I’ve been in a lot of pain lately in my chest neck and shoulder Currently on 3.5mg pred , I know I have two substantial edema’s on both ends of my left collarbone with the associated osteoarthritis that tends to underly the fluid build up. Rhuemy says don’t increase the pred , I took 60mg of Arcoxia last night that aloud me a good night sleep, the question is what pain killers are the least damaging to our bodies till I can get the required steroid injections which where canceled due to co-vid , Arcoxia i believe is banned in the states due to heartattack risk, paracetamol hardly touches the pain , I have co-codemol in but is that addictive also, like tremodol which is great but turns me into a slobbering fool for about 4 hours after a tablet. Any suggestions on which way to play it , as I still want to reduce the pred when the time is right . Hoping the chest and neck pain are muscular skeletal and not something else it’s always a worry with these auto immune conditions 👍
Pain killers choice over side effects long term - PMRGCAuk
Pain killers choice over side effects long term
I found that Tramadol had less psychological effect that Codeine. They are both opiates though, I believe.
Amitriptylin has helped in the past when I was too uncomfortable to sleep.
Have you experimented a bit to see how much more pred you would need for it to work? Sometimes, after a few days of more to clear the inflammation, it is only 1 or 2mg ongoing - and that is infinitely preferable to Arcoxia or anything else long term.
The biggest problem with cocodamol is its propensity to cause constipation - you MUST take some form of laxative from day 1 if you intend using it long term and never let it get to be a problem.
I've never really had a problem with constipation . I do eat lots of veg, nuts and prunes.
You were lucky!
I kind of know the pred increase will do the trick short term with the shoulder and probably a few other pains , but with the current virus floating around , I really don’t want to take myself into a New risk category, I still had the chest pain last year when I was on 10 Mg And don’t fancy going up that high again unless I’m immobilised of course , fingers crossed that don’t happen .
It depends how many times a days you intend to take it. I would cycle paracetamol every 4 to 6hrs and for few days up to 400mg ibuprofen in the alternate 2hour slot. So paracetamol 8am, ibuprofen 10am and so on. But it's not a long term strategy unless you are totally protecting your stomach with ppi or similar. Even then I might be tempted to move to gel ibuprofen to massage in then ice and/or heat. I don't like heat on my OA when it's inflamed (apart from neck). I find ice better but it's a personal choice. I hope it eases soon. If the painkillers work then prob OA not PMR.
I was told no ibuprofen on Pred , or is that just from Rhuemy to Rhuemy , I have used gel before but no pain relief
No but if I can't stand oA pain I ei do 3 to 5 days only.
All NSAIDs are dodgy along with pred - either alone can cause gastric irritation, both together increases that risk. My rheumy uses high dose infusions of NSAID with pred if needed - but only when you also take a PPI. I use one-off doses of ibuprofen - always a single dose of 800mg which is what is called a flooding dose and is essential to make it work most efficiently. That works miracles for me.
I have never used that much but will try it the next time. Will have to buy some mind as stopped getting it when I started on pred.x
You actually use less in the long run. Often that single dose works for 24 hours and since it was really effective I often don't need any more.
I did actually try that 800mg after you mentioned it before. It really did seem to fill the pain more effectively than pussy footing around. I have had 400mg 3 or 4 times a day in prescription when I decided Cox I got the bad press.
I take cocodamol and they do help (probably the arthritis mostly). I have been taking them for 7 years so I suppose I am an addict (2 in the night, 2 in the day). So be it! The pain would be crippling otherwise. My body, my decision!👵🏻
Dependent ...not necessarily an addict...though...😉
Maybe she has a secret stash?!!
It wouldn't surprise me.
She uses the old lady disguise!!
Drat busted already!!🧐
Tbh I agree totally. There is no way on earth k would go back to pre pred pain of pmr or the pain of my shoulders without pain killers. If I am addicted or dependent then that's what it is!! Not suffering for anyone.x
I have used both tramadol and codeine for my shoulder issues (10 surgeries including a replacement) for years and can stop either when needed without withdrawal symptoms so dont consider myself addicted but would still rather take this than suffer the pain. My priority is less pain. YBB
I use cocodamol for osteoarthritis It’s mainly on my left side. I think it’s muscular skeletal as it eases it. I can rest and sleep if I take it. I know it’s addictive but I was on Morphine for 8 months before my hip replacement and I stopped when I didn’t need it any more. I think addiction is when you take more than 8 a day whether it not you need it just in case the pain comes.
I am addicted to being pain free and mobile but I still have to fight my Doctor for a prescription. I only take 4 a day maximum and most days depending what I’m doing I don’t take any if I don’t need to. They don’t affect me other than the pain relief.
I've always been told that when you need the opiates for the pain, you don't get addicted - no idea if it is true..
I think there is something in it. On days when I have less pain I am not search for the old tramadol and cocodamol. But on pain filled days I do wait for the clock to go round. I have stopped a few times to stop tolerance increasing the dose. I then only take them if, after detox, the pain there. It always has been and is not well controlled until I get to around my daily dose. I have only had one instance where I took too many, years ago and had a whitey....never again. Apart from that I don't ever feel high or have a feeling that I associate with other things I may or may not have tried in my youth...up to late 30s. 😳🤪🤭
P-doopy, what’s a “whitey”.
I use hydrocodone and tylenol, and occasionally aspirin. My day starts and ends chasing OA pain relief. PMR Pain is well controlled with pred.
When too much opiate or other drug gets taken and you feel faint and your face goes paler. You feel very ill like you are going to vomit. It's not nice and it's been known as a "whitey" since at least the 80s here.
I wish painkillers gave the same level of pain relief for my fibro/nerve/ OA that pred does for PMR!
Thanks for the flashback education...didn’t know whitey.
I use gabapentin for nerve pain associated with lower back, it really does work for that specific issue. Interesting that it does nothing for headache, etc.
Seems to me, that “Pain” is really a simple word that we use to define a myriad of sensations, each with its own lock and key. Doncha think??!
So, enough of my found wisdom....
carry on...💃💃💃J
It absolutely is. Trying to explain a new sensation is so difficult and you end up by just saying pain at X number at the drs again.
I started gabapentin at the start of the year. I had duloxetine last year, which replaced amitriptiline and citalopram. The latter was used for the physical and mental aspects of chronic pain/fibro, then duloxetine for neuropathy in my feet and calves and gabapentin for different areas of nerve pain. All the sensations slightly different and all the drugs offered different levels of relief. Trying to balance these things is a full time job some days!
It is really a full time job, and with no map to help figure the way through the maze.
Hopefully we have docs who are willing to work with us, rather than just follow the party line, which serves none of us.
Kind regards, stay safe, Jerri
The most difficult thing I ever experienced while teaching English to medical students is matching the vaste range of words we have for pain in English to what is available in German. And it still poses a problem for me now - I speak pretty fluent German but explaining pain symptoms is so difficult.
But you didn’t inhale - right? 🤩
😳🤪 who me...
🤫
Btw....where is the image for bad bunnies??
I don’t know. My family have sent me thousands of photos and videos, I had to get more storage. Some are in ICloud now and I am out of my depth. I plough a very narrow furrow with tech.
That’s how I see it. I can’t imagine taking more than I need. I’ve never understood the addiction part either?
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