Dumb question of the day

[whitefishbay]

Good morning everyone from sunny London,

If you get down to 1 or 1/2 mg pred when can you take ibuprofen?

Thank you.

Whitefish x

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Why do you want to take ibuprofen? I take it if I need it even at much higher doses - but I do also take a stomach protection drug too when taking it which my rheumy insists on.

[whitefishbay in reply to PMRpro]

I have had a sore neck since December and a physio gave me exercises to do. On Sunday I did my usual outdoor work out (we call it Fubar Fitness - for 50+ ladies in the green near our house) and I must have used my neck too much. I thought some ibuprofen might help as it is really sore today.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to whitefishbay]

I can't see a problem with just that sort of use of ibuprofen - take it with food too. Try heat - a muscle rub might be good. There is also topical ibuprofen as a cream that acts locally and isn't absorbed as much and anyway doesn't go via the stomach.

But with such a chronic neck problem - are you sure it isn't the PMR waving at you?

[whitefishbay in reply to PMRpro]

Well I hope it's not PMR. I never had these pains with PMR but I suspect it might be OA as it's in my feet and hands. I am too young to be so decrepit (joking). My motto is keep going. Thanks once again for your great advice.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to whitefishbay]

Where in your neck is it sore? Is it muscle related? Look up sternocleidomastoid pain

[whitefishbay in reply to PMRpro]

I don't think it is sternocleidomastoid pain. I think it is from sitting badly in front of a screen 4 days a week and also tilting my head in my effort to hear people now that I am half deaf. Heat helps. I will get some ibuprofen gel. Good idea. I have a firm mattress and a firm pillow. Massage helps (my back is like cement) but I can't afford many.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to whitefishbay]

It'll probably been the hard back muscles pulling things awry - that happens to me. But in the UK they don't regard that as something that needs fixing. They do here!

[TheMoaningViolet]

I had to take it during Covid for a terrible headache to fill the gaps between paracetamol. I just made sure I took it with food and didn't worry about it for just a few days. Sorry to hear about your neck, mine is also a bit vulnerable. I found doing Pilates has strengthened it considerably.

[TheMoaningViolet]

Forgot to mention, that you could try applying it in a gel instead of taking it orally. That may work.

[whitefishbay in reply to TheMoaningViolet]

Thanks for that.

[Twopies]

My doc said to take it for 5-7 days, if ANY hint of stomach issues, stop it immediately. I took it for only a couple days as needed for pain, no problems. (But then I didn’t take it very long.). I thought the doc’s advice was good, pharmacist agreed.