Posted by Larry Hoover on April 9, 2005, at 13:27:09
In reply to Re: European suspension of Bextra » ed_uk, posted by MidnightBlue on April 9, 2005, at 0:06:46
> Ed they announced it here in the USA yesterday that they are pulling it. That is a drug I NEED. I have arthritis, bad back pain from degenerated discs, a broken rod from years ago, and GERD. I don't do well on NSAIDS. I have worked my way through just about all of them. I don't want to have to take narcotics.
>
> I am rationing out the last of what I have. Celebrex is still on the market as of today, but I don't know for how much longer. I was on Vioxx years ago before Bextra. It is banned, too.
>
> For me depression and pain are mixed. My depression makes the pain worse, and of course pain makes the depression much worse. I am just sick over this.This may sound a little "out there", but you might have a useful drug in your spice cupboard.
Turmeric.
It contains one of the most potent COX-2 inhibitors ever found, in natural substances.
Animal studies have shown no toxicity, at very large doses. And it has very potent anti-tumor (anti-cancer) effects, as well.
I buy turmeric at the bulk food store, and a dose costs about 10 cents, or less.
I take a heaping teaspoon full, and stir it into about four ounces of water. Be very careful. Turmeric can stain many materials, including your skin, countertop, clothing.... It's a tad bitter/weird, but not distasteful.
My experience with the COX-2 drugs, compared to turmeric, is that turmeric was better, and lasted longer, than any of them. I never used Bextra, but I had Celebrex, Mobicox, Vioxx, and one other.....Turmeric beat them all, in this man's body.
Gabapentin (I'm only on it two weeks, so far), seems to manage my joint pain, too. They've finally discovered what receptors the drug works at.... weird name, but it's the calcium channel {alpha}2{delta}-1 and -2 spinal receptors.
Gabapetin helps with certain kinds of chronic pain. A lot of the pain response occurs because of reprocessing at the spinal cord. We used to think of the spinal cord as merely a communication trunk line with the brain. And all the nerves as feeder lines to the spinal cord. But the spinal cord actually processes pain signals all by itself, and communicates back to the nerves sending the pain signal. The feedback signal can make the pain signal remain at a high level.
Anyway, gabapentin disables some of the feedback from the spinal cord. Makes the brain a bit numb, too, I might add. I hope I get used to that, or it fades with time.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:481975
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20050306/msgs/482028.html