Wellness

[Q4u]

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@mousiegirlwrote:

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@Q4uwrote:

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@LilacTreewrote:

I have a lot of pain to deal with.  I will not take prescription pain relievers or opiods.  So I use Aleve when my pain is worse than usual.  It takes the edge off, but that's about it.

I have taken ibuprofen in the past in large doses and wound up with high blood pressure, so I had to stop taking it.

Tylenol is useless for pain.

The other night I took a regular aspirin.  Just one.  And the pain was totally gone in 20 minutes.  I know one cannot take aspirin all the time because it thins the blood and can cause internal bleeding.  But there is no pain reliever like it.  It's thousands of years old and has many other benefits.  I wish I could take it every day.  It used to be the drug of choice for RA and I can understand why.

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I agree and tend to take regular coated aspirin for pain as I have a lot of jaw and neck pain and am beginning to get aches and stiffness in my joints.  But you are wise to be cautious taking it.... my son was just diagnosed with a Peptic Ulcer from (his doctor surmised) taking two before going to sleep.  The doctor said that is the worst way to take it because it tends to settle at the top of the stomach and ulcerate.  Fortunately, this kind of ulcer can be treated and his successfully went away.

It's hard finding something that can be used daiiy.....

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@Q4u  Did he take aspirin oin an empty stomach?  I always take mine with dinner, as I do my supplements.

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Probably did not have food in his stomach, he's the only one in our family that continually forgets to eat.... seriously.....   

[chrystaltree]

Perhaps I don't understand but speaking as someone who has suffered from chronic pain from several condition, including OA;  I know and my various doctors have always said that pain is an individual thing.  No two people feel pain the same and there is no "one size fits all" pain medication.  Aspirin never went away, doctors never stopped telling patients to use Aspirin.  It works for some people and for many types of pain.  It works for you and that's a very good thing because it's cheap and effective with minimal risks if taken according to the directions.  However, there's nothing wrong with all the other pain medications; prescription and non prescription.  They all have a purpose and no one should op to just suffer the pain when they have to.  There's pain relief for everyone and that includes opiods for those who require them.  The problem with opiods is that physicians over prescribed them because their patients pressured them into writing the prescriptions and when those patients became addicted or dependant....they refused accept it.  They just wanted the drugs.  There's no problem with opiods that are prescribed and taken responsibly.  People are the problem.  

[mousiegirl]

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@LilacTreewrote:

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@mousiegirlwrote:

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@LilacTreewrote:

I have a lot of pain to deal with.  I will not take prescription pain relievers or opiods.  So I use Aleve when my pain is worse than usual.  It takes the edge off, but that's about it.

I have taken ibuprofen in the past in large doses and wound up with high blood pressure, so I had to stop taking it.

Tylenol is useless for pain.

The other night I took a regular aspirin.  Just one.  And the pain was totally gone in 20 minutes.  I know one cannot take aspirin all the time because it thins the blood and can cause internal bleeding.  But there is no pain reliever like it.  It's thousands of years old and has many other benefits.  I wish I could take it every day.  It used to be the drug of choice for RA and I can understand why.

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@LilacTree  There is a reason people are told to take an aspirin if they think they are having a heart attack.  I have taken aspirin every day for most of my life, first for childhood headaches, excruciating, actually mostly for headaches, but continued to take one, used to take two, beginning about eight years ago, keeps the blood thin, but not too thin.  

I took aleve for almost three years for hip pain due to a childhood injury, and was taking about six a day until just before hip replacement surgery twenty years ago.  I then heard that it could cause heart problems, but at one point, took some again and it caused bleeding so I didn't ever take it again.  DH was taking Ibuprofen for sciatica pain, until his doctor took his blood pressure and it was sky high, told him that was the cause, so now we don't take that, but I suppose occasionally it would be okay.  Interesting that no doctor ever told me it could raise blood pressure.

