Painkillers 'may boost miscarriage risk'

[Guest guest]

I had ibuprofen anti-infammatory when I got my wisdom tooth out. It made me

very sick with nausea for a week after, like morning sickness. Plus the pain

was unbearable. So I looked it up online and I read that it increased

estrogen in the body, and this increases the body's ability to feel pain!!

 

So when I got the other wisdom tooth out on the other side, shortly after, I

took nothing, except homeopathic arnica, which a woman gave me on the day I

got it out. Instant pain relief! It healed up straight away. I cannot sing

the praises of homeopathy enough, esp nux vomica for nausea. Not that I got

any nausea the second time. So I don't recommend Ibuprofen, unless you want

extra suffering. I might add that soy contains about 10 times as much

estrogen as other food, and more estrogen increases pain. Nicky

 

 

Painkillers 'may boost miscarriage risk'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3148861.stm

 

Pregnant women are advised to take paracetamol if needed

Pregnant women and those planning to have a baby should avoid taking

certain painkillers, doctors have warned.

It follows a study which suggests that some painkillers may increase the

chances of having a miscarriage.

 

The risk applies to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, such as

ibuprofen and aspirin.

 

However, the study, which is published in the British Medical Journal,

confirmed that taking paracetamol during pregnancy is safe.

 

The finding backs up a previous study by researchers in Denmark, published

in 2001, who also reported a possible link between NSAIDs and miscarriage.

 

These latest findings are based on a survey of 1,055 pregnant women by

researchers in California.

 

Higher risk

 

They found that women who took NSAIDs increased their chances of having a

miscarriage by 80%.

 

There were similar risks for women who took aspirin. However, the

researchers acknowledged that those figures may not be totally reliable

because of the small number of women who had reported taking it.

 

It has been advised for some time that women who know they are pregnant

should avoid these painkillers

 

Dr Melanie Davies,

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

The study suggests that taking these drugs around the time of conception

may be particularly risky.

 

Women who took NSAIDs at the beginning of their pregnancy where fives times

more likely to miscarry compared to women who took the drugs at a later

stage.

 

The study did not look specifically at the dosage taken by the women.

 

However, the researchers said women who took pills for more than one week

were most at risk.

 

The results were not affected by other factors, such as whether the women

regularly consumed coffee or alcohol, which may also increase the risks of a

miscarriage.

 

The study found that taking paracetamol did not increase the risks of having

a miscarriage.

 

This may be because paracetamol acts only on the central nervous system.

NSAIDs in contrast treat the entire body.

 

The researchers suggested this could lead to the embryo not being implanted

properly in the womb, increasing the chances of a miscarriage.

 

Further research

 

The researchers from the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute said further

studies are needed to confirm their findings.

 

But they suggested women should avoid taking NSAIDs before becoming

pregnant.

 

Writing in the BMJ, they said: " It may be prudent for physicians and women

who are planning to be pregnant to be aware of this potential risk and avoid

using NSAIDs around conception. "

 

However, Dr Melanie Davies, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and

Gynaecologists', advised pregnant women not to be " unduly concerned " .

 

" It has been advised for some time that women who know they are pregnant

should avoid these painkillers, particularly as paracetamol is an effective

alternative, " she said.

 

" It is important to note that this is a very small study and the authors of

the paper emphasise that their findings need confirmation by further studies

designed specifically to examine the apparent association.

 

" Any woman who does have concerns about the findings of this study should

discuss them with her midwife or GP at her next appointment. "

 

Ruth Bender Atik, national director of the UK's Miscarriage Association,

said: " This new study would seem to confirm current medical advice that

women should, where possible, avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory

drugs during pregnancy.

 

" Additional indications that aspirin may increase the risk of miscarriage

should be viewed more cautiously, however. "

 

Many women are prescribed aspirin by their doctor to reduce the risk of

miscarriage or pre-eclampsia.

 

A study by researchers at the Institute of Health Sciences in Oxford,

published in 2001, reported that taking low-dose aspirin may help women have

a successful pregnancy.

 

They found that women who took low doses of the painkiller were less likely

to have a stillbirth, or to develop the life-threatening condition

pre-eclampsia.

 

They also found that the drug can reduce the chances of premature birth.

 

" This group of women may well be confused by research which suggests that

the medication which they have been prescribed to reduce miscarriage risk is

possibly likely to increase it, " said Ms Bender Atik.

 

" The authors note that further studies are needed to confirm their initial

findings and we would endorse that suggestion. "

 

 

 

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