2007-01-15 01:34:14 · 3 answers · asked by cindy n 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
Hi....I have had seropositive RA since Oct 1998 (I had just turned 27). I am also an RN.
I have tried alot of pain meds, prescription and over-the-counter, and I find that if I take 800 mg. ibuprofen in the morning it seems to get me through most of the next 6 hours as well as help with the swelling and inflammation. It eases the pain, but it doesn't make things easier to do as you probably know. I am still lethargic and can't walk as fast or as well as I used to but that's par for the course. I judge the effectiveness of the ibprofen by how well I can get my rings on/off. I cannot get them on when I wake up at all. You really have to take it around the clock and an adult can take up to 3200mg a day. I find that the occasional side effect of burning stomach is relieved by TUMS and is less of a risk than taking the prescription drugs which have worse side effects (some life-threatening) as I know I will be needing it until I die as there is no cure.
Tylenol, Aleve, etc. do nothing for me. I was on prescription Celebrex and in four weeks was covered with bruises and my clotting factors were low. I was too afraid of liver damage and it just didn't seem to help.
Up until March when I had my uterine fibroids removed and my tubal ligation reversed, I had horrible horrible cramps and pain when I ovulated and had my period, both in the center of my uterus and on both sides where my tubes were tied, and I knew that my only relief came from doses of Advil about 1000-1200 mg. As I don't want to be a slave to different pain meds that you shouldn't mix, I stick with the Advil for both my RA pain and my period cramps (which are wayyyy better now that my fibroids have been removed the pain is no longer in my tubes).
I don't even buy anything but ibuprofen anymore because I know exactly how much I need and when, and how much I can take without having GERD.
Good luck. I know that this disease is very life-interrupting and only people who have it or have MS or lupus know just how much of an inconvenience it is.
2007-01-15 01:51:27 · answer #1 · answered by Teresa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Advil never really did help my RA, I've had RA for 10 years now. Aleve helped for a while (I was a mg dose of about 10 per day). My dr usually tells me I can supplement my Tolectin with 3-4 Motrin about 3 times a day. I also take something to coat my stomach to prevent ulcers
2007-01-18 16:56:58 · answer #2 · answered by Phlebotomist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't really as far as my situation goes. I do use it as a piggy back with my regular 900mg pain meds.
2007-01-15 01:41:38 · answer #3 · answered by redwidow 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