Did Ballerina’s Pain Reliever (Ibuprofen) Trigger Her Stroke?

Q. I am a 56-year-old woman recovering from a stroke. Although my general health was very good, I had long used NSAIDs to ease the pain and inflammation of chronic injuries from 35 years teaching classical ballet.

No clear cause for the almost-fatal blood clot has been identified, but ibuprofen use is highly suspected. No more NSAIDs for this old ballerina! What else can I do?

A. Researchers have long known that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc), meloxicam (Mobic) and naproxen (Anaprox, Aleve, Naprosyn) can cause serious side effects. In 2005 the FDA issued a stern warning that:

“NSAIDs may cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events [blood clots], myocardial infarction [heart attack], and stroke, which can be fatal.”

Blood Clots

It is impossible to prove that a particular heart attack or stroke was triggered by use of an NSAID, but your story is compelling. There is growing evidence that NSAIDs increase the risk of blood clots in both arteries and veins (deep vein thrombosis or DVT).

Atrial Fibrillation

NSAIDs have also been linked to a dangerous heart rhythm abnormality called atrial fibrillation (A-fib). This is not yet a proven cause and effect relationship, but the epidemiological research does raise concern.

Alternatives for Pain Relief

You may want to consider non-drug approaches such as herbs (boswellia, ginger or turmeric), supplements (stinging nettle, MSM) or home remedies (Certo in grape juice, gin-soaked raisins).

To see how to make gin-soaked raisins or Certo in grape juice you may want to watch our videos.

There are more details about the pros and cons of NSAID-type pain relievers and non-drug approaches in our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis. (It can be downloaded for $2).