Hispanic Americans risk overdoses from over-the-counter meds

Everybody experiences pain at some point in their life — headaches, backaches, muscle or joint pains — and most of us reach for the medicine cabinet to find something to make us feel better. Many times, this includes over-the-counter pain medicines, such as Advil, ibuprofen or Tylenol, which can ease a variety of aches and pains. However, when these over-the-counter medications are used incorrectly — taking too much or taking it too often — they have the potential to seriously harm a person’s gut.

This is especially relevant to Hispanic Americans, because they are the largest consumers of over-the-counter pain medicines, based on their spending at retailers each year. According to a 2015 study, Hispanic Americans spend 34 percent more on over-the-counter pain medicines per year than non-Hispanics.

While these medicines are readily available at retailers without a prescription, they can be just as dangerous as prescription drugs if patients take more than the recommended dose.

As a gastroenterologist, I see the harmful effects of these accidental overdoses first-hand. Patients often come to me with stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding and damage to the esophagus due to overdosing on over-the-counter pain medicines.

In another study released in August in “Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology,” researchers found that ibuprofen is one of the most frequent causes of druginduced liver injuries listed in the Spanish and Latin-American registries of the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network. Of the cases studied, more than 29 percent resulted in overdose complications.

My fellow health-care professionals and I are encouraging smarter use when it comes to overthe-counter pain medicines. Patients are often confident they can manage their own medicines without the help of a health-care professional. But I urge my patients to talk to me about all the medicines they are taking, even over-thecounter medicines, so I can ensure they are following dosing guidelines and taking them appropriately.

We all think about safety frequently — clicking our seat belts, strapping on bike helmets, making sure the smoke-detector has new batteries, even protecting our computers from viruses. Unfortunately, we are routinely putting ourselves at risk by not reading and following the drug facts label when we take acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen and other over-thecounter pain medications. Most patients are unaware that two different medicines can have the same active ingredient, so they end up overdosing.

No matter a person’s age or health situation, it is important to always read the medicine label, understand the active ingredients in each of the medicines you are taking, and talk to a health-care professional about your medication use. It is possible to get relief from pain — without risking your health.

Nelson Garcia Jr., MD, AGAF, is in private practice at GastroHealth, in Miami. He has been on the board of directors of GastroHealth and has helped provide guidance as the practice navigates the ongoing changes in the delivery of health care.