Who has never needed to resort to dipyrone to alleviate fever symptoms or when some pain insists on visiting us? However, surprisingly, this act is different in different corners of the globe. In several countries around the world, dipyrone is prohibited from being sold.
But what are the reasons? Why was this medicine, which became so popular and common in Brazil, banned in other nations, such as the USA and Japan, for example?
Let’s understand details about the safety and effectiveness behind this important painkiller, what countries around the world think of it and the reasons why Brazil does not ban dipyrone in its pharmacies.
The risks of agranulocytosis from dipyrone
In the past, dipyrone was commercialized and highly consumed in various parts of the world. However, this changed in the 1960s, when a scientific publication appeared alleging risks of agranulocytosis, a blood condition that reduces defense cells and harms our immune system.
These studies were carried out with the consumption of aminopyrine, a substance with almost identical chemical similarities to dipyrone.
After these proofs, it didn’t take long for the first bans to begin around the world. In the USA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completely removed dipyrone from the market in 1977. Other countries then followed suit, including Japan, the United Kingdom and most of the nations belonging to the European Union. .
However, other counter-evidence has emerged over the years. An important one is the Boston Study, which showed results that, for every 1 million individuals who took dipyrone, only 1.1 had some variation for agranulocytosis.
On the other hand, some countries that decided to go back on the ban detected a large number of people who developed blood changes after using dipyrone.
This ended up creating a mystery without a clear explanation about the real dangers that this medicine can bring to our body.
And why did Brazil never ban dipyrone?
Several very important nations and countries have decided to ban dipyrone and prohibit its sale anywhere. But why didn’t Brazil join this dance?
In the early 2002s, several studies and evaluations were carried out in Latin America, where Brazilian scientists were involved in these important researches.
After a few years of study, a very low rate of agranulocytosis cases was identified in people who regularly take dipyrone. This ended up signaling a minimal risk for the population, similar to the same danger that other medicines pose and are available for sale.
This avoided any hypothesis, discussion or controversy regarding the need to ban dipyrone in Brazil, as it is, in fact, one of the most sold and consumed medications among Brazilians.
Did you know that? There are still many mysteries regarding our famous “novalgina”. However, it seems that it offers more benefits than harm to our body. The most important thing is to avoid self-medication and always seek medical help before taking any medication.
Credits: NSC.
