Overload
Pain killers and NSAIDS
Category: Medicines
Type
Involuntary
Introduction and description
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, usually abbreviated to NSAIDs or NAIDs, are drugs with analgesic – pain killing - and antipyretic (fever-reducing) effects.
The term "nonsteroidal" is used to distinguish these drugs from steroids, which, among a broad range of other effects, have a similar pain killing and anti-inflammatory action.
NSAIDs exclude all those drugs based on the opium poppy and classified as narcotics such as codeine or morphine.
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"According to my pal Tony the heading means "irreplaceable" and above the label at the bottom, are the Doctor's words - 'Dolores, are you ready for me to molest you '- but I think he's joking don't you? - or maybe he's not. Anyway the product is an aspirin with caffeine." |
What they do in detail
Most NSAIDs act as nonselective inhibitors of the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), inhibiting both the cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) isoenzymes. This inhibition is competitively reversible (albeit at varying degrees of reversibility), however the mechanism of aspirin, is irreversible inhibition.
COX catalyzes the formation of prostaglandins and thromboxane from arachidonic acid – see Linoleic acid. It is thus extremely key in our metabolic processes.
- COX-1 is a constitutively expressed enzyme with a "house-keeping" role in regulating many normal physiological processes. One of these is in the stomach lining, where prostaglandins serve a protective role, preventing the stomach mucosa from being eroded by its own acid.
- COX-2 is an enzyme expressed in inflammation, and it is inhibition of COX-2 that produces the pain reducing effects of NSAIDs.
When nonselective COX-1/COX-2 inhibitors (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen) lower stomach prostaglandin levels, ulcers of the stomach or duodenum internal bleeding can result. This handy litle slide also shows the results of interfering with the prostaglandin cycle. The effects are to the left, the functions to the right. I think one pathological effect of imbalance has been missed and that is infertility, given that prostaglandins affect semen viability.
Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is not considered an NSAID because it has little anti-inflammatory activity. It treats pain mainly by blocking COX-2 mostly in the central nervous system, but not much in the rest of the body.

Now here I quote:
Many aspects of the mechanism of action of NSAIDs remain unexplained, and for this reason further COX pathways are being investigated. The COX-3 pathway was believed to fill some of this gap but recent findings make it appear unlikely and alternative explanation models are being explored.
So they don't know how they work in detail, nor have they investigated the complete chain of cause and effects that these drugs have.
Given that aspirin is now being prescribed by doctors to all patients with heart problems, this is, to say the least, a little worrying.
Side effects
NSAIDs are a leading cause of drug-related morbidity, especially in the elderly and patients with comorbidities. Most adverse effects are related to generalized inhibition of the major targets of NSAIDs: cyclooxygenases I and II.
These enzymes are not only involved in pain and inflammation pathogenesis but are also required in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract for mucosal protection and gut motility, and in the kidneys for functional integrity.
Thus, the mechanisms of NSAID toxicity are well understood, but the consequences are largely uncontrolled in clinical practice.
GI ulcers, including bleeding ulcers, may occur in several percent of all chronic unprotected, high-dose NSAID users.
Renal side effects may precipitate renal failure, resulting in acute dialysis and chronic retention. This includes sodium retention, resulting in arterial hypertension, heart failure, and atherosclerotic events.
Cardiovascular risk may be tripled by chronic high-dose NSAID use.
Off-target side effects include allergic reactions, drug-induced liver injury, and central nervous system effects.
Management of pain and inflammation must consider those risks and find alternative drugs or approaches to limit the negative impact of NSAIDs on mortality and morbidity.
Alternative drugs, low-dose/short-term use, but especially non-pharmacologic approaches, such as physiotherapy, exercise, neurophysiologic measures, and local therapies, need to be further utilized. The appalling equation "less pain-more deaths/morbidity" ultimately necessitates treatment optimization in the individual patient. PMID: 25163793

One little reported side-effect of all these drugs is death.
The following list provides figures for the number of deaths attributed to each of the products on the list below. The figures were derived from eHealthme, whose results are based on US FDA reports. Thus the statistics relate to the USA only, but give a good indicator:
- Paracetemol - On Aug, 24, 2014: of the 69,428 people reported to have side effects when taking Acetaminophen , 1,772 people (2.55%) have Death
- Aspirin - On Aug, 19, 2014: 160,999 people reported to have side effects when taking Aspirin. Among them, 3,623 people (2.25%) have Death
- Diclofenac sodium - On Aug, 13, 2014: 14,184 people reported to have side effects when taking Diclofenac sodium. Among them, 169 people (1.19%) have Death
- Ibuprofen - On Aug, 16, 2014: 57,899 people reported to have side effects when taking Ibuprofen. Among them, 881 people (1.52%) have Death
- Tylenol - On Aug, 23, 2014: 53,021 people reported to have side effects when taking Tylenol. Among them, 1,001 people (1.89%) have Death
- Ziconotide, also known as Prialt - On Aug, 11, 2014: 692 people reported to have side effects when taking Prialt. Among them, 12 people (1.73%) have Death
- Rofecoxib has now been withdrawn over safety concerns. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 20, 1999, and was marketed under the brand names Vioxx, Ceoxx, and Ceeoxx. "Rofecoxib gained widespread acceptance among physicians treating patients with arthritis and other conditions causing chronic or acute pain. Worldwide, over 80 million people were prescribed rofecoxib at some time". On Aug, 3, 2014: 107,334 people reported to have side effects when taking Vioxx. Among them, 4,659 people (4.34%) have Death
- Naproxen - On Aug, 14, 2014: 20,449 people reported to have side effects when taking Naproxen. Among them, 298 people (1.46%) have Death
- Midol - On Aug, 24, 2014: 780 people reported to have side effects when taking Midol. Among them, 2 people (0.26%) have Death.
