“American Morning” today included an interview with the mother of the track athlete who apparently died from an overdose of the well-known muscle cream.
Alice-Lynn Newman called for the regulation of products like BENGAY on the June 12 program:
“I think that it should be given by prescription so limited amounts are given out, limited amounts at a time. So, if someone is using it too much, it is monitored by a physician,” said Newman.
Anchor John Roberts did not mention other possible factors involved in Arielle Newman’s death and only provided a short statement from manufacturer Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. Nor did CNN include consult any medical experts on the show.
Medical examiners said Newman’s daughter Arielle died on April 3 from the combination of the overuse of methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in Bengay and Icy Hot. CBS reported that they also found six times the safe level of the drug in Newman.
Alice-Lynn Newman told Roberts that her daughter did not overuse anti-inflammatory products – yet she advocated restricting sale to prescription only in order to prevent overuse of the product.
“In addition to the cream, [Arielle] Newman was using adhesive pads containing the anti-inflammatory, plus an unspecified third product containing the chemical,” according to an AP report.
Roberts did ask Alice-Lynn Newman about the unspecified third product that may have contributed to the tragedy, but she insisted the pads did not contain the same medication and did not comment on the third product.
He also pointed out that the product has been on the market since 1898 and it is safe and effective when used as directed according to the product's label, which includes a warning label.
—Julia A. Seymour is an assistant editor for the Business & Media Institute.
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Oh, we should have known that
June 12, 2007 - 18:03 ET by Chris NormanOh, we should have known that this was coming. It actually took longer than I would've thought. Next we'll hear that she is the president of the newly formed organization, "Make the World Safe from Ben-Gay and Icy Hot"
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Ben-Gay
June 12, 2007 - 18:32 ET by CurtMaking the world safe must include a large settlement from "big liniment."
"Big Linament" - I
June 12, 2007 - 18:47 ET by Chris Norman"Big Linament" - I like it...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Ben Gay is safe
June 13, 2007 - 12:42 ET by Conservative BluesBen Gay is ultimately safe from media persecution because it's on the correct (not right) side of the media - it's GAY!
Ecclesiastes 10:2 - "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."
Give me a break....The day th
June 12, 2007 - 18:10 ET by bigtimerGive me a break....
The day that Icy Hot or Ben-Gay can cause your death all by itself is the day I believe the earth is flat.
I wondered how long they were going to take to attempt to do this to the products.... trial lawyers in the waiting, law-suits galore...just like they did with Primatene because it hurt our environment...unbelievable that these people get away with all they do...
Man I love the thought police and the health Nazi's!
How have we ever survived this long.....
BT,I have sympathy for the pa
June 12, 2007 - 18:52 ET by Chris NormanBT,
I have sympathy for the parents and relatives of anyone who passes before their time. What I am growing weary of are the survivors who become semi-celebrities, after they form some organization to combat the "problem" that they feel led to their loved one's death. I'm sure many of them are well-intentioned, and are honest about wanting "to do something positive", but after seeing that they are "president" of some new group and seeing them on countless cable shows, I have to wonder about the whole thing - if you know what I mean...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Afternoon Chris...You got tha
June 12, 2007 - 19:02 ET by bigtimerAfternoon Chris...
You got that right in your post...that does get sooo old and I do know exactly what you mean.
While they're at it, can th
June 12, 2007 - 18:10 ET by ckc1227While they're at it, can they make it mandatory that only government approved health care workers can wash our butts for us in order to prevent accidental drownings that may occur if we wash them ourselves? Just make sure mine is a hottie.
Viva la nanny state!
You guys are making this all
June 12, 2007 - 18:36 ET by RackieYou guys are making this all too complicated. Just eliminate "track" which seems to be the favorite sport of anorexic over-achievers. Problem solved. Remember, if the solution is not Draconian, you haven't gone far enough.
Well, some loonie killed hers
June 12, 2007 - 19:07 ET by BlondeWell, some loonie killed herself by drinking too much water on a bet several months back.
So I suppose the libs are next going to tell us what our mandatory H2O intake should be on a daily basis? Since obviously, it's too hard to figure out on our own?
Sheesh...the stupidity of the lefties never ceases to amaze me.
Blonde, and yet, they insist
June 12, 2007 - 19:24 ET by Chris NormanBlonde,
and yet, they insist on imposing their stupidity on the rest of us poor suckers...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Well, two words, Chris,Trans
June 12, 2007 - 19:37 ET by BlondeWell, two words, Chris,
Trans fat.
All of this "save us from ourselves" blather drives me nuts!
Sodium chloride
June 12, 2007 - 19:54 ET by nkviking75Y'know, a quarter pound of sodium chloride is a fatal dosage, and sodium is a factor in many health issues. Let's make salt a prescription drug! </sarcasm>
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
nk,A new fict or fact. I li
June 12, 2007 - 20:06 ET by Blondenk,
A new fict or fact. I like it, thanks.
Seat belt laws for adults, helmet laws for adults.
