Asthma Medication's Potential Adverse Side Effects
Could a common class of drugs used for acute asthma attacks be causing the very thing it aims to treat?
Perhaps, find researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital who studied the use of bronchodilators known as beta-agonists in asthmatics.
Beta-agonists are the primary treatment used to relieve acute asthma attacks. Whatever the mode of administration, they work by relaxing the airway and reducing airway responsiveness to allergens that cause it to restrict and cause an acute attack. Previous research suggests regular use could increase sensitivity to airway constriction and thus lead to a greater number of attacks and more serious attacks, primarily by causing a desensitization of the beta2-adrenergic receptor (beta2AR) that the drug binds with to achieve its effects.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2003;112:619-626
From Mike:
In my opinion the drug industry is right next to the tobacco industry in being the biggest
corporate criminals in the history of the world. They've corrupted the
practice of medicine more than anyone realizes.
ASTHMA MEDICATION'S ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS
Asthma medications are categorized into two general classes, long-term control medications and quick relief medications. The list below lumps pretty much all of them together and shows potential adverse effects for currently available preparations.
· Short-term use reversible, abnormalities in glucose metabolism, increased appetite, fluid retention, weight gain, mood alteration, hypertension, peptic ulcer, and rarely aseptic necrosis of femur.
· Long-term use adrenal axis suppression, growth suppression, dermal thinning, hypertension, diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome, cataracts, muscle weakness, and in rare instances impaired immune function.
· Consideration should be given to coexisting conditions that could be worsened by systemic
· Corticosteroids, such as herpes virus infections, varicella, tuberculosis, hypertension, peptic ulcer, and Strongyloides.
· Tachycardia, skeletal muscle tremor, hypokalemia, prolongation of QT c interval in overdose.
· A diminished bronchoprotective effect may occur within 1 week of chronic therapy. Clinical significance has not been established.
· Dose-related acute toxicities include tachycardia, nausea and vomiting, tachyarrhythmias (SVT), central nervous system stimulation, headache, seizures, hematemesis, hyperglycemia, and hypokalemia.
· Adverse effects at usual therapeutic doses include insomnia, gastric upset, aggravation of ulcer or reflux, increase in hyperactivity in some children, difficulty in urination in elderly males with prostatism.
· Tachycardia, skeletal muscle tremor, hypokalemia, increased lactic acid, headache, hyperglycemia inhaled route, in general, causes few systemic adverse effects. Patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease, especially the elderly, may have adverse cardiovascular reactions with inhaled therapy.
· No specific adverse effects to date. As with any new drug, there is possibility of rare hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic reactions that cannot usually be detected in initial premarketing trials. One reported case of reversible hepatitis and hyperbilirubinemia; high concentrations may develop in patients with liver impairment.
· Drying of mouth and respiratory secretions, increased wheezing in some individuals, blurred vision if sprayed in eyes.
· Short-term use reversible abnormalities in glucose metabolism, increased appetite, fluid retention, weight gain, mood alteration, hypertension, peptic ulcer, and rarely aseptic necrosis of femur.
· Consideration should be given to coexisting conditions that could be worsened by systemic corticosteroids, such as herpes virus infections, varicella, tuberculosis, hypertension, peptic ulcer, and Strongyloides.
· Tachycardia
· Can worsen resting hypoxia
· Hypokalaemia (beware thiazide interaction)
· Multiple drug interactions
· Causes arrhythmias and fits
· Nausea and headache common, even in therapeutic range
· More severe toxicity
· Candida infection
· Hoarseness
· Therapeutic response to cromolyn and nedocromil often occurs within 2 weeks, but a 4- to 6-week trial may be needed to determine maximum benefit.
Source NAEPP. Expert Panel Report 2 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. National Institutes of Health Pub No 97-4051. Bethesda, MD, 1997 Calverley, 1995
From Mike:
What's my point(s)?
1. Read the product label VERY carefully.
2. Side effects without having taken a drug are called diseases. A side effect is simply a disease with a safer sounding name to it to make us feel better about taking it.
3. Why would any sane person want to do the above to themselves if there is a non invasive, natural way that can be learned that may well help reduce or eliminate any need for the risk of the above side effects and costs a fraction of the long term impact of taking the drug.
Recommendation:
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