- Indomethacin - On Aug, 16, 2014: 6,005 people reported to have side effects when taking Indomethacin. Among them, 100 people (1.67%) have Death
- Lortab - On Aug, 10, 2014: 15,744 people reported to have side effects when taking Lortab. Among them, 451 people (2.86%) have Death.
- Etodolac - On Aug, 26, 2014: 4,408 people reported to have side effects when taking Etodolac. Among them, 62 people (1.41%) have Death.
- Excedrin - On Aug, 20, 2014: 7,219 people reported to have side effects when taking Excedrin. Among them, 41 people (0.57%) have Death.
Source: Wikipedia, derived from patient reports
Paracetemol
One major drug within this class is Paracetemol and this has quite a history of hallucinatory effects. Paracetamol toxicity is caused by excessive use or overdose of the analgesic drug paracetamol (called acetaminophen in North America). Mainly causing liver injury, paracetamol toxicity is one of the most common causes of poisoning worldwide. In the United States and the United Kingdom it is the most common cause of acute liver failure.
The toxic dose of paracetamol is highly variable. In general the recommended maximum daily dose for healthy adults is 4g. Higher doses lead to increasing risk of toxicity. In adults, single doses above 10 grams or 200 mg/kg of bodyweight, whichever is lower, have a reasonable likelihood of causing toxicity. Toxicity can also occur when multiple smaller doses within 24 hours exceeds these levels.
In rare individuals, paracetamol toxicity can result from normal use. This may be due to individual ("idiosyncratic") differences in the expression and activity of certain enzymes in one of the metabolic pathways that handle paracetamol.
In England and Wales an estimated 41,200 cases of paracetamol poisoning occurred in 1989 to 1990, with a mortality of 0.40%. It is estimated that 150 to 200 deaths and 15 to 20 liver transplants occur as a result of poisoning each year in England and Wales.
Paracetamol overdose results in more calls to poison control centers in the US than overdose of any other pharmacological substance, accounting for more than 100,000 calls, as well as 56,000 emergency room visits, 2,600 hospitalizations, and 458 deaths due to acute liver failure per year. A study of cases of acute liver failure between November 2000 and October 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA found that paracetamol was the cause of 41% of all cases in adults, and 25% of cases in children.
How it works
Pain killers and NSAIDs provide no healing capability, they temporarily mask pain and, as we have seen, used regularly can result in damage to our system. When damaged, a whole cascade of side effects then results in the hallucinations, near death or out of body experiences recorded. Thus the principle causes of these hallucinations is likely to be
- Extreme pain - the gastric pain or liver damage caused .
References and further reading
- Liver damage with non-narcotic analgesics - Prescott LF
- Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2014 Aug 28. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in chronic pain conditions with special emphasis on the elderly and patients with relevant comorbidities: management and mitigation of risks and adverse effects. - Wehling M. Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Pharmacology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Germany
Observations
The following observations group the hallucinations and actually cover several thousand hallucinations that have been caused by these drugs. All the figures shown come from the eHealthme web site derived from SEDA and FDA figures. If you click the name, it will take you to the ehealthme webite where a comprehensive list of all side effects - not just hallucinations can be viewed
Observation identifiers |
Observation name |
No of observations |
000546 |
503 |
|
000547 |
889 |
|
000548 |
103 |
|
000549 |
685 |
|
000550 |
279 |
|
000551 |
38 |
|
000552 |
161 |
|
000553 |
145 |
|
000554 |
120 |
|
000555 |
22 |
|
000556 |
463 |
|
000557 |
31 |
|
000558 |
8 |
|
000559 |
Near death from pain killers |
1 |
000560 |
Near death from pain killers |
1 |
002258 |
Vicodin experience |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
3450 |
Related observations
Healing observations
- Anti-Inflammatory Property of Plantago major Leaf Extract Reduces the Inflammatory Reaction in Experimental Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury 021157
- Aspirin and colorectal cancer: the promise of precision chemoprevention 020507
- Dr Duke's list of medicinal plants with Analgesic activity 017959
- Lomatium - Properties of Lomatium 017478
