Judy Finnigan has revealed she nearly died after ibuprofen tablets caused her to develop a stomach ulcer that left her vomiting blood. The 70-year-old has warned about the dangers of over-the-counter medicine after the scary experience, which started when she took tablets "like sweeties" to ease the pain of a knee injury.
"Last autumn it happened to me and I nearly died...The culprit was good old over-the-counter ibuprofen, the seemingly harmless stuff you take for a bad back, or (in my case) a painful knee," Judy wrote in her column for the Daily Express. "I gulped the jolly little bright blue capsules, looking like sweeties, daily for a mere four weeks."
Judy Finnigan underwent two blood transfusions after developing four stomach ulcers
The former This Morning presenter started vomiting blood, and says her life was saved by paramedics who took her to hospital, where she had two blood transfusions. Her gastric consultant later told her that she had "developed four large stomach ulcers in as many weeks. He’d found one directly above a main artery, which had ruptured".
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Judy was told if she hadn’t gone to hospital when she did, she could have bled to death. Luckily, she only had to spend four days in hospital before being discharged, and is now recovering well. She has stopped taking ibuprofen and has urged her friends and family to do the same.
Richard and Judy's daughter Chloe married in December
The TV presenter was still able to join celebrations at her daughter Chloe Madeley’s wedding to James Haskell in December. The nuptials took place at a village church in Berkshire, and the couple shared details of their day exclusively with HELLO! magazine. Richard and Judy’s daughter said her relationship with the rugby player "just gets stronger and stronger", adding: "James is funny, smart, articulate and always a gentleman. I love everything about him."
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Before the big day, Chloe also spoke to HELLO! about the arrangements, saying: "James is a traditional guy and wants us to marry in a traditional setting." She revealed that the legal ceremony was going to take place in a registry office but, inspired by the royal wedding in May, it was held in the church near where the groom grew up.
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