These lefties would better spend their time figuring out how to improve themselves, rather than work on ways to infringe upon my right to live my life the way I choose.
Next thing I know they'll mandate a seatbelt when I go horseback riding.
No matter how healthy you eat
June 13, 2007 - 00:53 ET by MikeBNo matter how healthy you eat, not matter how religiously you exercise, sooner or later you're going to die.
Or, if you want it on a bumper sticker so that even libs can wrap their tiny little heads around it: Eat Healthy, Keep Fit, Die Anyway.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
ckc,If the goverment is inv
June 12, 2007 - 19:31 ET by Dave Rckc,
If the goverment is involved, you'll get Nurse Ratchett.
Trust me.
Build the damn fence, George!
One of the strangest deaths I
June 12, 2007 - 19:10 ET by balboaOne of the strangest deaths I've seen recently. I'd say the mom is overreacting simply because she doesn't want someone else to experience the pain that she has.
What is the point of this blo
June 12, 2007 - 19:10 ET by j. frank wilsonWhat is the point of this blog? A mother has lost her daughter. The mother is upset and is trying to make a positive out of a horrible experience by warning others. If she is going overboard, so what? She just lost her daughter.
Why not cut her a bit of slack, acknowledge she is going through an absolutely horrific experience, learn a lesson from it and all of us can be careful, and let it go at that.
Personally, I think her daughter was pushing herself far too hard, overused the over the counter medication, and paid a terrible price of it. It can happen and we can all learn something from it.
A number of years ago I had a roommate who committed suicide after taking too much prescription poison oak medication. Some time later I was speaking with a docter who had just written a prescription for that same drug for me. He warned me about the side effect of over using it, qualifying it with "Well, it's in the literature but I've never seen it happen." I told him I had.
Hi frankie....Sounds like you
June 12, 2007 - 19:22 ET by bigtimerHi frankie....
Sounds like you need to check out your room-mates mental health a little more closely....if you can that is.
Btw....Do not play in the poison oak anymore...geeeeeesh.
A typically thoughtful reply.
June 12, 2007 - 20:54 ET by j. frank wilsonA typically thoughtful reply...he wasn't playing he was working - digging ditches for tv cables. And, no, I can't check his mental health. He began to suffer from disassociation and eventually jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.
j frank your point is well-ta
June 12, 2007 - 21:02 ET by TruthMongerj frank your point is well-taken I think...but I'm afraid jocularity has knocked this thread of the rails...
The point is why make life mo
June 12, 2007 - 19:33 ET by RackieThe point is why make life more and more difficult for everybody else just because on the off chance someone, somewhere is going to abuse something and have a bad out come? You can't make the world risk-free. Sh*t Happens.
Absolutely. But I think his p
June 12, 2007 - 19:35 ET by balboaAbsolutely. But I think his point was that the mom shouldn't be "villified" because she's obviously grieving over this tragic death.
Alice-Lynn Newman told Robert
June 12, 2007 - 19:50 ET by general companyAlice-Lynn Newman told Roberts that her daughter did not overuse anti-inflammatory products – yet she advocated restricting sale to prescription only in order to prevent overuse of the product.
This quote alone seems to lead one to believe that Mom is in denial, understandably
CBS reported that they also found six times the safe level of the drug in Newman.
This is such a large number, I wounder what type injury she had?Because Balboa, the road to r
June 13, 2007 - 12:25 ET by Chris NormanBecause Balboa, the road to regulatory hell, is made of overreaction to grief. I have no limit in my sympathy for a tragic death. However, I do draw the line at laws merely made to assuage that grief.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
Yes - and the leading cause o
June 12, 2007 - 20:56 ET by j. frank wilsonYes - and the leading cause of accidential liver failure in the United States? According to one of the news stories about this sad case it is over the counter pain medication. It's not about making life more difficult. It's about education and awareness. And a little tolerance for someone who has just experienced a horrible event.
Frank, we can tolerate and ev
June 13, 2007 - 01:00 ET by MikeBFrank, we can tolerate and even sympathize with a parent who has lost their child in death. What we won't tolerate or sympathize with is some socialist who wants to regulate each and every product known to mankind, no matter how benign. If she had said, "My daughter over-used and/or abused this product, and she died from it, so be careful", I could tolerate that, and even agree with her. She didn't do that. She wants to (over)regulate a product that millions have used for many years with few or no adverse outcomes. That position deserves no tolerance nor sympathy.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
If a grieving mother was a
June 13, 2007 - 07:23 ET by JerryIf a grieving mother was advocating making gay sex illegal because she lost a son to AIDS, this poor grieving mother would be tarred and feathered by the left.
This isn't about a mother's grief, but about government's gradual creep into every aspect of our lives, as MikeB stated so well.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment
vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any
President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
File this under: Drive-by M
June 12, 2007 - 21:07 ET by jdhawkFile this under: Drive-by Media Attempts to Scare America (Again) Over the Most Arcane Happenstances While Truly Dangerous Stuff Goes Unreported
If you think the above file heading is not apropos, read one of John Stossel's books.
