Beware of this Big Pharma cure-all that can literally skin you
It may be the most horrific drug side effect ever — Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS).
It can cause your skin to peel away from your body like you were dunked in a pot of boiling water. It can blind. And it can kill.
And there’s one drug that is most commonly associated with this nightmarish condition: allopurinol.
Now, unless you suffer from gout, you might not be aware of this med. But get ready. Because researchers are making a case for this drug as a way to keep your heart healthy.
Those who have suffered from SJS — and lived to talk about it — would be the first to warn you that you should do anything in your power to avoid coming down with it.
And steering clear of allopurinol would probably be first on the list.
There’s no doubt that SJS is about as bad as it gets.
First, there’s swelling, a fever and a rash. Then, it’s as if you’re being burned from the inside out.
There are several forms of SJS, the absolute worst being “toxic epidermal necrolysis,” or TEN. The FDA describes it as a “detachment of the upper surface of the skin.”
So you would think when there’s a drug that a “multinational study” found to be the one “most commonly associated” with SJS, it would be prescribed as little as possible, only for the most severe or urgent cases.
You would think.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case with allopurinol, also sold under the brand names of Zyloprim and Aloprim.
Early this year I warned you that doctors may be prescribing it off-label for conditions such as prostate inflammation, infections and chemo side effects. Now, you can triple that warning.
Because researchers at the University of Alabama are saying that seniors who take the med for over six months can reduce their heart attack risk by 15 percent. While it’s only approved for gout, kidney stones and cancer patients with high uric acid, there’s nothing stopping doctors from prescribing it for your heart.
And as more and more researchers are trying to turn this risky med into a cure-all, your chances of leaving your doctor’s office with an Rx for it are getting better and better.
Aside from the news stories about the “big find” that allopurinol can supposedly prevent heart attacks, there’s another recent distinction for this med. And that’s a spot on a list of the top 20 most dangerous drugs.
Look, even if you suffer from any of the conditions this drug is actually approved to treat, allopurinol is still an incredibly hazardous med to take.
So instead of putting your life in jeopardy, why not try some proven ways to keep uric acid levels down?
For example:
- Avoid sweeteners containing large amounts of fructose such as high fructose corn syrup and agave syrup. Also, reduce the amount of sugar in your diet.
- Drink plenty of water to dilute uric acid levels.
- Mix a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and sip it during the day.
But perhaps the best way to lower uric acid is with tart cherries.
Cherries and gout have been under the research microscope for over 50 years now, and the results show that just about every kind of cherry treatment — from juice to pills to the fruit itself — are beneficial in lowering uric acid.
Try taking a small glass of tart cherry juice before bedtime. It might also help you sleep better, too!
Sources:
“Gout drug may reduce heart attack risk” Charlotte Libov, October 11, 2016, Newsmax, newsmax.com
