Desperate for help

[cvtaylor]

Diagnosed last week with stage 3a CKD. TOLD I must discontinue use of NSAIDS for Fibromyalgia since 1980. I can't imagine what can be done to take their place. Need direction.

[Celtic]

cvtaylor, unfortunately NSAIDS can cause reduced kidney function as you have been unlucky enough to discover. However,on the positive side it sounds as though you have been alerted to the problem before it gets too serious - CKD stage 3a is very mildly reduced function and with a bit of luck when you discontinue Ibuprofen your function will stabilise and not reduce further. To that end it is also important to keep both blood pressure and blood sugar under control.

As for what to replace ibuprofen with, low dose antidepressants and lifestyle changes can help. In case you aren't already aware of it, there is a charity - Fibromyalgia Association UK - from whom you could seek further advice.

[Calley in reply to Celtic]

Hello cvtaylor. I was in exactly the same position as you three years ago. I had been taking 500 mg Naproxen daily for five years for arthritis in my spine. Unfortunately it was discovered that Naproxen was damaging my kidneys. When I was diagnosed my GFR was 57. Like you, I could not imagine how I was going to cope. Instead of Naproxen daily, I was given a prescription for Co-codamol to be taken as and when but as infrequently as I could manage.

Instead of running for pills, having become wary, I looked around for something that was not invasive and I bought a Tens machine. It does not work for everybody, but I am lucky - as long as I put my Tens on soon enough, it does work for me. If you know someone who has one, perhaps you could borrow it to try it out, or talk to your GP about advice from the Pain Clinic, or as Celtic suggests, ask the Fibromyalgia Association about the use of Tens. It is particularly helpful for muscular pain, and it might be the lifeline for you that it has been for me.

I watch what I eat more carefully and control my weight better and my GFR has improved a little in the last three years. To be honest, I think I am in better shape generally than I was three years ago, and not taking NSAIDS has been good for me in more ways than just for the sake of my kidneys. If I knew eight years ago what I know now, I would never have taken Naproxen in the first place.

I hope you find a good alternative.

[cvtaylor in reply to Celtic]

Thanks so much for the info. I have a TENS unit and will talk to the doctor about the drug.

[panda22]

I was on Diclofenac and gfr fell to 29. Was told not use them or anything with anti inflammatories in. Over the past 5 years my function is now 42 but I always check with my chemist before I buy any over the counter medication. Hope your gfr increases.

[toeragthecat21]

avoid ibruprofen take paracetamol safer for kidneys

[toeragthecat21]

take paracetamol not ibruprofen