Last week I warned about a sketchy new procedure of injections for joint pains, and today I’m looking at the latest conclusions about drugs for joint pains. In April, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed safety evidence for the blockbuster arthritis drug celecoxib (Celebrex®). Of course, they gave the drug another free pass — despite strong evidence that it increases your risk of stroke or heart attack.
Instead, a specific natural trio of botanicals can target the real cause of joint pain, leading to long-term relief. I’ll explain more about this natural approach to long-term pain relief in a moment. But first, let’s have a closer look at celecoxib and its disastrous history…
History of serious side-effects
As you may know, celecoxib is available by prescription only. And it’s a COX-2 inhibitor, which works by blocking an enzyme that causes inflammation.
But COX-2 inhibitors have a long history of serious side effects…
In fact, the older COX-2 inhibitors — valdecoxib (Bextra®) and rofecoxib (Vioxx®) — had to be taken off the market after just a few years, due to their dangerous side effects.
But big pharma covered-up rofecoxib’s deadly side effects, making it one of the drug industry’s biggest scandals of all time. I reported on “the deadliest drug in history” in the August 2014 issue of my Insiders’ Cures newsletter. (Newsletter subscribers can revisit this shocking report by logging into the Subscribers Sign-In on www.DrMicozzi.com. If you’re not yet a subscriber, now’s the perfect time to get started.)
For the new review, the FDA looked at only one clinical trial, which compared celecoxib to two over-the-counter (OTC) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSDAIDs): naproxen (Aleve®) and ibuprofen (Advil®).
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the FDA cherry-picked this trial for it’s virtually harmless results… It only included men and women who took inadequate lower doses (100 mg, twice daily) of celecoxib. But most people are prescribed doses much higher than that!
In fact, for acute pain, most doctors will recommend an initial dose of 400 mg of celecoxib, followed by 200 mg more on the first day as needed. If your body can tolerate that dosage first day, then you’re typically advised to take 200 mg twice daily for pain maintenance — for a grand total of 400 mg per day.
That’s two to three times higher than the amount studied in the clinical trial!
Furthermore, celecoxib is available in 400 mg capsules. So why didn’t the FDA review studies that reflect the higher, more common recommended dosages?
I’ll tell you why…
The FDA’s review process is a sham. And they didn’t want to look at what happened in people who took higher dosages. They already knew…
It’s no surprise that the now-banned valdecoxib and rofecoxib (as I mentioned earlier) were much more lethal as the doses increased.
The real question is, does celecoxib even work that well? Especially considering the potentially harmful risks?
As it turns out, celecoxib isn’t very effective at all. A meta-analysis by Harvard University on arthritis knee pain found that only 30 percent of patients who took it experienced reduced pain. And even then, the pain was only reduced by 30 percent.
Sounds like the health risks aren’t worth the small benefit (as is the case with most prescription drugs).
Fortunately, you do have a safe, effective, natural alternative for pain relief…
Try my ABCs of joint health
For years, I’ve been recommending the ancient, natural botanicals ashwagandha, boswellia, and curcumin for effective, natural relief from chronic joint pain. I call them “my ABCs of joint health.”
These natural remedies act as potent anti-inflammatory agents, especially when taken together. And reducing inflammation is the first step in achieving long-term relief from joint pain, as it allows your body to rebuild and maintain healthy cartilage.
Taking these together magnifies their potency. In fact, I’ve even heard from readers who’ve cancelled knee replacement surgeries after just a couple months of taking my ABCs. I recommend 400 to 500 mg of each ingredient, once a day.
And these three botanicals are easy to find. Just check out your local pharmacy, grocery store, or health supplement store.
So, why settle for just “managing” joint pain with drugs — if they’re even effective in the first place— when you can reverse the cause of your joint pain with these three all-natural botanicals?
Curcumin has other helpful effects, including prewenting chronic brain inflammation and Alzheimer’s dementia (and, in fact, do does Ibuprofen — the best of the three drugs in today’s study). Curcumin is also a powerhouse for keeping a healthy blood sugar. I will give you all the details in my upcoming August INC.
To learn more about the ABCs of joint health, as well as many other simple, effective ways to live an active, pain-free life, check out my Arthritis Relief and Reversal Protocol. This online tool is a comprehensive, drug-free plan for easing and eliminating arthritis pain with simple lifestyle, diet, and supplement changes. Click here to learn more, or to sign up today.
Source:
“FDA Panel Affirms Safety of Painkiller Celebrex,” NPR (www.npr.org) 4/25/2018
“celecoxib (Rx),” Medscape (www.medscape.com)