Written by: Tom Sawyer

   So what do I mean by vitamin M?  People in the military call it vitamin M because it is prescribed for whatever health problems occur from head to toe.  At least that is how it seems.  You probably know by now what I’m talking about is Motrin, something so many of us are familiar with; for the life of me I can’t remember using Motrin growing up.  What did we do growing up as kids without motrin?  Surely, our health will all decline since we weren’t raised with motrin pumping through our systems!  NOT!

   The information below is what I found with a quick Internet search.  Look at it and tell me what you think.

What is Motrin?
  Motrin is in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.
Motrin is used to reduce fever and treat pain or inflammation caused by many conditions such as headache, toothache, back pain, arthritis, menstrual cramps, or minor injury.
Motrin may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
Important information about Motrin
  This medicine can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. This risk will increase the longer you use Motrin. Do not use this medicine just before or after having heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).
Seek emergency medical help if you have symptoms of heart or circulation problems, such as chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, or problems with vision or balance.
This medicine can also increase your risk of serious effects on the stomach or intestines, including bleeding or perforation (forming of a hole). These conditions can be fatal and gastrointestinal effects can occur without warning at any time while you are taking Motrin. Older adults may have an even greater risk of these serious gastrointestinal side effects.

   OK, the reason why Motrin has me sort of tweaked right now is because I’ve seen firsthand what it can do to someone.  I know of a recent situation where (prescribed) Motrin masked some symptoms that were almost literally 24 hours away from killing someone.  Also, on a more personal note, a physical therapist told me he thinks Motrin is over-prescribed.  We had this conversation in February of 2007 during a consultation after I hurt my ankle.  I had x-rays, a MRI and physical therapy in hopes of making my injured ankle better.  Oh, of course I was prescribed Motrin too.

   The last time I checked it is June of 2008, almost a year and a half after my injury, and I sit here with my ankle propped up on a pillow following surgery that will have me out of work for three weeks!  After many visits to the doctor, I was given a consult to see the Podiatrist.  After looking at an x-ray, he said something along the lines of, “They should have known Motrin and physical therapy wouldn’t fix this.” Hello! I knew this a long time ago and that is why I kept going back.

   Please, be careful with Motrin.  I can’t think of a more popular prescription, but is this really the cure for everything that ails the body from head to toe?  What do you think?

This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under Random Buzz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.