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@mousiegirl

I was taking four tablets of ibuprofen a day (16 mgs) and it did help with the pain, although my pain level was less than it is today.  My PCP never said a single thing about it causing high blood pressure either.  My BP was low normal all of my life.  I finally researched it and found that it was the ibuprofen in large amounts over several years that had caused the HBP and stopped taking it immediately. 

When I mentioned to her that I wasn't taking it anymore, she was still skeptical that the ibuprofen caused the HBP and to this day HBP is still on my chart, even though my BP has returned to my normal, which is about 117/70.  She still wanted to put me on HBP meds, which I had always refused and did again.  I almost changed doctors because of that.

But it annoys me that every time I see another doctor I have to explain why that shows up on my chart.  Some have told me one has to go to court to get it rectified.

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@LilacTree  Go to court, that is insane!  The medical field leaves a lot to be desired.  Doctors are always pushing meds.  I use my common sense, and usually don't agree.  A doctor wanted to put DH on the well known blood thinner, can't remember the name, and he has no heart issues or high blood pressure, and I told DH about the research I had done on the med and advised not to take it, so he doesn't.  He takes an aspirin a day. 

I hope you can find something that alleviates pain without dire consequences.

[LilacTree]

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@mousiegirlwrote:

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@LilacTreewrote:

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@mousiegirlwrote:

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@LilacTreewrote:

I have a lot of pain to deal with.  I will not take prescription pain relievers or opiods.  So I use Aleve when my pain is worse than usual.  It takes the edge off, but that's about it.

I have taken ibuprofen in the past in large doses and wound up with high blood pressure, so I had to stop taking it.

Tylenol is useless for pain.

The other night I took a regular aspirin.  Just one.  And the pain was totally gone in 20 minutes.  I know one cannot take aspirin all the time because it thins the blood and can cause internal bleeding.  But there is no pain reliever like it.  It's thousands of years old and has many other benefits.  I wish I could take it every day.  It used to be the drug of choice for RA and I can understand why.

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@LilacTree  There is a reason people are told to take an aspirin if they think they are having a heart attack.  I have taken aspirin every day for most of my life, first for childhood headaches, excruciating, actually mostly for headaches, but continued to take one, used to take two, beginning about eight years ago, keeps the blood thin, but not too thin.  

I took aleve for almost three years for hip pain due to a childhood injury, and was taking about six a day until just before hip replacement surgery twenty years ago.  I then heard that it could cause heart problems, but at one point, took some again and it caused bleeding so I didn't ever take it again.  DH was taking Ibuprofen for sciatica pain, until his doctor took his blood pressure and it was sky high, told him that was the cause, so now we don't take that, but I suppose occasionally it would be okay.  Interesting that no doctor ever told me it could raise blood pressure.

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@mousiegirl

I was taking four tablets of ibuprofen a day (16 mgs) and it did help with the pain, although my pain level was less than it is today.  My PCP never said a single thing about it causing high blood pressure either.  My BP was low normal all of my life.  I finally researched it and found that it was the ibuprofen in large amounts over several years that had caused the HBP and stopped taking it immediately. 

When I mentioned to her that I wasn't taking it anymore, she was still skeptical that the ibuprofen caused the HBP and to this day HBP is still on my chart, even though my BP has returned to my normal, which is about 117/70.  She still wanted to put me on HBP meds, which I had always refused and did again.  I almost changed doctors because of that.

But it annoys me that every time I see another doctor I have to explain why that shows up on my chart.  Some have told me one has to go to court to get it rectified.

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@LilacTree  Go to court, that is insane!  The medical field leaves a lot to be desired.  Doctors are always pushing meds.  I use my common sense, and usually don't agree.  A doctor wanted to put DH on the well known blood thinner, can't remember the name, and he has no heart issues or high blood pressure, and I told DH about the research I had done on the med and advised not to take it, so he doesn't.  He takes an aspirin a day. 

I hope you can find something that alleviates pain without dire consequences.

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@mousiegirl

Thanks, mousiegirl !!

