Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection

Why do people continually place their faith in drugs? Rheumatoid arthritis medications have been shown to cause fatal fungal infections because they lower the body's immune function. RA is considered to be an autoimmune disease producing lots of painful inflammation.

This is quite easy to treat naturally. An anti-inflammatory diet consisting of lots of greens, cold water fish like salmon and sardines, almonds, etc. combined with the elimination of all white sugar, aritificial sweeteners, white flour, white rice, etc.

Most importantly is a good detox program to chelate the garbage out of the body. The reason the joints are inflamed in RA is that the body stores excess toxins in the fat and joints when it is overloaded and cannot eliminate in the usual ways.

You don't need to risk a 20% chance of death by prescription drugs just because you have rheumatoid arthritis!


September 5, 2008 NYT
Arthritis Drugs Linked to Risks From Infection
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration ordered stronger warnings Thursday on four medications widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other serious illnesses, saying they can raise the risk of possibly fatal fungal infections.

The drugs — Enbrel, Remicade, Humira and Cimzia — work by suppressing the immune system to keep it from attacking the body. For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the treatment provides relief from swollen and painful joints, but it is “a double-edged sword,” said Dr. Jeffrey Siegel of the drug agency. That is because the drugs also lower the body’s defenses to infections.

Dr. Siegel, who heads the office that oversees arthritis drugs, said the agency became concerned after discovering that doctors seemed to be overlooking a kind of fungal infection called histoplasmosis. Of 240 cases reported to the agency in which patients taking one of the four drugs developed this infection, 45 died. That is about 20 percent.

The infection, which mimics the flu, is prevalent in the middle part of the country. It can have grave consequences if it is not caught and spreads from the respiratory system to other organs.
Dr. Siegel said the investigation began with a single case of a woman who was taking one of the drugs and later died of histoplasmosis. Delving into the case, doctors at the agency found that the woman had been sick with the fungal infection for a long time. Patients should call their doctors if they develop persistent fever, cough, shortness of breath or fatigue, which can be signs of the fungal infection.

Separately, the agency is investigating a possible link between the four medications and cancer in young patients. The agency said earlier this year that it had received 30 reports of cancers, mainly lymphomas, in patients who began taking the medications when they were 18 or younger. That investigation is expected to take the rest of the year.

Humira is sold by Abbott Laboratories; Cimzia by UCB; Enbrel by Amgen Inc. and Wyeth; and Remicade by Centocor, a unit of Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough Inc.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/washington/05arthritis.html?partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

A List of Drugs That Increase Falling Risk

From the New York Times, a blog on researcher's reporting on drugs which inrease the risk of falling. NEVER take yourself off a drug without the knowledge of your medical doctor! Use this information to present to your physician and discuss your concerns.

By Tara Parker-Pope

July 11, 2008, 9:26 am

Researchers at the University of North Carolina have published a lengthy list of prescription drugs that increase the risk of falling among older patients.

Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries in adults 65 and older. An estimated 300,000 hip fractures occur each year, often as a result of falling. Head injury is also a problem among adults who fall.

Adults who take four or more medications at a time are at highest risk for falling. But certain types of drugs can also make someone more prone to falling, said Susan Blalock, an associate professor at the U.N.C. Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

The medications on the list cover a wide range of common prescription seizure medications and painkillers, among others. Also on the list are popular antidepressants like Celexa, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Prozac and others.

Researchers said the “common denominator” among the drugs on the list is that they all work to depress the central nervous system, which makes patients less alert and slower to react. The list was published in the June issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy.

Stefanie Ferreri, the lead author of the paper and a clinical assistant professor in the pharmacy school, said that patients need to be wary of more than just prescription medications, because many over-the-counter medications can also contribute to falls.

“Some allergy medications, sleep aids and some cold and cough remedies can have the same effects as prescription drugs,” Dr. Ferreri said. “Anything that can cause drowsiness can put you at increased risk of falling.”

The researchers warned that if patients see a drug they are taking on the list, they should not stop taking it. Many drugs can trigger serious side effects if stopped abruptly. But patients should talk to their doctors about falling risk and possible alternative medications, the researchers said.

Physicians should look for medications that have been proven safe and effective in older adults and look for medicines that have less of a sedating effect. Physicians should be especially wary of anticholinergics, a class of drugs that affect nerve cells used to treat a wide range of conditions.

To download the complete list of the prescription medications that increase the risk of falls, click here.