My Prescription Only Medicine Contains What ?!

Just wanted to put this out there as I did a search, and couldn't find a thread on it.

Recently I had the misfortune of having to see my GP, as my hand was feeling a bit numb, the doctor diagnosed RSI, and prescribed me some Naproxen.

Well I wasn't over then moon, purely because the side effects didn't look too inviting, but took it anyway, right from the get go I felt a little nauseous at times, after a few days of taking it one evening I had pain in my stomache.

So I stopped taking the tablets, rang my GP, who to my surprise, decided to prescribe Omeprazole to counter act the side effect, so that I could keep taking the original medicine.

Ok, great, now I feel fine......Despite the fact both medicines have Sodium lauryl sulphate in them !

Naproxen Source

Each blue, film-coated tablet contains naproxen sodium 275 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium starch glycolate, colloidal silicon dioxide, and purified water; coating: FD&C Blue No. 2, hypromellose, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate, and titanium dioxide.

Omeprazole Source

Each red-brown, round, biconvex, coated, delayed-release tablet, ink printed in black "P 20" on one side and plain on the other, contains 20 mg of omeprazole. Nonmedicinal ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, copovidone, croscarmellose sodium, eudragit, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 6, lactose monohydrate, lecithin, microcrystalline cellulose, shellac glaze, simethicone, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium stearyl fumarate, talc, titanium dioxide, triethyl citrate, and red iron oxide.

Yep, I'm not joking, my medicine has a surfactant, known in the trade as an excipient when used in medication, I think it is used as a lubricant, mainly for the benefit of the manufacturers, so that the tablet doesn't stick to the machine as they are being produced.

Personally for me, I am not happy to discover that my medication contains an ingredient used in shampoo, cleaners etc, I'm even less happy to discover that there may be alternatives that could be used.

What I also found interesting is I didn't notice it in an old anti-biotic I had hanging around.

Not sure how common this knowledge is, and I know there are many out there who say SLS is safe (it is dreived from coconut oil), but for me, if I'm taking medication, I would rather not find a chemical that I would put on my hair,or clean my house with amongst the list of inactive ingredients, I'm sure all that foamy goodness can't make my tummy a happy place, having said that paradoxically, the second tablet has ironed out the problems from the first, despite containing this ingredient.

So there you have it, hope I don't sound like I'm ranting, if I do, please move me to the "Rant bin," but more than anything I just wanted to hear what you guy's think....

Good thing, or bad thing ?

Should drug companies be looking to use a different ingredient, one that doesn't make me think my bottle of shampoo would be good enough to drink ?

Cheers for reading, in the meantime, I shall keep taking the tablets !

Anaprox ( Naproxyn Sodium) is one of the most dangerous medications on the market because it erodes the esophageal lining. All those neat scientific sounding ingredients you list are binders and a proper coating so that the medication doesn't dissolve before it gets to your stomach.

Take it after meals and you should be fine. I've used it for pain relief for about 7 or 8 years now and haven't had problems yet - but did educate myself about it.

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide


I did take it after meals, but it still made me ill, and I normally have a cast iron constitution, but for some reson my tummy doesn't like it, but the omperazole is working, and keeping it all normal thankfully.

Shame the Naproxen hasn't actually worked for me, my hand is still not right.

I only listed all the ingredients, just so that I had evidence to show the ingredient was in them.

reply to post by solargeddon

sodium lauryl sulfate
its primary use in medication is as a carrier ingredient known as an Excipient some drugs do not dissolve easily into the body to reach the places they need to reach so these "carriers" allow the drug to pass through otherwise impassable membranes and tissues.

no worries toxicology report the only real issues are that when applied to the skin it can increase symptoms and problems of already present skin conditions (most likely due to the "carrier" properties allowing it to pass through the skin.)

reply to post by solargeddon


If it is bothering you there are several other medications in that class - medications called NSAIDs. Aspirin included. I rely upon aspirin for pain relief more than anything else simply because it seems to work best for moderate pain. Also Ibuprofin is in the same family.

If it's effecting you adversely I'd bring it up at your next doctors appointment. There are quite a few options to try.

Hope this helps!

~Heff

try gabapentine it blocks the pain signal at the base of the brain

actually most nsaids cause these issues they are anti-inflammatory medications rather then anti-pain medications, the human body doesn't particularly like things that mess up its inflammatory operations(inflammation is a way of "fixing" itself) so naturally you will feel nauseous when taking it. that's why the recommendation is to take with food, this almost tricks the body by adding to the workload and most of the time the medication gets overlooked because of all of that wonderful energy to digest. sadly some people are more sensitive and their systems still notice the medication and they get nauseous.

Well the funny thing is I don't have any pain really, which I did explain to the doctor, he took less than a minute to diagnose me, and truth be told, I do question the diagnosis, but I'm being a good girl, and giving the meds a go, I tried ibuprofen first, and it made no difference, I actually have ibuprofen gel which I apply three times a day, to just below my elbow, as apparently that is where the problem lies, but no change, I still have tingling/ at times sore sensation on the back of my hand, with numbness to boot.

So my next appointment should be interesting.

Originally posted by geobro
try gabapentine it blocks the pain signal at the base of the brain

Never heard of that one, if only pain was the problem, might give it a mention though

Originally posted by theinsolentfish
actually most nsaids cause these issues they are anti-inflammatory medications rather then anti-pain medications, the human body doesn't particularly like things that mess up its inflammatory operations(inflammation is a way of "fixing" itself) so naturally you will feel nauseous when taking it. that's why the recommendation is to take with food, this almost tricks the body by adding to the workload and most of the time the medication gets overlooked because of all of that wonderful energy to digest. sadly some people are more sensitive and their systems still notice the medication and they get nauseous.

Yeah I read somehwere, that Naproxen alters the body's hormone response to pain, and infalmation, my body doesn't like its hormones messed with at the best of times, at least I know my body is on the ball, and detects intruders

reply to post by solargeddon

a friend with the same problem as you was getting them original use was for fits

reply to post by geobro


What the tablets were for fits ?

I don't have fits, unless my kids mess up the house

Jokes aside, did they have RSI, or just the same symptoms, or the same meds ?

reply to post by solargeddon


the gabapentine were found to help other things ie block pain signals i got them for back pain & gave them to someone with rsi .who swore by them ask your doc

reply to post by geobro


Oh, I get what you wrote now, silly me.

Thanks for the advice, I will ask next time I go, thank you

reply to post by solargeddon


You poor thing. I hate the GP's just as much as you do. I have been taking natural supplements for all my ailments. So far...so good. I swear these people just want to put you on an RX so they can cash in.

Its in shampoo as well.

It sounds more like some variation of carpel tunnel or like nerve stricture somewhere in the WRIST MAYBE?
Turn your hand palm up and relax...now tap your wrist at the base of your life line of your plam...with the tip if a finger......
If it causes tnigling or numbness or any other wierd thing like electricity feeling....get a new doctor.

I suggest you find out the CAUSE of the problem as opposed to just treating the symptoms???

I know aspartame, which they stick into diet drinks and almost everything else, has some freaky effects on the body. Maybe try cut that out if you are consuming large quantities of the stuff?

The other option is to do what my grandmother does and talk to a pharmacist - about symptoms, the prescribed medication and alternatives. Then take that info and go to your doctor with it and of course do your own research.

Have you considered using a tens machine? Naproxen can have some pretty unfortunate side effects, and a tens machine can be used on an empty stomach, and small enough to carry around with you - bout the size of an old mobile phone.