Could it be that the FDA is finally coming to its senses? It's not likely, as each positive decision they make seems to be preceded, or followed, by an equally ridiculous one. Regardless, credit must be given where it is due, and the FDA deserves at least a little of it here. Pulling a nasty drug like Bextra off the market is a major step in the right direction, as is requiring black-box warnings on all other NSAIDS (although, so far, the latter hasn't officially happened yet).

Bextra is particularly toxic and, like I said four years ago, we should have never trusted its manufacturer's word on its safety in the first place. We can only hope that the same unfortunate set of circumstances surrounding the return of Vioxx to the market does not repeat itself here and result in Bextra coming back to the market as well.

Perhaps the most important part of the FDA's recent decision involves the inclusion of over-the-counter drugs like Aleve, aspirin and ibuprofen in their list of NSAIDS requiring more revealing warning labels. With all the recent press involving the more expensive prescription NSAIDS, it's easy to forget that drugs like Aleve or ibuprofen also have potentially deadly side effects. If you listen to the radio or watch television, you have probably heard one of the many new ads for these drugs. Their makers have been trying to convince you that they are a safer alternative to Vioxx, Celebrex and the other COX-2 inhibitors that have gotten so much press lately, when you're really just playing a game of "pick your poison."

Fortunately, there are a number of very effective alternative anti-inflammatory treatments that work just as well as NSAIDS but whose primary side effect is improving your health. Products such as:

• Fish and cod liver oil
• Evening primrose oil
• Bromelain
• Cetyl myristoleate
• Ginger
• Boswellia

... can be used not only to reduce inflammation, but also to PREVENT the very same cardiovascular conditions that NSAIDS can cause!

Related Articles:

Bextra Bites the Bullet

Human Proof--Cod Liver Oil Can Slow, or Even Reverse, the Onset of Arthritis

Can You Trust the FDA?

Can You Really Trust the FDA to Protect You From Harm?