Over the counter arthritis meds.............

[Dawg52]

Over the last few months my left wrist has been giving me some problems. Off and on but not constant although it has bothered me some every day this week. Not enough to keep me off the golf course but it does ache at times. My dad had arthritis most of his life and wound up on morphine towards the end of his life to help him endure the pain. I know I need to have my doc look at it at some point but just wondered what you guys are taking for minor arthritis pain? I've tried Advil, but it has not helped.

 

[poboy]

Might depend on the dosage, Rich can help on this. Advil is 200mg, the Rx strength was 800mg I believe. I do not have arthritis, but when I have occasional problems I take 4 advil twice a day. I imagine Kentucky basketball fans are taking something much stronger after today.

 

[Donzo]

I,ve heard good feedback concerning Advil at the 800mg dosage - are you taking any glucosomine/chondrotine supplements?
Also it is a good idea to be "pre-emptive" concerning pain management - take the Advil before going to the golf course/skiing etc.

 

[spideyrdpd]

I suggest a doctor visit

ibuprofen comes in 400 mg, 600mg and 800 mg via prescription
Do not exceed 2400 mg per day
make sure you talk it with food.
Many people go to the er with gi upset or ulcers from taking ibuprofen and other non steriodal medications. So you want to watch your usage.

 

[crazy connie]

In addition to the OTC stuff... I do some stretch exercise and a nice cozy heating pad on an ankle issue. Rarely does it keep me from doing what I want but it can be very annoying. Also, have you tried a wrist brace on it Dog?

 

[donheff]

Also it is a good idea to be "pre-emptive" concerning pain management - take the Advil before going to the golf course/skiing etc.

I regretting that I didn't do that before I went snowboarding yesterday. I had a hard time putting on my socks this morning

 

[W2R]

Over the last few months my left wrist has been giving me some problems. Off and on but not constant although it has bothered me some every day this week. Not enough to keep me off the golf course but it does ache at times. My dad had arthritis most of his life and wound up on morphine towards the end of his life to help him endure the pain. I know I need to have my doc look at it at some point but just wondered what you guys are taking for minor arthritis pain? I've tried Advil, but it has not helped.

Could it be carpal tunnel? I'd suggest making an appointment with your doctor to find out exactly what you're dealing with.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Alleve has worked better for me for creaky knees.

Something I saw about ibuprofen and naproxen sodium is that you get something like 80% of the benefit from the regular "on the box" dosage, then have to double that to get another 10-15%.

But i'm not a doctor, and dont even play one on tv.

 

[Dawg52]

In addition to the OTC stuff... I do some stretch exercise and a nice cozy heating pad on an ankle issue. Rarely does it keep me from doing what I want but it can be very annoying. Also, have you tried a wrist brace on it Dog?

Haven't tried a wrist brace yet. I'll show it to my doc next time I go in for blood work to get my cholesterol meds renewed. Funny, I played golf this morning and it was sore to begin with but later it didn't bother me at all. Maybe the beer had something to do with it.

 

[ronin]

My mother was just hospitalized yesterday for serious internal bleeding from ulcers as a result of long term use of indomethacin. The doctor is recommending 4g of Tylenol daily (1g every 6 hrs). He claims it is safe at that dosage and effective at pain relief.

 

[Nords]

Alleve has worked better for me for creaky knees.
Something I saw about ibuprofen and naproxen sodium is that you get something like 80% of the benefit from the regular "on the box" dosage, then have to double that to get another 10-15%.
But i'm not a doctor, and dont even play one on tv.

Ibuprofen for swelling, naproxen for pain. I don't think they can be taken at the same time, though.

I've been told that ibuprofen's not even considered effective for swelling until you get to an 800 mg dose, preferably after a meal and washed down with plenty of water.

Pre-emptive is the way to go-- at least an hour before golf, surfing, whatever.

My orthopedic surgeon says he has a list of over two dozen medications used for pain & swelling, in varying amounts & prescriptions & expenses. He says some of his patients do fine for months on ibuprofen and others will work through the list over a couple years before they find something that works.

 

[Sandy]

FWIW, my mother swears by Aleve.

 

[education]

I use Blue Emu cream that I buy at Walgreen's or Sam's Club and slather it on & rub it in. Within 20 minutes I'm virtually pain-free. I also recommend Celedrin that I buy from Sun Harvest stores in gel cap form. These two products are amazing.

The Professor

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Regarding ibuprofen and the like (NSAIDs), there is little to favor one over another besides personal preference. A few exceptions include indomethacin (very rough on the stomach, powerful, but other than in things like gout and a few other conditions, not a good choice), and the infamous celebrex-vioxx-heart attack incident.

400 to 600mg of ibuprofen is generally going to get you most of the relief you are likely to achieve, though individuals react differently. Careful to stay well hydrated as they can damage kidneys (especially already diseased or dehydrated kidneys). They also impair platelets for hours, and that is reversible, so if you have anything that bleeds when it shouldn't (e.g. digestive problems, recent wounds or surgery) check with your doctor before taking these.

Most studies of ibuprofen in otherwise healthy patients using it for short term ailments show no more side-effects than placebo; the one that does pop up a bit is gastritis. Chronic use is different and is best discussed with your doc. Ibuprofen is a pretty safe, pretty effective medication esp for short term use.

Did have a patient once who was deer hunting, sat in a tree for 6 hours and got achey. Started popping 800mg of ibuprofen 4 times a day for the next several days, main consumption was Wisconsin Water direct from the keg tap. The result was severe renal failure requiring dialysis for 2 months. He recovered. Now his liver, that's another story.

 

[Dawg52]

Regarding ibuprofen and the like (NSAIDs), there is little to favor one over another besides personal preference. A few exceptions include indomethacin (very rough on the stomach, powerful, but other than in things like gout and a few other conditions, not a good choice), and the infamous celebrex-vioxx-heart attack incident.

400 to 600mg of ibuprofen is generally going to get you most of the relief you are likely to achieve, though individuals react differently. Careful to stay well hydrated as they can damage kidneys (especially already diseased or dehydrated kidneys). They also impair platelets for hours, and that is reversible, so if you have anything that bleeds when it shouldn't (e.g. digestive problems, recent wounds or surgery) check with your doctor before taking these.

Most studies of ibuprofen in otherwise healthy patients using it for short term ailments show no more side-effects than placebo; the one that does pop up a bit is gastritis. Chronic use is different and is best discussed with your doc. Ibuprofen is a pretty safe, pretty effective medication esp for short term use.

Did have a patient once who was deer hunting, sat in a tree for 6 hours and got achey. Started popping 800mg of ibuprofen 4 times a day for the next several days, main consumption was Wisconsin Water direct from the keg tap. The result was severe renal failure requiring dialysis for 2 months. He recovered. Now his liver, that's another story.

Thanks Rich. I'll give ibuprofen a try. It's an off an on problem so I won't be using it all the time. Today for example, no pain what so ever.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[spideyrdpd]

use lowest effective dose for shortest possible duration

The 400mg dose should be fine for pain. The higher dosage is for arthritis/inflamation.

Rich makes a good point. You want to check with an md if your on a water pill.