Cox-II Inhibitors – Why They "Work" and Also Why They Can Potentially be Fatal
In an earlier day and age when old time folk remedies and Ford Model T cars were abundant, pain relievers were severely lacking. If you were lucky, perhaps you got some whiskey to dull the pain. Then aspirin (salicylic acid) came around. Things were thought to be great. Now people had a drug that could mask their pain so they could more or less minimize joint pains. For a while, this worked very well. Then reports started coming back of stomach bleeding, gastrointestinal damage, blood thinning, kidney problems and a whole host of other problems. This is due to the "shotgun" way that NSAIDS operate. Now we know better. According to a review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, “anti-inflammatory drugs (prescription and over-the-counter [NSAIDS and COX-2 drugs], which include Advil®, Motrin®, Aleve®, Ordus®, Aspirin, and over 20 others) alone cause over 16,500 deaths and over 103,000 hospitalizations per year in the US.” 16,500 deaths from aspirin, per year? Makes you wonder about that each and every time you take one, doesnt it?

Why are NSAIDs sometimes Fatal?
There are several reasons for the fatalities of NSAIDS. Let’s first start with the early generation NSAIDS. The early NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) worked a little bit on both COX pathways, COX-1 and COX-2. Both of these pathways regulate (in part) inflammation. The NSAIDS highly target the inhibition of COX-1 (an enzyme called cyclooxygenase) and largely ignore COX-2. This means they work to mask pain but they have other unintended side effects because COX-1 controls certain functions of the stomach, kidney, and platelets. The COX-1 enzyme (that NSAIDS block) is present in most parts of the body, which is why when you inhibit COX-1 you have these other "unintended" side effects, like stomach bleeding, ulcers and other effects that can over time lead to very serious conditions like heart attacks or strokes - or even death. With NSAIDS, you are offsetting several body systems at once instead of really targeting the one body system responsible for inflammation. Think of COX-1 as a shotgun approach whereas COX-2 in “theory” is much more of a targeted attack. The problem is what else happens when you initiate that targeted attack and how the body naturally responds.

Along Came "Better" COX-2 Drugs
The development of COX-2 drugs was a breakthrough for the pharmaceutical industry. Now they had the ability to patent and market newer drugs such as Vioxx® or Celebrex® and joint pain drugs quickly rose to become some of the best drug sellers of all time. (They still are). In theory, the targeted effects of COX-2 inhibition would solve all of the problems of NSAIDS. All of the benefits of COX-1 without the nasty side effects. Their only purported downside is they are very expensive, $200 or more a MONTH in some cases. Compare this to $30 for other more effective therapies such as glucosamine. What many doctors do not tell you or simply gloss over is that other downsides of COX-2 include the risk of sudden heart attack, stroke or blood clots, without preexisting coronary heart disease. That's right, otherwise healthy individuals. COX-2 drugs work great for relieving pain but they can and do kill people on a regular basis. Many doctors are wising up to the disastrous side effects of these drugs and have stopped prescribing them. Other, less informed doctors simply hear what drug reps tell them to prescribe for certain conditions and they dole out drugs based on what they “should” be giving out. Fortunately many doctors are wising up and realizing that COX-2 inhibitors have a cause and effect method of action, and this action is what proves to be fatal in many people who take COX-2 drugs.

Checks and Balances - Unbalanced!
The body has thousands of systems of checks and balances, designed to prevent extremes or unbalances. Just think of how many systems are working right now to maintain your body with optimal levels of water, oxygen, glucose and many more chemicals on a second by second basis. The COX-2 pathway operates in much the same way. When you inhibit COX-2 enzymes, you mask inflammation and pain, bypassing the COX-1 side effects. Pretty good so far, right? The only downside is COX-2 is in a way like COX-1. COX-2 also mediates BLOOD CLOTTING. This is where COX-2 can be fatal. When you get a cut or experience minor trauma you sever blood vessels (from small capillaries in the skin all the way to a small tears in the largest blood vessel of them all, your aorta). This bleeding cannot go on without being stopped or you would eventually bleed to death. The body (within seconds) releases a clotting agent that binds blood together and causes a clot to form. This clotting agent stops the initial blood flow and “plugs the hole." About 2 to 3 minutes later, the body is able to start a process that stops this blood clotting. Both of these processes are started at the same time but the first one inishes within seconds and the second one takes 2 to 3 minutes. The second 2 to 3 minute process is what is called a rate limiting process. This process is what STOPS the blood from clotting so that once the damage has been patched, the clotting can stop. COX-2 disrupts this process, allowing clotting to continue far past when it should. As you can imagine, clotting inside the body can be fatal. Get a clot in your heart and you have a heart attack. Get one in your brain and you have a stroke. But did we mention that COX-2 drugs really do work great for covering up joint pain! And to be sure, not everybody is going to experience trauma to their blood vessels on a regular basis (this is why COX-2 drugs are still on the market), but as we age and as a result of simply living, small imperfections become more and more probable, as plaque and small clots form and the blood vessels become less elastic and more prone to tearing. Fortunately, newer technologies have been discovered but remain somewhat unknown, mainly because it cannot be patented and thus - there is little profit for big pharmeceutical companies. Enter glucosamine.

How does Glucosamine Work?
Glucosamine works in an entirely new way, and it has nothing to do with COX-1 or COX-2. Glucosamine works at the most basic level, so basic that the body makes it already in small amounts. For this reason it cannot be patented (try patenting testosterone). The only problem is that as the body ages, the body’s ability to manufacture glucosamine starts to ebb as years of wear and tear starts to overcome the body’s ability to heal. Cartilage then begins to break down, bone spurs develop, and joints cannot absorb common daily shocks. If left unchecked, this can lead to joint replacements, immobility or excruciating pain. By taking a high quality liquid glucosamine supplement such as Flexicose, one can start to reduce soreness, discomfort and promote healthy cartilage. Flexicose’s unique formula of glucosamine, chondroitin (long chains of glucosamine), MSM and 10 other synergistic ingredients combine to offer you one of the most effective glucosamine products on the market today.

Start Promoting Healthy Cartilage Again - Naturally
Glucosamine is the major building block of healthy cartilage, and Flexicose works to supply the body with the level of glucosamine it needs to do its job effectively when debilitating joint stiffness prevents that. Because decades of wear and tear cannot be eased overnight, Flexicose takes 2 – 3 weeks to take effect, so do not become discouraged if results are not immediate. Take your daily dose of Flexicose for one month and give it a fair review. If need be, you may continue taking NSAIDS while you wean yourself off, and you will notice that you likely will be able to take less and less NSAIDS until one day you only have to take Flexicose. You have 30 days to return Flexicose, no questions asked, so give Flexicose a fair period to do its job. Remember, with Flexicose you are not simply covering up your joint discomfort, you are getting to the root of the problem. Not only does Flexicose work so well, Flexicose has none of the side effects of the horrible COX-1 or COX-2 drugs, which is probably the most important thing of all. Order Flexicose, the liquid joint complex now and get free shipping anywhere in the U.S. Your joints will truly thank you. Flexicose is also highly effective for pets as well. More information for Flexicose for pets can be found here.

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