Re: Pain moving around and using NSAIDS versus opiods -

[Guest guest]

Hi :

You are right, the pain never really goes away. I

take Ultracet for pain - it takes the edge off so I

can cope, but I am trying to avoid taking anything

stronger until I really, really need to. Since the

weather has gotten colder, I have had to start taking

2 tabs 3x a day along with a muscle relaxant, and even

sometimes get up during the night for another dose. I

try not to let the pain get too bad before I use the

med, because if I let it go too long, I don't get as

much relief.

Like you, I had trouble with NSAIDs. I had been

taking Motrin 3 to 4 times a day for about 3 years,

and began having heartburn almost daily. My stomach

was also tender to pressure. I had to stop the Motrin

and begin Prilosec to heal the irritation in my

stomach and esophagus. I tried Celebrex which helped,

but stopped it when the reports on Vioxx came out. I

now take Mobic and have not had any problem with that.

That is wonderful that Plaquenil is still working well

for you - I took it for the first two years after dx,

and it did very well for me during that time, but then

the RA became more aggressive and the Plaquenil lost

its effectiveness. I would have liked to have

continued on it because it does not have the liver

damage problems that Mtx and other meds do.

Kathe in CA

--- Dobrowolski <mchristinad@...>

wrote:

> I don't know that our joint pains move around so

> much because of favoring but I do know that I have

> to treat pain aggressively unless I want to have

> many more problems. I learned this the hard way. I

> did something stupid (trying to reach under a bed)

> and ended up with a muscle spasm. I didn't do much

> for it but bear the pain. I ended up with muscle

> pain, increased arthritic pain and finally nerve

> pain. I wasn't able to move my head hardly at all

> and my writing became almost unreadable. I was in

> so much pain. Eventually with muscle relaxants,

> physical and occupational therapy, cortisone shots,

> etc. these problems were resolved. Anyway, I

> ignored pain problems a few more time since then

> (about eight years ago) and each time I have gotten

> more pain and more systems involved as a result. I

> have learned that I have to stop muscle spasms

> regardless of what else I what or think I should do.

> I can delay for a number of hours but I better take

> that muscle relaxant before I go to

> sleep unless I want months of troubles.

>

> I used NSAIDS initially for migraines since I was

> seven, and then for arthritic and nerve pain

> problems for about ten years on and off and then for

> about eight years continuously. What a mistake.

> About four years ago, I developed esophageal spasms.

> What a horror/ As the doctors in the emergency

> room explained to me, they feel like heart attacks,

> they treat them like heart attacks (nitroglycerin

> pills under the tongue) but they aren't. After

> that, almost no more NSAIDS. I did have a try of

> VIOXX for two days and the esophageal spasm came

> back. Actually it is really funny but about the

> only NSAID I can still use very occasionally is

> plain old aspirin. I use that only for a migraine

> or sinus pain very occasionally and only one dose a

> day. I am on Prilosec still for once or twice a day

> depending on how my stomach is. Anyway, while the

> opioid may not be more effective than ibuprofen or

> whatever other NSAID the health community touts,

> they don't cause stomach problems. They

> also don't cause addictions for the vast majority

> of patients (less than 3%, I believe, develop any

> problem). My main problem with the opioid is that I

> can't drive when I have taken one and since I often

> have to drive, I have no pain relief at those times.

> I do think it is funny when I have to go to the

> health clinic and they ask me about do I have any

> pain. Well, the answer is never no. I always have

> pain even with pain medication and even on good

> days. On good days I have pain in my joints that is

> around 3 and I don't medicate. When it rises to

> five or six, I do. Then the pain medication drops

> it down to 2 or 3.

>

> Many medicines that we take can take some getting

> used to. I know that when I started plaquenil I

> felt queasy for a few weeks. I have been taking

> that for almost nine years now.

>

> in Belgium

>

>

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>

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>

Kathe in CA

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