If you read these chronicles, you know that I have constantly warned about dangers of using NSAID's to tackle arthritis pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause serious problems and ulcers are one of them.
When we talk about NSAID's, we can include products like aspirin, Advil, Aleve, Motrin and many more. The newer group of NSAID's is also implicated. I am talking about Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra.
The risk factor for ulcer complications is lower with last group of prescription drugs but as most of you know, Vioxx was recently pulled from market because of possible cardiac implications. Of course, drug companies and government are taking a closer look at other two drugs in that category.
Ulcers: No Fun and They can be Yours Our stomachs have natural bicarbonate that protects us from ulcers. However, amount of bicarbonate is controlled by prostaglandins and in some parts of your body, they can cause inflammatory responses. When you listen to television commercials, they talk about Cox-I and Cox-II inhibitors. I am referring to ads for products like Celebrex and Bextra. Now, these two enzymes are in charge of manufacturing prostaglandins. The one that protect your stomach is of Cox-I type. They control amount of bicarbonate released into your stomach. The Cox-II type deals with inflammation through prostaglandin production.
The Bextra and Celebrex Connection This is what I call "high-end" NSAID's. They are prescription drugs and very expensive. Supposedly, these drugs control inflammation with less stomach irritation or complications. Of course if they follow course of Vioxx, they will not be on market much longer either. The point is, these drugs were touted for their ability to control inflammation from arthritis with less stomach complications.