Wellness

[Tinkrbl44]

I've mentioned before that I deal with both rheumatoid and osteo arthritis.  I take pain relievers and also use topical pain products daily.

I've started taking the 8 hour Tylenol ... two every 8 hours ... and am testing how they work.

Question .....  has anyone else had experience with this type of product?  Do they work better than the every 4 hour products?  

TIA! 

[cheriere]

@Tinkrbl44    I'd be interested in knowing the answer too, as I also suffer from what you're dealing with sadly.  I have a bottle of the 8hr Tylenol, but I take two at a time mostly.

[cheriere]

@Tinkrbl44   I meant to add that while I also take Enbrel, it just doesn't do much for pain relief.  If you take this, do you find this to be the case too?

[catter70]

I'm going for the second time to PT for neck and shoulder pain. I take the generic form every 8 hours pills, but take 4 at once before I go to bed. I can't take aspirin because I'm on blood thinners and baby aspirin already. Seems like everything I would like to try doesn't work well with thinners or BP meds that I take. Even the generic tylenol doesn't seem to take the edge off the pain.

[D Kay]

If you're talking about the 650 mgm. Extended Release Tylenol, I think they do work better. 

[Kachina624]

@Tinkrbl44.  I have osteo arthritis all over my body, especially troublesome. In my back.  I can't take anything for it because years of NSAIDs were affecting my kidneys.  I was also warned that long-term use of Tylenol threatens the liver.  Be careful.

[SilleeMee]

Extended-release meds help keep a constant level of pain relief over time but for some people absorption of time-release caps can present a problem and they don't get fully absorbed so pain relief falls short. That can be inconsistent and it leaves you wondering if the time-release is working or not. There's no way to know for sure.

[Tinkrbl44]

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@cheriere wrote:

@Tinkrbl44   I meant to add that while I also take Enbrel, it just doesn't do much for pain relief.  If you take this, do you find this to be the case too?

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@cheriere 

How do you take Enbrel?  It does nothing for pain relief, BTW.   I get the 50mg Sureclick, once weekly.  The Enbrel is to prevent the RA from getting worse, not pain relief.    At least that's what I recall from the inserts.  Maybe I'm confusing it with something else?  LOL

[Tinkrbl44]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@Tinkrbl44.  I have osteo arthritis all over my body, especially troublesome. In my back.  I can't take anything for it because years of NSAIDs were affecting my kidneys.  I was also warned that long-term use of Tylenol threatens the liver.  Be careful.

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@Kachina624 

So what do you take?

I know all the warnings about Tylenol.   

My default routine has been taking the Excedrin that's 250mg acetominaphin and 250mg aspirin.   I also use either Salon Pas or Aspercreme with lidocaine, which reduces pain by about 35-40%.  I find the topical products allow me to take less oral pain relievers.   

[Tinkrbl44]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

Extended-release meds help keep a constant level of pain relief over time but for some people absorption of time-release caps can present a problem and they don't get fully absorbed so pain relief falls short. That can be inconsistent and it leaves you wondering if the time-release is working or not. There's no way to know for sure.

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@SilleeMee 

Bingo!  You stated my exact concern very well.  

Am I getting all the mgs of pain reliever it says I'm getting?

The information calls it a bi-level cap.  The top half dissolves immediately, and the other half dissolves ... later.  Where in the stomach is it when the second half dissolves?  Why doesn't the stomach acid dissolve it sooner?  

I bet I can come up with more "what ifs" if I try.  LOL