OTC menace to society
OTC pain relievers should be outright banned. There is entirely too much confusion about what aspirin and NSAIDs are used for, how long they should be used for, and at what dosages.
To underscore my point, a “recommendation” has been published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine that says these types of over-the-counter medications do not prevent colorectal cancer, so people shouldn’t take them in the hopes of preventing the disease.
I’m sitting here scratching my head.
Where on earth did anyone get the idea that they could prevent colorectal cancer—especially when these drugs are known to cause an increase in internal bleeding?
It seems there are some lingering—and outdated—ideas out there from some studies that had suggested there was a decrease in incidence of colon cancer in those who took daily doses of aspirin. The trick was that they had to take LARGE doses of aspirin, which led to a much greater risk of internal bleeding of the stomach or intestines. So, working to prevent one problem created a whole new problem.
This is what drives me nuts: There’s a perception—a very WRONG one—that these easily purchased, over-the-counter remedies are safe.
Unfortunately, the majority of the public is not aware of that simple fact, and I fear that there are people out there with outdated information—or worse, your doctor may be working with this outdated information. How many doctors have the time, the way the current conveyor-belt medical system is set up—with an eye on profits and a “more is better” mentality—to keep up with the research and studies, and to seriously sit and evaluate what they are reading? I believe the majority of them are too caught up in the system to see straight or reach independent conclusions.
But where does this leave their patients? Without sensible, natural solutions that are readily available, if only their doctors would look beyond the mainstream party line.