- Poison proofing your home against aspirin 020516
- Willow species and aspirin: different mechanism of actions 020511
Hallucination
- A case of anaphylaxis to peppermint, statins, aspirin and gastroesophageal reflux drugs 012294
- Acetaminophen and codeine phosphate 012126
- Acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitartrate 012127
- Advil 015638
- Advil allergy sinus, cold and sinus, congestion relief 017950
- Aleve 015641
- Anaphylaxis to drugs 025498
- Ansaid 018002
- Arthrotec 018013
- Asa 023935
- Aspirin 000547
- Aspirin [figures for 2016 and 2017] 020517
- Azolid 018024
- Baby aspirin 023946
- Bextra 018043
- Boy with leukemia, CMV and hallucinations 006989
- Carbamazepine 012342
- Cataflam 018174
- Celebrex 023960
- Children's Advil 018194
- Children's Ibuprofen 018196
- Children's Motrin 018197
- Chronic analgesic induced headaches 012215
- Clinoril 018212
- Clonidine 005096
- Cocaine 005764
- Codeine, aspirin, apap formula no. 2. 012132
- Coricidin 002091
- Cytotec 018838
- Daypro 018848
- Diclofenac 000548
- Diclofenac potassium 018864
- Diflunisal 018865
- Dr Penny Sartori - Hallucinations are usually caused by pharmaceuticals in hospitals 014533
- Esgic 018963
- Etodolac 000557
- Excedrin 000558
- Fioricet - Hallucination figures from eHealthme 012205
- Fiorinal - eHealthme figures for hallucinations 012206
- Flurbiprofen 019066
- Hughes, Howard - The Aviator ending scene , the way of the future 012125
- Hydrocodone Bitartrate And Ibuprofen or aspirin 019114
- Ibuprofen 000549
- Indometacin 000555
- Intense Sadness and Analyzing My Personality - DOI & Various by Psychedelic*Dreamer 016876
- Junior Strength Advil 019230
- Ketoprofen 019245
- Ketorolac tromethamin 017690
- Lortab, Norco, Vicoprofen and Vicodin 000556
- Lyrica and horrific hallucinations 023921
- Lyrica hallucinations 023920
- Lyrica [use and abuse] 024083
- Meloxicam 024088
- Midol 000554
- Migraine, headache and pain killers 005751
- Mobic 019541
- Motrin 024096
- Nabilone and Cesamet 017360
- Nabumetone 019666
- Nalfon 019670
- Naproxen, Anaprox and Naprosyn 000553
- Nefopam 005765
- Norflex 019703
- Norgesic 019705
- Novalgin 019711
- Overview of adverse reactions to nefopam: an analysis of the French Pharmacovigilance database 025497
- Oxaprozin 019822
- Paracetemol 000546
- Pentasa and Mesalazine 024126
- Percocet 015653
- Percodan 019838
- Phrenilin 019844
- Piroxicam 015656
- Poison proofing your home against aspirin 020516
- Ponstel and Mefenamic acid 019851
- Precedex 019855
- Pregabalin 015667
- Prialt 015670
- Profen 015675
- Profen 019919
- Propacet 100 019874
- Propoxyphene Hydrochloride 019878
- Relafen 019997
- Roxicet 024146
- Solaraze 020038
- Stress stress stress 002252
- Stroke and hallucinations 012626
- The Netherlands Centre for Monitoring of Adverse Reactions to Drugs 1992 016811
- Tolectin 020214
- Toradol 020217
- Totally destroyed - Josh 016877
- Tylenol 000550
- Tylenol w/ codeine 012129
- Tylenol with codeine 3 012130
- Tylenol with codeine 4 012131
- Ultracet 024172
- Vicodin experience 002258
- Vioxx and Rofecoxib 000552
- Voltaren 020375
- Zorvolex hallucinations and out of body 012207
Wisdom, Inspiration, Divine love & Bliss
- She was taking pain pills for a broken arm when she felt faint and nauseated 021169
- Sheila Berry - Attempted suicide 014256
- The tunnel and the light in the NDE 04 023014
Out of time
- Intense Sadness and Analyzing My Personality - DOI & Various by Psychedelic*Dreamer 016876
- Near death from pain killers 000560
- Near death from pain killers 000559
- She was taking pain pills for a broken arm when she felt faint and nauseated 021169
- Sheila Berry - Attempted suicide 014256
- The tunnel and the light in the NDE 04 023014
- Zorvolex hallucinations and out of body 012207
In time
- Cocaine 005764
- Danielou, Alain – On drugs you are possessed by the spirit being of the drug 022582
- Fioricet - Hallucination figures from eHealthme 012205
- Fiorinal - eHealthme figures for hallucinations 012206
- Intense Sadness and Analyzing My Personality - DOI & Various by Psychedelic*Dreamer 016876
- Nefopam 005765
- She was taking pain pills for a broken arm when she felt faint and nauseated 021169
Dying
Other observations
- Codeine and other drug related deaths in Australia 012137
- Contamination of French drinking water 008341
- FDA questions use of aspirin for primary prevention of stroke and heart attack 012144
- More lives have been lost than saved 005754
- Nepafenac and Nevanac 017606
- Obesity illness and medications 005756
- Ocufen 017607
- Pharmaceuticals and potassium imbalance 006295
- The Toxicology Investigators Consortium Case Registry--the 2012 experience 015593