[hckynut]

@LilacTree

Hello my friend.  I am happy to see that plain ole aspirin is helping you with your pain. Goes to show that even very old ways of pain treatment still are effective for many in pain. 

Like yourself, I will not take any opiod, period! I will deal with the pain. As you mentioned, some cannot use Aspirin/Ibuprofen (Advil etc)/Naproxen(Aleve etc)/Celebrex, and so on. I am one of them because of my colon bleeding issues.

For all my pains I am pretty much restricted to Tylenol type meds, which for me do very little for pain and/or, infammation. Not particulary one that loves pain, but considering my options, I will stick with an occassocca Tylenol type pill.

Glad you got some relief from your pain, and ai think others, without the issues you mentioned, give Aspirin a try for many of their pain symptoms. Very informative and helpful thread for many to read.

JOhn(hckynut)

[LilacTree]

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@hckynutwrote:

@LilacTree

Hello my friend.  I am happy to see that plain ole aspirin is helping you with your pain. Goes to show that even very old ways of pain treatment still are effective for many in pain. 

Like yourself, I will not take any opiod, period! I will deal with the pain. As you mentioned, some cannot use Aspirin/Ibuprofen (Advil etc)/Naproxen(Aleve etc)/Celebrex, and so on. I am one of them because of my colon bleeding issues.

For all my pains I am pretty much restricted to Tylenol type meds, which for me do very little for pain and/or, infammation. Not particulary one that loves pain, but considering my options, I will stick with an occassocca Tylenol type pill.

Glad you got some relief from your pain, and ai think others, without the issues you mentioned, give Aspirin a try for many of their pain symptoms. Very informative and helpful thread for many to read.

JOhn(hckynut)

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@hckynut

I know your issues and understand why aspirin and Nsaids are not right for you.  I will talk to my gastro doc first, as I do have many gastrointestinal issues (so far no bleeding though).  I know he's going to try to prescribe a pain killer for me and I'm going to have to decline.  That will frustrate him, but he loves me anyway (I think!)

I would be judicious with aspirin if he thinks I should try it, and only take it when it's Mack Truck pain.  I'm never in remission, but this pain I've had lately seems like more than a flare.  I'm not a baby when it comes to pain, but when it's my whole body combined with gastro issues, I can get exhausted by it because I become almost helpless, can't even take a shower.  It would be times like that when I would take an aspirin.

Hope you and your SO are doing well.  No news is not always good news when it comes to us.  Your old friend ~Ford

[highmaintenancejan]

@LilacTree

I'm going to try Aspirin again.  I can't take Tylenol due to Liver Disease.  I can't take Ibuprofen...due to Oral Lichen Planus (causes my mouth to break out)  I have terrible FibroMyalgia or RA pain (don't know which) but I can't take it any longer...I'm at my wits end...so I'll try Aspirin.  (I have micro colitis---I hope it doesn't affect that)

Thanks!!

[jubilant]

I use aspirin for pain also.  I get along a lot better with my tummy if I take it immediately after a full meal.

[LilacTree]

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@Q4uwrote:

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@x Hedgewrote:

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@LilacTreewrote: I do use the coated variety, 325 mg (I cut it in half).  Maybe I'll get a box of unsalted crackers and keep it in my nightstand so I can take aspirin during the night when the pain wakes me up.  First thing in the morning (after my Synthroid) would be a joy also.

I guess I should run this past my doctor, but I'm really tempted to use more aspirin.  The difference it made was almost like a miracle.

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If you're cutting them in half you're exposing the contents, and not getting the benefit of using the coated variety.

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You'd be better off taking two low dose coated aspirins (80 mg each or 160 mg for both)... half of the 325 would be (162.50 mg), so they would only be 2.50 mgs over cutting a regular aspirin in half....  Correct me if I'm wrong please or if low dose wouldn't be as effective doubled, I've not tried it.....

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@Q4u

That is my plan.  However, will see gastro doc tomorrow and will run it past him. 

I used a Salonpas patch two days ago and it made it worse.