Pain moving around and using NSAIDS versus opiods

[Guest guest]

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