Meanwhile, this "story" is what passes for "journalism" 101 in our country. It goes like this:
1. Find a tragic happenstance
2. Find a sympathetic and distraught victim or relative of same (priority: relative - they are unassailable witnesses to the tragedy)
3. Relative forms a foundation to prevent what will remain a happenstance that will never affect more than a handful of people
4. Give at least equal air time to this non story as a story that may prevent the demise of hundreds or even thousands of lives
5. Demand, through relative: restrictions (good), legislation resulting in a law being passed (better), criminality (best).
6. Repeat (at least once a week)
7. Apply above format to all manner of “news” stories
8. See ephedra. Sigh... Nob
June 13, 2007 - 06:22 ET by sarcasmo8. See ephedra. Sigh... Nobody ever stops to think that maybe these incidents add up to God or Darwin or Mother Nature saying (rather forcefully) that: "these particular genes should not spread any further." It sounds politically-incorrect and heartless, but it's the message I keep getting.
JMR
Easy answer for this one. If
June 12, 2007 - 21:14 ET by StonefingersEasy answer for this one. If Alice starts her pressure group, label what she is doing "Ben-Gay bashing."
Liberal media knee jerk reaction follows...gay activists denounce her...and she's out of business.
Liniment manufacturers everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief.
The point is that this news &
June 12, 2007 - 21:43 ET by iveseenitallThe point is that this news "story" is no story at all. We can all feel for the mom, but to make this more than it is is wrong. I'm an old guy now but many, many years ago I was a world-class runner. All through high school, college, and beyond that "Ben-Gay smell" was the the first thing to greet me at any event. One of my buddies, who is still alive today, would practially drown himself in liniment. Thousands, perhaps millions, have used this kind of stuff over the years. This death was an aberration and should have been treated as such. I don't smell Ben-Gay here; I smell ratings, hype, and irresponsible, sensational "journalism".
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Methyl Salicylate also goes b
June 13, 2007 - 02:30 ET by stratmanMethyl Salicylate also goes by the name "Oil of Wintergreen". It is a voilatile oil used in a variety of analgesic OTC preparations and alternative medicine preparations such as chinese medicated oils. Absorption through the skin is enhanced with occlusive dressings (airtight/watertight dressing), abnormal skin (allowing more drug to be absorbed faster) or addition of certain solvent vehicles to the medication such as DMSO (faster more complete absorption through the skin).
Topical Methyl Salicylate is metablized first by the skin and then ultimately by the liver. Too much drug causes Salicylism, AKA salicylate poisoning. This is the same poisoning as from too much Aspirin or Pepto-Bismol. Overdose symptoms include hyperventilation, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus (ringing of ears), hearing loss, hyperactivity, agitation, delirium, hallucination, convulsion, lethargy, and stupor. Death can occur without treatment.
Interestingly, a study was done that measured amounts of salicylate in the bloodstream of men and women after 8 hours of wearing commercially available methyl salicylate patches. Even the group that wore EIGHT patches showed low amounts in the blood. (http://jcp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/44/10/1151)
On the other hand, oral ingestion of Oil of Wintergreen is more likely to quickly reach toxic levels. One teaspoon of methyl salicylate (98% salicylate) contains 7000 mg of salicylate, the equivalent of nearly 90 baby aspirin and more than 4 times the potentially toxic dose for a child who weighs 10 kg. I'm not saying the girl did ingest Ben-Gay, but following a death one should consider all possibilities until proven otherwise.
The article described the dead girl as having a third topical medication which the mother declined to detail. What was this? Also, we do not know her medical history or concurrent medications, prescribed and over the counter, the girl was taking. Methyl salicylate can interfer with the metablism of other drugs (and vice versa) which can cause potentially dangerous situations.
I suspect for methyl salicylate levels to be SIX times the "safe" level, the girl must have had more than just three concurrent topical applications of commercially available Ben-Gay or similar products which led to her death. Poor skin integrity, more salicylate usage than reported, liver dysfunction, kidney dysfunction, conflicting medications or neutraceutical use, bad chinese herbal medications, etc.
It is horrible to lose a loved one, particularly a child. The mother's grief is understandable. Hopefully more information will be reported that will clarify the events culminating in the sad death of this girl so that people will regain confidence in using Ben-Gay and similar products as directed by the contents guidelines as stated currently on the packaging. As this sad death is an outlier, and not a common occurrence, I would not want to see further and unnecessary regulation nor litigation on a product with such a long and comparatively innocuous history.
Amen!
June 13, 2007 - 11:30 ET by RackieAmen!
It sounds to me like this unf
June 13, 2007 - 11:43 ET by pbanks7It sounds to me like this unfortunate girl could have been one of those "can't stand pain" people programmed by the advertisers of pain meds. I actually heard somebody say, "I can't stand pain," right out of the TV commercial.
Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.