Should I take NSAIDs, OTC Pain Medications ?

Patients with heart health issues should stay away from NSAIDs, OTC Pain Medications. While heart patients have been told to use Acetaminophen (Tylenol) as opposed to other NSAIDs, OTC Pain Medications, there are far less damaging natural things one could try. And lets face it; Tylenol has its own risk factors including liver damage.

For a more natural approach, consider Tumeric and Bromelain the active ingredient in Pineapple. These natural ingredients have been known to provide anti-inflammatory properties and they may actually have heart health benefits.

There has been at least one study showing that heart bypass patients had a lower risk of heart attack when taking Tumeric than those taking a placebo, and more and more studies are proving Bromelain to be very effective. In fact I just saw an episode of Dr. Oz that was talking about Bromelain in a very favorable light.

Over the counter pain medications have been considered by the general population to be completely safe, and many people take them indefinitely at the dose suggested by the label. That means they are taking NSAIDs, OTC Pain Medications every six to twelve hours daily. At this point, researchers have found that this is not advised. Particularly if you have had a heart attack in the past.

According to a study published in Circulation, if you have had a previous heart attack, taking Ibuprofen and Naproxen can dramatically increase the risk of a second heart attack, and increase the chance of death if you suffer one. The study stated that up to a year after the initial heart attack, twenty percent of the NSAID users died versus about twelve percent of non users. The elevated risk diminishes over time, however even four years after the initial heart attack, NSAID users still have an elevated rate of death over those who don’t use them at all.

This is food for thought and perhaps a good reason to think twice about taking NSAIDs if a heart attack is in your medical history.