what painkillers can i take?

[tammyscholey]

hi, does anyone know what type of painkiller is best to take, i know all painkillers affect the liver but which is the kindest?

[RodeoJoe]

Paracetamol taken as per the directions are the best. However if you take more than is directed they can be damaging to the liver.

[Tatjana]

Hi Tammyscholey

Years ago and I mean years ago I was told by my nurse not to take Paracetamol but Paramol. I do not know if Paramol is still available but my nurse said it was kinder to the liver.

Hope this helps.

[tammyscholey in reply to Tatjana]

thankyou x shall have a look

[Bolly]

Paracetamol within the recommended dosage and if you have cirrhosis or are on medication for any type of active hepatitis then 3 doses in 24 hours not 4. If in doubt, ask your specialist as they all have different views on what to take!

[earthpixie]

I have been told paracetamol....but only 1 regular tablet NOT 2 ....twice a day ......not much at all...but have been prescribed codeine..on its own...not mixed with paracetamol....if I REALLY need to take one....aspirin...ibuprofen on banned list...

[clairey27]

It depends what type of pain it is for and the condition you have, but Paracetamol within the correct dosage is fine as its quite a mild pain killer. I regularly take Tramadol as well, I cannot take ibuprofen of diclofenac due to the risk of my cysts bleeding and need more than just Paracetamol. I also get a nervy pain (neuropathic) which I take Gabapentin for and have taken Amitriptyline in the past with no problems.

I hope that helps.

[lesleyjehan]

I notice a lot of recommendations for Paracetamol and just want to add my experience. About ten years ago I was put on Paracetamol 2 X 4 times daily in conjunction with Tramadol and Oramorph. Soon after I started with problems like bloating, shaking inside, soreness, itching, acid reflux just to name a few. My Drs sent me for a scan which showed NAFLD. (I very, very rarely drink.)

After 3-4 years of really ad discomfort and finding a small amount of blood in my urine I was sent for another scan which showed I had an extremely swollen spleen, very enlarged liver and enlarged lymph nodes so I was then sent for other more detailed scans and endoscopy and biopsies. Thankfully they aren't malignant...yet but I'm being monitored.

My point is that I TOTALLY hold the Paracetamol responsible for my stomach issues as well as a lack of care from my Drs when I repeatedly went back with stomach issues. When I stopped taking the Paracetamol my stomach became much more settled. I think being on such high doses of it was the main cause of my problems.

I now have irreversible (non alcoholic) liver cirrhosis, splenomgally and enlarged lymph nodes which I have to keep having scans and tests on.

[tammyscholey in reply to lesleyjehan]

thankyou for advice

[angse]

I have been told only paracetamol, and no painkillers with opiates !!

[Bolly]

Having looked at your other posts Tammy I think its tricky for us to advise as you are still in the process of having the extent of your liver damage assessed. I think you have been told you have damaged your liver with alcohol, and your GGT is high but the good news is it is coming down. However you are waiting for a Fibroscan later this month to complete the assessment?

With that in mind, are you asking about pain relief for a specific pain that you have right now, or wondering what medication to use for pain relief in the future?

If you have little or no liver damage, then something like paracetamol is fine within the recommended dose. If you have a temperature or perhaps a slight headache, I would say for short term use paracetamol is ok. Some of us are having the flu jab at the moment and feeling a bit 'bleuch' the day after in which case a paractamol or two is ok.

However if you have severe pain, - broken a limb or severe toothache - then a paracetamol probably wouldn't touch the pain and you would be better asking your GP or a pharmacist for advice. Pain killers such as Tramadol and Oramorph are only available on prescription so your GP would be assessing if they were ok for you to take, but you can get a combined paracetamol and codeine product over the counter which is the next level up to plain paracetamol. Many of us with liver damage are ok to take that short term. Pretty much most medication will not be good for your liver if you take it day in day out for years, in the same way that alcohol is not good if you drink it day in day out for years. For example some antibiotics have been found to trigger autoimmune liver disease if the patient has been taking them repeatedly.

For some pain, home remedies work as well as painkillers. For example clove oil helps with toothache and lying down in a dark room with a cool compress might help a headache. Elevating your twisted ankle with an ice pack is better than taking a pain killer.

If you find out you have advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, then ask your doctor about pain relief.

Harder to deal with than short term pain is chronic pain: fibromyalgia or rheumatoid athritis type pain. GPs' can sometimes keeping adding in more and more pain relief, which when taken day in day out for a long time will have an effect on the liver.

So to sum up, what type of pain relief depends on what type of pain!

[tammyscholey in reply to Bolly]

thankyou for advice, its arthritic pain, i was taking diclofenic but had to stop taking them, the pain is bearable some days but not others, im going to make a doctors appointment, i think thats the best thing, thanks again.

[briccolone]

I would stay away from ibuprofen-known to be very heavy on the liver

[pear-shaped]

Dear Tammy,

My husband had massages - which helped quite a lot. Your GP or liver team should be able to refer you for this (we didn't realise and ended up paying the first few years).

Pear

[tammyscholey]

thankyou for advice x the massage did help thankyou

[Hidden in reply to tammyscholey]

hi tammy

good luck with the fibroscan today, remember F1 and F2 Fibrosis can heal with time, so even if the scan isnt perfect you can recover very well, fingers crossed for you!

[tammyscholey in reply to Hidden]

thankyou, im going to write it all down because i tend to get lost in all the medical jargon.

[Hidden in reply to tammyscholey]

hopefully they will give you copy, if they dont then ask. what you are looking for is the kpa reading, below 7 is great, but below 12.5 is where you need to be. good luck!