Did prescription drugs kill music legend Glenn Frey?
He was one of the great voices of rock and roll — and he was taken from us much too soon.
By now you’ve probably heard the sad news about Eagles singer Glenn Frey. The man who brought us classics like “Take it Easy” and “New Kid in Town” died Monday at the age of 67.
Check the medical records, and they’ll tell you that Frey officially died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia.
But Frey’s long-time manager Irving Azoff is singing a very different tune.
He’s claiming that one of the most dangerous classes of prescription drugs on the market today is what really killed Frey.
And the warning he’s sounding just may keep you or someone you love from becoming the next victim.
You wouldn’t have known it from his busy schedule (he wrapped up a 140-performance tour in July), but Frey spent the last years of his life in terrible pain.
He was one of the 1.5 million Americans suffering from rheumatoid arthritis — and the disease seemed to travel to a different joint every day.
“One day his knees would hurt, his hands [would] hurt,” said Azoff.
If you or a loved one has RA, I’m sure that’s something you can relate to.
But when Frey tried to get treatment, it looks like he entered Big Pharma’s own version of Hotel California — one where lots of RA sufferers don’t make it out alive.
You see, Azoff said it was actually the RA meds Frey was taking for 15 years that caused the colitis and pneumonia that eventually killed him.
And while Azoff wouldn’t say exactly which drugs Frey was on (his lawyer told him not to), that’s almost beside the point. Because there are plenty of prescription RA meds on the market today that can leave you with a fatal infection.
RA is an autoimmune disease, and most drugs work by suppressing your immune system. And that makes you a sitting duck for a dangerous infection, like pneumonia or tuberculosis.
Just the short list of RA meds that warn of deadly infections includes Humira, Enbrel, Xeljanz and Remicade. You’ve probably seen one of their commercials where the announcer admits at the end that “some people have died” from infections while on the drugs.
In fact, just a few days ago I told you about a woman with RA who ended up developing tuberculosis after just seven treatments of Remicade.
For his part, Frey ended up with colitis that needed serious surgery and, according to musician and long-time friend Bob Seger, two different types of pneumonia.
“They were trying like hell to keep him alive,” Seger said.
But it wasn’t enough — and, unfortunately, Frey won’t be the last casualty of these meds. If you have RA, there really are ways to improve your symptoms without basically shutting down your immune system.
Some worth trying include:
- Comprehensive allergy testing: In lots of cases, RA symptoms can be triggered by undiagnosed allergies, especially to food. If you can get to the bottom of what’s causing your flare-ups, you can start to kiss your RA pain goodbye.
- Acupuncture: A study on acupuncture for RA knee pain found that it provides relief that can actually last for months.
- Intravenous vitamin C: IVC has been proven to dramatically reduce levels of C-reactive protein, a major marker for inflammation. And when it comes to RA, less inflammation means less pain.
- Cod liver oil: A study out of the UK found that the omega-3s in cod liver oil can actually reduce your need for pain meds. And the fewer prescription drugs you’re taking, the better.
Give these safe, natural treatments a try before turning to Big Pharma’s RA arsenal. And if you get a moment this week, load up your favorite Glenn Frey or Eagles track — I bet it’ll bring back lots of good memories.
Sources:
“Glenn Frey’s medication contributed to his death, manager says (exclusive),” Tim Kenneally, Sharon Waxman, January 18, 2016, The Wrap, thewrap.com
