NSAIDS: Proceed With Caution Says Cleveland Clinic

Vintage advertisement for acetylsalicylic acid - also known as aspirin - found on wikipedia here

The Cleveland Clinic recently tweeted a link to this important information for users of NSAIDS:  

FDA Boosts Heart Attack, Stroke Warning for Pain Relievers 

Life-threatening side effects can occur early
By Heart & Vascular Team | 7/10/15 2:10 p.m. 

If you take more than the recommended dose of a non-aspirin pain reliever in the belief the medicine is harmless, there’s good reason now to pay close attention to the directions on the label. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday strengthened warning label requirements for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen. These drugs are sold under brand names such as Motrin®, Advil® and Aleve®. 

Some combination drugs that relieve various symptoms, such as multi-symptom cold medicine, also contain NSAIDs. 

While the revamped warnings still say that NSAIDS may increase the chance for heart attack or stroke, new language will say that these serious, life-threatening side effects can occur as early as the first few weeks of use. In addition, the risk of heart attack or stroke might increase if you take NSAIDs for a longer time, the FDA says. 

“There is no period of use shown to be without risk,” FDA spokeswoman Judy Racoosin, MD, MPH, said in a news release.........continue reading here.