Got pain? No problem. These little pink pills will have you right back on the golf course in no time—or so the drug ads promise.
But even if pain meds worked every time to make the pain disappear (and if you’ve suffered from chronic pain for any length of time you have probably experienced that they often don’t), the ads won’t tell you the other side of the story.
Fortunately, we will. Watch the video above to get the straight talk from Dr. Hache himself, or read on to learn what you can do instead.
Think over the counter drugs (OTC’s) are safe? Think again.
Take aspirin, for example. They used to routinely recommend an aspirin a day for patients at risk for heart attack. Recently, though, this practice has been shown to significantly increase risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. And if you’re taking it for pain, who’s going to stop at just one a day?
The popular aspirin alternative, acetaminophen, is widely touted as being gentle on the stomach. But before you reach for that bottle of Tylenol, you should know that an OD of this drug can ravage your liver—and that even daily doses under the recommended maximum can damage some people’s livers, according to Harvard Men’s Health Watch. Acetaminophen has also been shown to reduce the body’s levels of glutathione—an antioxidant that helps fight pain by reducing inflammation and supporting normal immune function.
Then there are the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen. Safe enough for the liver, but they can destroy your kidneys. And as Dr. Hache explains in more detail in the video [link], they will also keep your body from producing prostaglandins—one of its major defenses against pain and inflammation.
And then there are the pills your doctor prescribes…
Looking for an alternative to your favorite OTC’s? Let’s ask your doctor.
He or she will probably prescribe something from the class of drugs known as opioids: yes, the very same class of drugs that includes the illegal substances opium and heroin. If that isn’t enough to make you think twice, try chewing on these common side effects of opioid prescription pain relievers:
- Constipation—an oh-so-fun condition that comes with its own suite of lovely side effects, including pain, vomiting, hemorrhoids, and rectal prolapse.
- Anxiety – enough to make you feel on edge all the time and even affect your sleep.
- Mood and personality changes –your friends and family might not want to be around you much while you’re on these things.
- Addiction – nearly 2.5 million people are addicted to these prescription drugs in North America alone. In addition to its devastating physical, mental, financial, and social consequences, prescription opioid addiction leads to heroin addiction in 4-6% of users, and kills significant numbers of people each day.
And oh, yeah- you shouldn’t drive your car while on opioids, either. So prepare to give up your freedom, unless you can find someone willing to drive your anxious, crabby self around town at your beck and call.
The Truth About Pain Meds
But the saddest thing of all about taking and prescribing pain meds for chronic pain is this:
They don’t actually work to resolve your pain. Ever.
The best that any of these medications can do is just mute the pain temporarily. They will never, ever bring about lasting resolution of your pain. And relying on them to treat chronic pain just sets you up for cascading side effects and drug dependence.
So are we saying to never, ever take a pill for pain?
No, not at all. Pain meds do have one legitimate use: short term pain relief to get you over the hump while you start to implement a real, long-term pain resolution solution.
Because here’s the truth: developing a chronic pain condition doesn’t usually happen overnight. And you won’t resolve it overnight either.
But is it even possible to resolve your chronic pain for good?
Absolutely!
An Effective Alternative to Drugs for Your Chronic Pain
There is no magic bullet for chronic pain. But there is an effective solution.
It’s called the Hache Protocol for Pain Resolution. It’s a treatment plan we developed that has helped thousands of our patients walk away from pain pills, surgery, and injections forever and start living healthy productive lives again.
Click here to learn more!