium and manganese. |
Death by MedicineGary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD, Debora Rasio MD, Dorothy Smith PhD.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Let's also look at the irony of under use of proper pain medication for patients that really need it. For example, in one particular study pain management was evaluated in a group of 13,625 cancer patients, aged 65 or over, living in nursing homes. Overall, almost 30%, or 4,003 patients, reported pain. However, more than 25% received absolutely no pain relief medication; 16% received a World Health Organization (WHO) level-one drug (mild analgesic); 32% a WHO level-two drug (moderate analgesic); and only 26% received adequate pain relieving morphine. |
Tanya Harter Pierce
See book keywords and concepts |
| Her bowels had completely seized up and stopped functioning due to the heavy amount of pain medication she had to take. Her weight had plummeted from 240 to 140 pounds, and she was very near death.
At this point, her doctors could no longer successfully rehydrate Janis, and they concluded that one more treatment of chemotherapy would kill her. Her doctor finally arranged for hospice care and told her husband that if Janis was extremely lucky, she might live three months, but realistically, she probably would live only two to four weeks. |
David Brownstein
See book keywords and concepts |
 In addition, he wanted to give her an TV of pain medication. Janice did not want any of these therapies. "I told the doctor that I would have to go home and start drinking water as my doctor (Dr. Brownstein) has been telling me. He looked at me like I was crazy when I told him I did not want the pain medication and to just get me some water. I started drinking water in the emergency room; after two glasses, the back pain started to ease a little bit. I continued to drink water the rest of that night, and the next day the back spasm and pain was 75% better. I could not believe it. |
Tanya Harter Pierce
See book keywords and concepts |
| After seven-and-one-half weeks on Protocel, she was finally out of pain and able to stop all her pain medication. This allowed her bowels to start working again as well. Also, at this point, she went back to her doctor for a checkup on her cancer. Her doctor was amazed to see Janis walk into the office. Moreover, examination showed that the tumor had already reduced half in size!
When Janis went back about four months later, her tumor was measured at only 2 centimeters, which was less than one-quarter its original size, and she was back to living normally. |
Stanley W. Jacob, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 I am keenly aware of the limitations of standard pain medication. The side effects can be devastating, worse even than the condition that the drugs are supposed to treat. We physicians need to be extremely prudent in prescribing them. For this reason, I am very excited when a natural agent such as MSM becomes available, can provide significant pain relief without side effects, and enables me to lower the dosage of medication. I find that it can be used along with any other prescriptive medication. To date, I have not seen any adverse interactions. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
See book keywords and concepts |
| You may wish to discuss these findings with your doctor and ask him or her to administer pain medication before your operation, rather than waiting and treating pain afterwards.
DIETARY GUIDELINES
¦ Depending on the type of surgery, your physician may prescribe a specific diet for you. Follow your doctor's instructions.
¦ Even after your doctor gives full permission for you to eat, you may have little or no appetite. Once you do start to feel hungry, begin with clear liquids such as broth, fruit juices, and herbal teas. Applesauce and toast also make good "starter" foods. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| If you find yourself not being able to leave home without pain medication, if you find that headaches are interfering with your life and draining your energy, if you experience a new type of headache, or if a headache persists for more than a day, it is time to seek professional help. Most importantly, see a doctor immediately if you begin to experience numerous headaches but have never had them before or if the headache is more severe than any you have previously experienced.
WHO IS AT RISK? |
the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
See book keywords and concepts |
 Doctors usually recommend ice compresses, elevation of the scrotum and pain medication for a few weeks, although most of the pain will naturally subside over two to three days, he says. You can raise the scrotum with the lift of an athletic supporter or by lying down with a pillow tucked under your tush. If the ache lingers, surgery may be necessary.
Symptom Relief
The Germs of Pain
You'll be saved a visit to the operating room—but not the doctor's office—if epididymitis pains your privates. |
Stanley W. Jacob, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Increasing demands for pain medication should arouse a suspicion of the development of rebound headaches," said a 1997 report in the medical journal Hospital Medicine.
If you take an aspirin or another analgesic medication, you often receive symptomatic relief quickly.
Don't think about MSM as an instant fix as you would a painkiller. It probably isn't going to give you relief in ten minutes—although some patients have said it does.
Here is what MSM can do—and can't do—for headaches:
™ MSM usefulness is primarily for chronic headaches related to tension and muscle spasm. |
the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
See book keywords and concepts |
| Spierings says. "Any pain medication, whether it is prescription or over-the-counter, should not be used more than twice a week for headaches, because regular use of these medications actually lowers your pain threshold and will increase the frequency of your headaches." If you're overdoing the painkillers, see your doctor, who can help you design a program to get rid of your headaches.
Healing Problems when to see your doctor
• A wound is inflamed, discolored or producing pus.
• A wound increases in size and severity.
• A cut or gash does not heal within four weeks. |
Sheldon P. Blau, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.R. and Elaine Fantle Shimberg
See book keywords and concepts |
 Patients with dentures, those on pain medication, and elderly patients may especially have trouble chewing or swallowing because of the effects of the various drugs they're taking. (If you wear dentures and remove them while eating, always put them in the designated container provided. Patients often leave their dentures on the food tray or in a napkin and the dentures accidentally get thrown out.)
If you are a caregiver to a patient and you can't remain with him or her all of the time, at least try to arrange to be there or have a substitute caregiver there during mealtimes. |
| Even anesthetized patients undergoing surgery while music is being played reportedly require less pain medication during their recovery. The reason for this is that music—both its sound and vibrations—releases endorphins, powerful chemicals produced in the brain that help to relieve pain and trigger relaxation. Music affects our body's respiration rate, blood pressure, heartbeat, and hormonal level. In fact, many hospitals now use music in their intensive coronary care units to help control blood pressure in their coronary patients. |
Email this page to a friend
