Many of us may have taken ibuprofen, sometimes two pills at once, especially when we are struggling with menstrual cramps. Well, as good these pills may be in treating the pain, they are not recommended for your health, especially if you are someone who consumes it on a daily basis or frequently. Gastroenterologist Trisha Pasricha, MD, writes in The Washington Post about why should you avoid taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin.

What happens when you consume pain killers?

She writes that NSAIDs are great in treating short term pain. They comprise of a group of drugs that inhibit the production of prostaglandins, which serve as a variety of purposes in the body. Some of which also includes contracting the uterus during menses and regulating blood flow in our vessels.

While one to two doses every now and then is okay, following a regular dosage routine, which could range from several times a month, or twice in an hour or so could lead to health risk. NSAIDs are well known to increase intestinal permeability. This means, these painkillers could damage the lining of your gut.

A 2018 review by Ingvar Bjarnason et. al., also writes about how NSAIDs can reduce the blood flow in the tiny vessels that feeds our guts. It can also disrupt the intestinal cells forming a barrier between the outside world and your insides.

What can be done?

While people with conditions like migraines, chronic back pain or bad period cramps can find NSAIDs to be helpful. It is always advisable to have a chat with your physicians to explore NSAID alternatives.

Pasricha suggests acetaminophen.

However, if someone is in dire need of NSAID, her tip is to take the pill right at the start of your symptoms. She says that the drug can do a far better job at stopping things at the source than chasing after all prostaglandins.

Why is it a concern?

NSAIDs are available as over the counter drug, which means people do not need a prescription for it and can make medical decision about them without the guidance of a physician.

A 2018 study published in the Official Journal of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology by David W Kaufman, et.al., found that 15% of adult ibuprofen users in the US have exceeded the maximum recommended daily dose. The study also mentions that more than a third of ibuprofen users were taking other NSAIDs, like aspirin and naproxen, while consuming ibuprofen at the same time. Out of these, 61% did not realise that they were using NSAIDs.

Pasricha talks about how it ruptures the gut wall, as she herself has rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night "far more times than" she can count "to perform an emergency endoscopy on someone who was bleeding profusely from an ulcer caused by NSAID".

Another 2009 study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology states that as many as 1 in 4 chronic NSAID users will get an ulcer and about 4% will bleed or rupture through the gut wall.

An older study from 2005 titled A quantitative analysis of NSAID-induced small bowel pathology by capsule enteroscopy, found that as 75 percent of people regularly using NSAIDs develop low-grade inflammation in their small bowels. NSAIDs can also lead to development of fatty liver disease. This happens because your gut lining becomes more permeable, more toxins and bacteria from the outside world enters your liver and leads to inflammation.

A 2011 study titled Haemoglobin decreases in NSAID users over time: an analysis of two large outcome trials, states that as many as 6% of people taking NSAIDs regularly have found their blood count dropping within a few months of starting the medicines, this suggests that this is due to the small, slow amount of bleeding in the gut overtime.

"Did I do a good job? Do you think Biden could have done this? I don't think so," said President Donald Trump to the reporters assembled at the Oval Office after he made the announcement that he had secured a deal to slash the price of obesity drugs. His website, TrumpRx, will offer the sale of drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, for only around $250 a month, which is a fraction of their current retail price which is more than $1,000.

While it is a breakthrough, as many private insurances do not cover obesity drugs, and often forces people to pay for these injections out of pocket, experts point out that this system is not entirely flawless.

Also Read: TrumpRx Lowered Prices Of Popular Weight Loss Drugs; What More Does Trump's New Medical Website Offer?

TrumpRx Is Not Flawless

Drug policy experts say that while the administration has promised drugs at a cheaper rate, some of these discounts have not been approved yet by the Food and Drug Administration. The problem is that the lower prices for people paying out of pocket would only apply to the lowest doses of the drugs, however, the deal does not expand Medicare coverage to people seeking treatment for weight loss alone.

