Suggested alternative to ibuprofen?

[scotsman]

My physio and doctor suggested I tried ibuprofen, as there may be an inflamation element to my last remaining trouble area.

I was prescribed 1,800 mg per day (3 * 600) - note that the OTC maximum is 1,200 mg per day (I'm also currently taking tramadol for pain management).

I've only been on the ibuprofen for three days but I'm suffering from severe indigestion, heartburn and stomach upset. I've been careful with what I eat + drink plenty of milk, etc but it's pretty bad. My doctor would like me to stay on this for a month but I've stopped taking them today (I've read that 20% of men, who are on ibuprofen for three months get ulcers and based on my initial reaction then I'm not keen on doing that sort of damage, even for a month).

Is there any other anti-inflammatories that may be suitable and don't cause such stomache issues?

Richard.

[Paso (Guest)]

Hey Richard,

Try Celebra (Much more expensive), which is supposed to be nicer to the stomach. Much more modern substance I think.

/Paso

Btw, sent you and e-mail...

[scotsman]

Thanks matey - I'll give my doctor a call.

I'll send you an email tonight (can't access it behind the firewall where I work). Lots of news

Richard.

[Richard.N]

All of the Cox 2 inhibitors are pretty good in regard to stomach problems, as that's what they are designed to get around.

Vioxx has had some flack recently for causing heart problems in those suceptable though - although I've never had a problem with it.

[Ddream]

I can't tolerate anything with ibuprofen in it as it eats up my stomach. Try Bextra. I have been able to take that and I think it works better than Vioxx.

[scotsman]

Thanks again for the replies chaps.

[james-d]

I find that Aleve (naproxen) (naproxen) works great for inflamation with less stomach upset then ibuprofin

[scotsman]

I've been prescribed Celecoxib (Celebrex) - though I'm having to wait a week for my current stomach discomfort to reduce.

Richard.

[latte]

If you are taking these anti-inflammatories for pain I would suggest switching to Ultram, a synthetic codeine substitute. Early on I took a lot of Aleve (naproxen) and felt terrible. I hated the stuff, made me feel weak and just awful. Ultram works really well for pain but you need a prescription.

[scotsman]

I'm currently on Ultram (tramadol) for pain management and it's excellent stuff. Inflamation may be hindering the triggerpoint treatment of a specific area so we thought (physio and GP) that its worth a try. Fortunately I can still take my tramadol.

Richard.

[ericpeterman]

I can't take Ibuprophen for very long without experiencing problems in my lower digestive tract. I experienced almost no benefit from Celebrex and got some unpleasant side effects, including hemorrhoids.

There is a natural COX-2 inhibitor anti-inflammatory that I have found to work well for me, Zyflamend, from New Chapter. One side benefit is that it contains ginger which is good for digestion and intestinal health. Since beginning to take it several months ago I've incidentally not experienced a single headache so it seems to be effective for that too. Because it's natural it takes a few days to kick in full force, unlike Ibuprophen.

Also, if you know someone who has cancer, Zyflamend my be worth a try to mitigate the side-effects of chemo including indigestion/nausea. Their websitehas some info on that.

I'm trying, if possible, to stick to the "do no harm" approach to managing my symptoms.

[mayoworker]

what do you guys know about Daypro?? i've been on it for like a year now...with no noticeable effects.

[alprost]

My physio and doctor suggested I tried ibuprofen, as there may be an inflamation element to my last remaining trouble area.

Richard - Exactly what symptoms are you still having?

[bti20]

Try MSM. Its a herbal supplement, anti-inflammatory and has worked wonders for me.

[scotsman]

My physio and doctor suggested I tried ibuprofen, as there may be an inflamation element to my last remaining trouble area.

Richard - Exactly what symptoms are you still having?

Having been on ibuprofen (lower dose) for 4-5 weeks due to a torn knee cartilage I don't think there is any real inflamation.

However, I'm still getting a lot of pain with triggerpoints around the internal and external anal sphincter (all the way around and these can be as little as a couple cm's in). These get treated 2-3 times a week and keep coming back (within a couple days). Some areas might stay triggerpoint clear for longer but in general they all come back pretty quickly.

I'm currently 4 weeks into doing nightly relaxation sessions which I hope will help. I'm not aware of any really deep internal triggerpoints but I've not really had that much assessment of the area recently (as per our phone conversation).



Looking at the picture below, the yellow areas are where I think most of my pain comes from but I also get deeper points as well, shown in red.



I find the in assessing the deeper areas (I do a lot of this myself and go in quite far - long fingers) I do find triggerpoints, treat them but they come back within 7 - 10 days.

And so the cycle begins again.....

Richard.