Is Prostaglandin All That Bad?
November 6, 2001 | 12:00am
Many commonly used pain medications claim "to stop prostaglandin to stop pain." This may be true, but the question is – Is prostaglandin really bad for you? What does it do and just how does it work? Is there only one kind of prostaglandin? Just how much do we know about prostaglandin and its function in our body?
In one medical reference book, prostaglandin is described to be naturally occurring hormone-like substances that alter the diameter of blood vessels, raise body temperature in response to infection, and play a crucial role in blood clotting, among other effects. The body’s release of prostaglandins in response to an injury - burn, break, sprain, or strain – leads to inflammation, redness, and swelling. Not only that, prostaglandins play an important role in protecting the digestive tract from stomach acid, which is necessary to safeguard our gastro-intestinal tract from damage.
In the mid 1960’s, NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) were developed to alleviate pain by blocking the production of prostaglandin. To this day, NSAIDs like ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin, ketoprofen, naproxen, etc. are still widely used. However, it was only in 1992 when it was discovered that there are actually two types of COX (cyclooygenase) enzymes involved in prostaglandin production – COX 1 and COX 2. The prostaglandin responsible for pain and inflammation is the COX-2 derived prostaglandin (which some refer to as "bad" prostaglandin), while COX-1 generated prostaglandin ("good" prostaglandin) is needed for normal physiological functions including the protection of the stomach lining.
COX-1 ==> "Good" Prostaglandin ==> needed for protection of stomach
COX-2 ==> "Bad" Prostaglandin ==> responsible for pain & inflammation
With the inhibition of this much needed COX-1 prostaglandin, traditional NSAIDs and some COX-1 selective pain medications are prone to cause gastro-intestinal (GI) irritations such as heartburn, nausea, or more serious stomach problems like perforations, ulcers and bleeding. For this reason, doctors usually require their patients to eat before taking any NSAID medication. Unlike NSAIDs, Coxibs or COX-2 specific inhibitors (like rofecoxib) can be taken with or without meals. It does not affect or hinder the production of the stomach-protecting COX-1 prostaglandin. It specifically inhibits the COX-2 prostaglandin only, thereby effectively stopping pain without harming your stomach.
COX-2 specific inhibitors, like rofecoxib, are the newest class of pain relievers which were developed precisely to effectively provide pain relief from pain and inflammation without causing severe gastrointestinal (GI) side effects usually associated with NSAIDs and other COX-1 inhibiting medications, especially when these are used on a long term basis. Clinical trials have shown that rofecoxib is effective in the relief of various types of acute pain, such as post-operative dental pain, post-orthopedic surgical pain, and primary dysmenorrhea, as well as treating chronic pain brought about by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
In essence, prostaglandins are not bad. They are present and are produced in the body for specific purposes. Even the so-called "bad" prostaglandin, which is responsible for pain and inflammation, is there to send out signals warning us that there is an injury or an infection present. But then, constant and debilitating pain can hinder a person from carrying on with normal day-to-day activities. This is when pain relievers come in handy.
Not all prostaglandins cause pain nor should they all be stopped. Prostaglandins are necessary to perform very important functions and physiological processes in our bodies. Ask your doctor about this new class of pain relievers – Coxibs (rofecoxib), and stop only the prostaglandin that causes pain. Protect your stomach lining from unnecessary damage.
In one medical reference book, prostaglandin is described to be naturally occurring hormone-like substances that alter the diameter of blood vessels, raise body temperature in response to infection, and play a crucial role in blood clotting, among other effects. The body’s release of prostaglandins in response to an injury - burn, break, sprain, or strain – leads to inflammation, redness, and swelling. Not only that, prostaglandins play an important role in protecting the digestive tract from stomach acid, which is necessary to safeguard our gastro-intestinal tract from damage.
In the mid 1960’s, NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) were developed to alleviate pain by blocking the production of prostaglandin. To this day, NSAIDs like ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin, ketoprofen, naproxen, etc. are still widely used. However, it was only in 1992 when it was discovered that there are actually two types of COX (cyclooygenase) enzymes involved in prostaglandin production – COX 1 and COX 2. The prostaglandin responsible for pain and inflammation is the COX-2 derived prostaglandin (which some refer to as "bad" prostaglandin), while COX-1 generated prostaglandin ("good" prostaglandin) is needed for normal physiological functions including the protection of the stomach lining.
COX-1 ==> "Good" Prostaglandin ==> needed for protection of stomach
COX-2 ==> "Bad" Prostaglandin ==> responsible for pain & inflammation
With the inhibition of this much needed COX-1 prostaglandin, traditional NSAIDs and some COX-1 selective pain medications are prone to cause gastro-intestinal (GI) irritations such as heartburn, nausea, or more serious stomach problems like perforations, ulcers and bleeding. For this reason, doctors usually require their patients to eat before taking any NSAID medication. Unlike NSAIDs, Coxibs or COX-2 specific inhibitors (like rofecoxib) can be taken with or without meals. It does not affect or hinder the production of the stomach-protecting COX-1 prostaglandin. It specifically inhibits the COX-2 prostaglandin only, thereby effectively stopping pain without harming your stomach.
COX-2 specific inhibitors, like rofecoxib, are the newest class of pain relievers which were developed precisely to effectively provide pain relief from pain and inflammation without causing severe gastrointestinal (GI) side effects usually associated with NSAIDs and other COX-1 inhibiting medications, especially when these are used on a long term basis. Clinical trials have shown that rofecoxib is effective in the relief of various types of acute pain, such as post-operative dental pain, post-orthopedic surgical pain, and primary dysmenorrhea, as well as treating chronic pain brought about by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
In essence, prostaglandins are not bad. They are present and are produced in the body for specific purposes. Even the so-called "bad" prostaglandin, which is responsible for pain and inflammation, is there to send out signals warning us that there is an injury or an infection present. But then, constant and debilitating pain can hinder a person from carrying on with normal day-to-day activities. This is when pain relievers come in handy.
Not all prostaglandins cause pain nor should they all be stopped. Prostaglandins are necessary to perform very important functions and physiological processes in our bodies. Ask your doctor about this new class of pain relievers – Coxibs (rofecoxib), and stop only the prostaglandin that causes pain. Protect your stomach lining from unnecessary damage.
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