Juliette Cubanski, who is the deputy director of Medicare policy program at KFF, said, and as is reported in NBC News, "It’s a situation where we have more questions than answers. Based on what we didn’t hear, that suggests to me that there’s a lot that the administration itself hasn’t even ironed out as of yet. It just feels a little bit too squishy right now."

Art Caplan, also reported in NBC News, who is the head of the division of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, said, "It’s just murky as to how this will take shape, how the programs will work. You can’t really tell from what’s going on.”

Are There Unapproved Drugs On The List?

Several drugs and forms of drugs included in the deal are actually not approved by the FDA. These include oral versions of weight loss drugs, and Eli Lilly's new multidose injection pens. In fact, Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University said that the administration has made premature promises because the lower prices cannot take effect until the products are on the market. "It is reckless to negotiate pricing deals on products which the FDA have not yet approved as safe and effective. The administration is getting way out ahead of its own safety agency.”

The list includes:

• Oral weight loss pills by Wegovy
• Oral weight loss pills by Novo Nordisk
• Multidose version of Zepbound

Prices Are Low, But People May End Up Paying More

While the White House did say that both the pills and injection pens will be available for discounted prices for those who pay out of pocket, policy makers say that they may end up paying more.

The starting doses of weight loss pill will cost $149 per month, and the shots will cost around $350 for a month's supply. The price of the injection is further expected to fall to about $259 within two years. However, when people start with the drugs, they start with the lowest dose that allows the body to get used to the drug, However, over the course of time, the dose increases to be effective for weight loss. For Wegovy, the highest doses are five, for Zepbound, it is six, and the most weight loss has seen with the highest doses.

Officials said the starting dose of GLP-1 pills will cost $149 per month, though they didn’t clarify pricing for higher doses.

For injections, the White House offered only a “weighted average” estimate of $350 a month. Lilly later specified that Zepbound will start at $299 for the lowest dose, rising to $449 for higher ones. Novo Nordisk didn’t confirm dose-based pricing and said it will share updated cost details in the coming weeks.

All of this means patients using TrumpRx could ultimately pay significantly more than the administration’s headline prices, especially since most people don’t remain on the lowest dose for long, Caplan noted.

TV presenter Davina McCall revealed that she had breast cancer, almost a year after she had undergone a surgery to remove her brain tumor. In a video that she posted on her Instagram, she revealed that she was "very angry" when she found out the news, however, she is in a "much more positive place" after she has undergone another surgery three weeks ago to remove the tumor from her breast.

How Did She Realize She Had Breast Cancer?

She said that she found a lump a few weeks ago, however, it came and went back, so she continued to do her work. "I found a lump a few weeks ago. It came and went but then I was working on The Masked Singer and Lorraine, the TV show, and Lorraine Kelly had put signs on the backs of all the doors saying 'check your breasts' and every time I went for a wee, I did that," she said.

She continued: "It was still there, and then one morning I saw myself in the mirror and thought 'I'm going to get that looked at'. I had a biopsy. I found out it was indeed breast cancer and I had it taken out in a lumpectomy nearly three weeks ago."

McCall, who is now 58, says that the lump was "very, very small" and was discovered at an early stage. "I am so relieved to have had it removed and to know that it hasn't spread. My lymph nodes were clear, I didn't have any removed, and all I'm going to do now is have five days of radiotherapy in January as kind of an insurance policy," she said.

"It's been a lot. I was very angry when I found out, but I let go of that, and I feel in a much more positive place now. "I think my message is: get checked if you're worried. Check yourself regularly. If you are due a mammogram, then get it done," she said.

Dense Breast And Mammogram

She also revealed that it was only in August that she got her mammogram done, however, she has dense breasts, and so nothing was detected. "I have dense breasts and I had a mammogram in August, and I was postponing the ultrasound; I just couldn't find time to do it. Don't do that. Get the ultrasound."

Difference Between Breast Ultrasound And A Mammogram

Breast Ultrasound: A breast ultrasound uses sound waves that reflect off the breast tissue to create detailed images of the breast. There is no radiation involved.

