What is Digg?41 Comments
- lucidguru, on 05/11/2008, -3/+33They don't "kill pain"... they interact with the CNS and PNS and usually influence the transmission of pain signals.
- inactive, on 05/11/2008, -0/+22It's obvious that the pain killers use night vision goggles and heat-seeking ballistic missiles and anti-personnel fragmentation grenades to hunt down and slay the pain.
Just on a really, really small scale. - WCL23, on 05/11/2008, -0/+17Actually, painkillers are like little pacman who go around the body looking for pain so they can go OM NOM NOM NOM
- rentmitchum, on 05/11/2008, -0/+9I hate articles about drugs popping up on digg because I'm somewhat of a drug nerd (a class of people the internet seems to be giving rise to) and the misinformation in the comments is always quite numerous.
- Idiggapony, on 05/11/2008, -1/+7This article is mostly wrong.
Not all opiates (which the article calls "narcotic drugs") are "heavy duty." Their potencies vary widely, and some are quite mild.
By "aspirin drugs," the author seems to mean non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), of which aspirin is one, although people usually mean to refer to a non-aspirin NSAID when they said "NSAID". NSAIDs don't "only work" at sites of inflammation. They work everywhere, inhibiting cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2, and causing systemic effects that are sometimes good and sometimes bad. For example, they inhibit platelet aggregation by reducing thromboxane synthesis, as the author states. I may be wrong, but I don't believe any prostaglandins facilitate platelet aggregation, as the author states. There's at least one, PGI2, that inhibits platelet aggregation. NSAIDs also reduce your stomach's natural protection against ulcers, and can cause kidney damage in people with some pre-existing medical issues, to cite a few other examples.
The discussion of inflammation just doesn't make much sense. The so-called cushion of extravasated fluid isn't the inflammation, rather, inflammation results in fluid extravasation. Basically, you could understand more about inflammation by just ignoring this and starting over on Wikipedia or something.
Paracetamol is definitely not an NSAID. It's the European name for acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol in the USA. It's a whole different class of drug, and it doesn't reduce inflammation.
Most diggers could write a more accurate and less misleading article about analgesic medications after ten or twenty minutes of googling. I'd recommend just doing that rather than reading this. - inactive, on 05/11/2008, -0/+5Yeah, what about it?
- phexerian, on 05/11/2008, -0/+4Pretty pathetic article. To explain a little better, look at idiggapony's post. It is pretty good with a few minor exceptions. Acetaminophen does inhibit some COX-1, but it is in the CNS and to a very minimal amount at that. Therefore, no reduction in inflammation. But, acetaminophen is not classified as an NSAID.
Prostaglandins can facilitate platelet aggregation but it is not done directly but rather through a cascade which is...
Linoleic Acid -> phospholipase A2 -> arachidonic acid -> COX 1 and 2 -> PGG2 -> PGH2 -> TXA2
where PG = prostaglandin and the letter after the first two is the type of prostaglandin. TXA2 is thromboxane 2 which promotes platelet aggregation. So prostaglandins can promote platelet aggregation indirectly, but it is only 1 reaction step away.
PGI2 does indeed inhibit platelet aggregation and is made via prostacyclin synthetase.
I know all this is pretty technical but well, I'm a pharmacy geek so sue me. =)
-Phex
-3rd Year PharmD/MBA Candidate - inactive, on 05/11/2008, -1/+4It's vaguely related to the story... Potato salad!
- alperea, on 05/12/2008, -0/+2What a poorly written and researched article. Even the title shows uniformed thought. Why was it dugg?
- newms32, on 05/11/2008, -1/+3RTFA, that's what they say
- mciampa1214, on 05/11/2008, -2/+4They don't kill it, they just beat it into submission.
- DephexTwin, on 05/11/2008, -0/+2But are you getting a kick out of these replies?
- tr0n, on 05/11/2008, -0/+2It's MacGyver. The fad is MacGyver these days.
- Startemus, on 05/11/2008, -2/+3I appreciate the extra effort guys but any chance I had of understanding that article just flew out the window. I now need some Aspirin because my head just started hurting.
- Ahnteis, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1Happy 8-day!
- threemagic, on 05/11/2008, -1/+2Show me... POTTTTTAATTOOOO SALAAADDD
- sabach, on 05/11/2008, -1/+4All things considered morphine is my drug of choice. I recently had back surgery and that morphine pump in my IV was nice.
- Cytranic, on 05/11/2008, -4/+5Pain killers never stopped the pain for me...Anytime I go to the dentist and he gives me Vicodin, it never stops the pain like Advil...Vicodin only gives me a really killer buzz...
- sonnybobiche, on 05/11/2008, -1/+2Additionally, the article implies that the prostaglandins magically travel to the brain and let it know that there's stuff in pain. No, there are nociceptive afferent neurons for that.
I usually like it when there are medical articles on digg, but some of them are really crap. - binorgog, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Dilaudid works through God.
- stonedgeek, on 05/12/2008, -0/+1Some would say heroin is more successful than aspirin.
- atact88, on 05/11/2008, -1/+2Diggers would write a totally one-sided political version of it, though.
- tipexy, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1Could the ibuprofen I have just taken work a little faster on my aching knee so I can get to sleep. I have an exam tomorrow morning.
- Oea420, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1go back to the shr00mery
- apophenic, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1Well, that was short.
- sfrench, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1+1 Although they didn't give me a pump, they just came and gave me a shot every few hours and then sent me home with a huge bottle of norco.
- juliend2, on 05/11/2008, -0/+2I was waiting for the "OM NOM NOM NOM" comment. I'm glad that you posted it now.
Thank you. - apophenic, on 05/11/2008, -0/+1How pedantic can you get?
- threemagic, on 05/11/2008, -2/+2FTW?
- CrystalP, on 03/26/2009, -0/+0Acetaminophen does inhibit some COX-1, but it is in the CNS and to a very minimal amount at that. Therefore, no reduction in inflammation. But, acetaminophen is not classified as an NSAID.
No Prescription Needed ------> http://www.noprescription-needed.com/ - y2kbg, on 05/11/2008, -1/+1anyone wanna link me to why/how OM NOM NOM NOM is so hilarious...i am completely missing it
- Pubichairs, on 05/17/2008, -0/+0wow, can you guys confuse the guy anymore( for one dont listen to these returds)
...
its actually pretty simple, when you experience immediate pain your body releases things called endorphins, which blocks the transmision of pain signals to the brain, what pain killers do is mimick these endorphins, but also pain killers get you high, and though you may still feel pain it doesnt bother you because you feel so happy lol - Pubichairs, on 05/17/2008, -0/+0just to clarify so you understand better, pain is just the body communicating with the brain, to tell it that theres a problem that s the only reason for pain.
- NoJobBob, on 05/11/2008, -0/+0Just shut the ***** up and give me the damn Oxycontin!
- Startemus, on 05/11/2008, -4/+3Slow it down dude. Somebody's got an active imagination. Everyone knows that they don't make equipment small enough for that to happen. Instead they use an ancient form of Antibiotic Martial Arts called 'Kung Flu'.
- secondfiddle, on 05/11/2008, -3/+0?
- 3leggedHorse, on 05/11/2008, -5/+1Smack.
- musagha, on 05/11/2008, -8/+3Chuck Norris..... duh...
- WCL23, on 05/11/2008, -11/+2Vicodin
Browsing Digg on your phone just got easier with our enhancements to the 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is