Advil or Tylenol

[NormaH951]

Hi all. I hope you are having a care-free relaxing weekend.

My GI doc told me to take acetaminophen for pain. Not ibuprofen. I try to only take it when absolutely needed because it passes through the liver. What do you take for aches and pains?

Norma

[Oidra]

Yes thank you, having a lovely weekend with friends. I am only allowed paracetamol for pain.

[Hidden]

Hello NormaH951.

I read in PBC Foundation leaflet that Ibuprofen isn't recommended in PBC, paracetamol is though.

I'd not taken any painkillers (or other medications) except the urso since 2010 but in the last week I have found I've had to resort to something. I've been struck with sciatica. I have had it in thepast but it was over 10yrs ago and back then I was younger (I am 53 now) and just seemed to sail on by for a couple weeks I had it and didn't take anything. This time though I've found my leg has been in considerable paid from my knee down after it started several days ago, so much so that I did take one paracetamol at intervals (due to having PBC I de- cided not to take the recommended dose) but it didn't do a thing. My husband had some paracetamol with caffeine he had bought over-the-counter so I tried one of those to no avail.

After 2 days of getting by and it not seeming to ease much I rang the GP surgery to ask for advice. One of the GPs got back to me later in the day and I got a prescription for codeine which is apparently OK to take with PBC but it is recommended at half the dose. It states this on the patient info leaflet too. I took but found that they too did absolutely nothing. Reckon a waste of prescription charge!

So I have turned back to paracetamol and last couple days I've been taking one paracetamol with caffeine and another just paracetamol. Seems to be helping somewhat. The sciatica is starting to ease off a little (I can now comfortably walk up and down my stairs in the morning before thinking about taking anything) but I am still left with lower leg pain at the moment. I don't want to take paracetamol for days on end so am hoping that by tomorrow I'll be able to just maybe take in the evening prior to going to bed as I've not really slept for 3 nights prior to last night due to not finding I could get comfortable at all in bed.

The ironic thing in the last week is that since starting the paracetamol I've not really itched!!! I am finding this another big puzzle. Is the pain of having this sciatica disctracting my body with regards to the itch or maybe is the paracetamol giving my liver something to do or maybe helping it? Obviously it is something to think about only but will be intrigued when I am back to just having the PBC only with regards to itching.

[Michiganpbc]

My doctor said tylenol ...

[Shulsey]

I have been told from day one of diagnosis that Tylenol is really the only over the counter pain reliever that we should take. So, I stopped using anything else that's otc. I don't use it often because it does nothing for the muscle/joint pain I have. I go to see a neurologist & my family Dr in a few days. Hoping one of the two can help with this issue. & unfortunately almost everything we take will be filtered through the liver.

[NormaH951]

Thanks for your response. I hope all goes well for you.

[58goose]

I was told by my specialist that it was OK to take the occasional paracetamol or ibruprofen, especially as I have arthritis which can flare up at times.