Mammogram: A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. A diagnostic mammogram focuses more closely on the area(s) of concern. We will get more X-ray views of the concerning area. We perform a diagnostic mammogram any time a patient comes in with symptoms of breast cancer or after an abnormal screening mammogram.

As per the MD Anderson Cancer Center, normal breast tissue and cancerous tissue, both appear white on a mammogram, this is when an ultrasound can help us see small cancers that may be hiding amongst normal breast tissue. This is especially true for women with dense breasts, which means they have more glandular tissue and less fat in their breasts.

However, the MD Anderson Cancer Center mentions that ultrasound is not recommended as a replacement for a mammogram. "Screening mammograms detect about 4 to 6 cases of breast cancer per 1,000 women. When a breast ultrasound is done on top of that, we detect about 2 to 3 more cases. So, breast ultrasound is a valuable screening tool we use in addition to a mammogram," it notes.

Fatigue, joint pain, headaches, and cognitive issues often described as “brain fog” are among the lingering effects many people experience long after recovering from COVID-19. This condition, known as long COVID, can persist for months or even years—and so far, there’s no proven treatment. But researchers are now exploring an unexpected source of hope: a diabetes and obesity drug called tirzepatide.

What Is Tirzepatide?

Tirzepatide is a prescription injectable medication primarily used to manage type 2 diabetes and support chronic weight management in adults who are obese or overweight with a related condition. It is sold under two brand names: Mounjaro, used for diabetes, and Zepbound, approved for weight loss.

Can Weight Loss Drugs Help Long COVID Patients Recover?

In a recent survey led by Dr. Julia Moore Vogel, a program director at Scripps Research, patients with long COVID who were prescribed tirzepatide reported striking results. Between 60% and 90% of participants said their symptoms improved.

“I was expecting only about 30% to show improvement,” Vogel said. “If it’s truly between 60% and 90%, that would be remarkable.”

Encouraged by these early findings, Vogel and her team have launched a clinical trial at Scripps Research to test the drug’s potential benefits more rigorously. The trial, currently a quarter of the way through recruitment, aims to enroll 1,000 participants with long COVID. Half will receive tirzepatide, while the other half will take a placebo.

A Drug with Far-Reaching Effects

Tirzepatide, developed by Eli Lilly, belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, already popular for their effectiveness in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. According to Dr. Eric Topol, co-director of the Scripps clinical trial and founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, this class of medications could have much broader applications.

“When I say potent, I mean across multiple systems,” Topol explained. “Not just weight loss, but also benefits for the heart, liver, kidneys, migraine headaches, even rheumatoid arthritis and addiction.”

Eli Lilly is supplying the drug for the study, while the project is being funded by the Schmidt Institute for Long COVID (SILC).

A First-of-Its-Kind Virtual Trial

“This is the first long COVID clinical trial that allows patients to participate entirely from home,” Redd said. “Medication is shipped directly to participants, and all assessments are conducted virtually. It opens the door for patients across the U.S. to take part.”

Off-Label Use and Access Challenges

While tirzepatide is already FDA-approved for diabetes and weight loss, its use for long COVID remains experimental. Vogel noted that “off-label” use of approved drugs is common in medicine, but coverage barriers can limit access.

“The challenge for many patients will be insurance,” she explained. “Companies will likely require stronger data before agreeing to cover such an expensive medication.”

A Researcher with Personal Stakes

For Vogel, this research is deeply personal. She has lived with long COVID for five years, an experience that has left her largely homebound, as per KPBS News,

“No treatment I’ve tried has helped,” she shared. “When I saw that 60 to 90 percent of people reported improvement on tirzepatide, I was blown away. I really hope the data confirms it.”

The Scripps team is also studying body-monitor data to track how patients’ symptoms change over time, hoping to gain clearer insights into how and why tirzepatide might work.

Though it’s still early, the findings have offered a glimmer of optimism for millions struggling with the long-term effects of COVID-19. If tirzepatide’s promise holds true, it could mark a significant step toward understanding and treating one of the pandemic’s most stubborn mysteries.