The Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit organization, reported that in 2013 over 44,000 Americans died as a result of drug overdose. Drug overdoses have been rising since 2009, despite federal and state efforts to better monitor and control use of narcotics and other potentially addictive medications. Over half of these deaths were related to prescription drugs and in fact, in 36 states more people died from a Rx drug overdose than from automobile accidents. These numbers are staggering, especially when you consider that drugs such as narcotics (Vicodin, Percocet, etc.) do not cure any disease, they only mask a symptom, pain.
Physicians are under increased scrutiny for prescribing these dangerous drugs and are constantly looking for reliable, clinically proven alternatives. Until recently, options were limited to NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, which can have significant side effects most specifically on the gastrointestinal tract, and medications used to treat other conditions such as SSRIs, anti-epileptics, and SNRIs, but that may also help pain as well. The efficacy of these options are limited at best and often cause significant side effects without providing adequate pain relief.
Evidence Based Options for Patients and Providers
Theramine, a amino acid based treatment for pain, has been shown in multi-center clinical trials to significantly reduce pain in patients with chronic low back pain without any appreciable side effects better than over the counter doses of ibuprofen or naproxen. Theramine is regulated as a medical food by the FDA and is manufactured in the United States at a cGMP facility using ingredients that are Generally Recognized as Safe. As a medical food, Theramine is subject to much tighter regulatory oversight than dietary supplements, providing patients and providers with piece of mind knowing that the formulations are tested and evaluated for efficacy.
There have been over 40 million individual doses of Theramine administered since 2004, without a single reported GI bleed, adverse cardiac event or stroke reported the most commonly known side effects of NSAIDs. Theramine is not addictive and can be taken with other medications or medical conditions. Theramine provides chronic pain patients a safe, effective and proven alternative to other potentially more dangerous pain medications.