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Downstream Drug Dysfunction: NSAIDs

May 3, 2026 | 3 Comments | SAFM Team

Some of the most potentially damaging or debilitating medications are not taken via prescription. They are “over the counter” drugs, a category that many intelligent people assume is necessarily safe – benign – to use regularly. Perhaps even in a daily preventive mode. Which is, of course, not true!

If you’re going to use functional medicine know-how competently, whether you are a prescriber or not, it’s key that you understand the typical, downstream, unintended consequences of common drugs. They can stand in the way of the healing of – or even directly cause – the dysfunction your clients are seeking to resolve. NSAIDs are a powerful example of this dynamic.

Listen in and learn more. Here are some article references for what I share in the video:

NSAIDs have an erosive effect on the protective mucosal lining of the stomach and the intestines in part via mitochondrial damage.
NSAIDs increase blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease (primarily through negative impact in kidneys) to a degree that can vary significantly from person to person.
NSAID use can promote enhanced intestinal permeability and downstream systemic inflammation via disruption of tight functions, especially as mediated by lipopolysaccharides, which can also promote non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD).

Check out this video to ensure you’re confident in supporting individuals with mild to moderate pain challenges (ideally, while you are helping them to resolve root causes and exacerbating factors using your functional medicine know-how). You may also wish to search for other Clinical Tips on our site about natural anti-inflammatory agents for pain, e.g., curcumin, boswellia, bromelain.

I hope this serves you – and the clients you’re passionate about supporting!

Warmly,

P.S. If you are passionate about transforming healthcare through the power of functional medicine, we encourage you to learn more about SAFM’s practitioner training programs. Enrollment for our next cohort is now open!

To receive weekly clinical tips for practitioners – like this one – right to your inbox, register here.

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3 Questions for “Downstream Drug Dysfunction: NSAIDs”

2

Bonnie Berke says:

October 12, 2019 at 8:12 am

Thanks for this clarification Tracy! Do you consider white willow bark extract standardized to 15% salicin to have the same downstream effects as a NSAID? Is it considered a NSAID for the purposes of your discussion?
Thanking you for your brilliance in uncovering the root causes of diseas.

Reply
- 2.1
  
  SAFM Team says:
  
  October 31, 2019 at 3:22 pm
  
  Yes, white willow bark is a source of salicin. However, the concentration of its metabolites in the body is an order of magnitude or more less than that of aspirin. The effect of white willow bark is achieved by synergistic effects of many phytonutrients. You can, however, still take too much. These may be of interest: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21226125/ and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3011108/.
  
  White willow bark effects are also likely multifactorial in the body in affecting inflammation. You may appreciate a pilot study that looked at white willow bark extract effects on the human gut bacteria:
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5733343/
  
  Reply
1

Jodi Edwards says:

October 12, 2019 at 7:32 am

You are so brilliant. Right down to the last sentence of helping us to help clients with more confidence and competence! Thank you! Recently my son,22 and very fit and athletic, had a full Achilles rupture. After much research and due diligence we found a very knowledgeable and supportive ortho surgeon that agreed with our decision to forgive surgury and trust the body to heal. I got to work nutritionally and emotionally in providing him support. Because his leg had to be immobilized, the doctor told him to take a baby aspirin twice a day to prevent a blood clot and DVT. He was put in a splint and off we went. I tried to be compliant, I went to the store, read every label, reluctantly bought a bottle. Unfortunately I also read studies that specifically said that rat Achilles’ tendons when given aspirin healed far worse than those that didn’t. I also did not want to suppress the very acute inflammatory response that I knew his body needed to heal the injury. For that reason I didn’t even want him to take circumin initially. I gave him supportive nutrition, MSM , Lglutamine, zinc etc. At the three week visit, the splint/ cast was removed for a boot but his calf was painful to the touch so the doctor, concerned about DVT said, “ have you been taking the baby aspirin?” My son looks at me, knowing I hadn’t wanted him to and tells him no. Well we were sent for an immediate Doppler ultrasound to rule out a blood clot. While rare in someone his age he had just heard of a 19 year old with the same injury that had one and died! Thankfully my son did not and unremarkably to me but quite remarkably to everyone else who thought we were crazy not to repair by surgery, he has healed even better than many of the doctors surgical patients. I did, after this experience have him take the baby aspirin for the next couple of weeks he was immobilized but as soon as he was able to move…out it went. My 83 year old aunt now is in the same boat with a broken ankle, in a boot, one kidney, high BP, peripheral artery disease and she was supposed to be taking baby aspirin regularly for heart disease but doesnt. Also was reminded to take it while immobilized. Quite interesting that you mentioned their effect specifically on raising BP and the kidney!

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