Anti-inflammatory Drugs

[jamlws]

I have a question for those of you that can't take Anti-inflammatory drugs, my nerve dr wanted me to try them when I first started seeing him, it started with Nap and don't remember the rest and my knee is hurting so I don't want to get up lol  Anyway I tried to take them for 3 days and they KILLED my stomache. It hurt so bad after taking them I just prayed it would stop. Is this why some can't take them? on my first pain dr appt his asst asked me if I have tried them and I said yes and they did nothing for me but hurt my stomach. And I really don't understand why the nerve dr had me try them cause I have no swelling at all, and that is what the MRI showed. I just want to be prepared if they ask me to try them again cause I really really don't want to.
Also the other day I was trying to take a picture of myself for my facebook page and I got so depressed. I knew I had weakness on the right side of my face but when I notice it, it hurts me bad. When I smile only the left side of my face goes up my right side don't move, it is like looking at someone who had a stroke. I really bugs me cause this is my face and my smile and I hated to lose it. And I have no clue if muscle weakness will get better or not but I have been told it won't. I feel like I have a big scar on my face but I don't and everytime I smile I know how bad it looks so I try not to. Anyone know if I can get the movement back? My right eye lid hangs down more then my left one. It is just depressing when you have had a cute smile well as I been told and then your smile is gone.
Thanks for listening,
Jamie

[jamlws]

(((HUGS))) Thank you Sherry, you really know how to cheer me up and I am so thankful that I have found a friend like you and every one on here.
My Daugher just told me yesterday she has a boyfriend I said "OH NO YOU DON"T" she isn't dating until she is 35 and she can do that IF SHE IS LUCKY!! I will lock her butt up for good lol Austin isn't into girls yet so I am thankful for that lol
Jamie

[namnam46]

I just have to share something with you all. I hope that you don't mind Jamie.  :)

Jamie was sweet enough to send me a picture of herself and her BEAUTIFUL Daughter and TO DIE FOR CUTE Son and I mean Jamie is going to have real problems down the line with BOTH the girls chasing her Son and the boys at her Daughters doorstep!! Anyway, her great looking kids got their looks from JAMIE!!!! You are ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS girl!!!  Your daughter (I'm not using names as you haven't on here with the exception of your son when he was ill) looks EXACTLY like her mother. They could pass as sisters. So any picture that you take will be great. I loved the relaxed pose that you used in the one that you sent to me. I LOVE the artistic idea that that Dame had. That one would be a KNOCK-OUT!!!

I'm sorry just had to let you know that you are beautiful NO MATTER WHAT!!!

(((HUGS!!)))....Sherry

[jamlws]

Thanks for adding to your post sherry. When i said you been there alot I mean you have been thru alot and so glad your here to tell it. I hope you have a great holiday weekend and you was able to go back to sleep.
Jamie

[namnam46]

I just realized that in my original post on here I never mentioned why I don't take the NSAID's.  Before I got my Social Security Disability I didn't have ANY insurance and so I couldn't go to the Dr. Therefore, I took DAILY 10 to 12 Ibuprofen or Aspirin at a time and I took that amount 4 or 5 times a day. I did this for YEARS!!! I'm so very fortunate that I didn't get Liver damage!!! But because of the damage that I did I have to take BOTH NEXIUM and PROTONIX everyday. So be careful so that you don't tear up your stomach.:(
I don't know if it's because of that or not but the NSAID's tear up my stomach also. Therefore, I stay away from most of them! I do take one of them and that is Celebrex. I take 200mg twice a day which is a LOT of this particular med as this type of med can cause heart problems (which I already have) but my PCP and my Cardiologist think that with the severity of my Arthritis that I need that amount. I also have to take one baby aspirin a day and Plavix for my heart. I have 2 stents and have had a heart attack AFTER the angioplasty procedure. (I had 3 of the 4 possible side effects of the angioplasty.) I had a blood clot and that caused a heart attack and the next morning in ICU, I hemorrhaged (blood pressure dropped to 50/30).

Didn't mean to get so far off subject.  :) Sorry guys I guess I'm just to tired. Been up since 5:30 am when my "sweet" Granddaughter woke up. (Not so "sweet" when I get awakened THAT early and she's NOT going to school.)  :) I'm getting ready to turn off the light and get to sleep BEFORE she wanders in and thinks that it's time to play.

Good Nite All!  Have a safe Holiday every one!!!...Sherry

[jamlws]

It has been a very long road for me. This all started by a dentist in Dec of 08 and then another dentist screwed me up even more then he got picked up for DUI and a surgeon finished me out, so I have been thru alot but I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me. I did not cause this problem and the dentists should be sorry for this. That is what I told the pain dr on my first visit that I didn't cause this and I know it can't be fix but I want to find someone to treat it and he said he would. With this pain dr I had to go to a shrink to be cleared by them BEFORE they start treating you with any meds. I guess they want to make sure your not taking more pills then you should or taking others pills and so on. I did good at that appt. The pain dr I am going to see is going on vacation for 6 weeks and he is booked for about 3 more weeks after that so I have no clue when I will see him next.
I am sorry your PMP hurt you, I hope it gets better and I can't even think how it would feel to not be able to lift my arm. I know I have damage with the nerve in my face and when I smile it don't go up but I can still try it isn't like a arm like you. I do hope your feeling better tomorrow. How long have you been on the tramadol? My father in law has been on it for a year or more and I just don't think it is working for him anymore. He is diabtic so he has nerve pain in his feet and hands and he has back pain. I keep asking him to ask his dr for something stronger that will help him out with the pain more but he always forgets, he is one of those that will say something to you and then 2 mins later say the same thing again, but I love him so I just act like he said it only once even on the 5th time I have heard it lol
Have a good night and I hope you are able to get some sleep.
Jamie

[designgyrl]

Jamie

Yeah, I'm glad that you are switching doctors to try to get some of your pain under control.  I just find it so sad when doctors make people suffer, I just don't feel it isn't right.  The tramadol works ok for me, but I also use it with the vicodin, so I think it's a combination of them both. I'm not sure if I just used tramadol that it would totally take away everything that I'm feeling.  I waited for three weeks to see my pm doctor today, and it seemed like an eternity until I could actually be seen.  It was frustrating, and then I didn't have the best of times today.  The doctor actually hurt me today, he said something about swelling was pretty bad in my neck, which caused the epidural to be painful.  But at least I can now lift up my right arm. Anyone else with disc problems have troubles with their arms and hands.  It's horrible.  

Jamie, I'm excited for you to see a new doctor.  I truly hope he or she will get you some medication to help you cope with the pain that your going through.  I can't wait to hear how it went after Tuesday.  And I'll definitely let everyone know about the psychiatrist that I decided to see on Tuesday, too.  I figured it couldn't hurt!

[jamlws]

Thank you girls. It really kills my stomach, tylenol seems to be the only thing that dont kill my stomach, even advil and motrin kill my stomach and causes ulcers but my vicodin don't hurt my stomach which I find odd but it don't.
I am allergic to pepcid but I have been taking like tums but nothing, they even give me acid reflux bad and those attacks hurt SO BAD. I will see the pain dr on Tuesday and like he name off some meds. I know my vicodin don't help alot but it does help enough for me to eat and talk and that is all I want til I see the pain dr.
Sunshine
I don't see that nerve dr anymore, he won't treat me cause he says I'm going to have to be on long term pain meds. I have tried tramadol and it don't help, my father in law is also on it for nerve pain and it don't help him at all either, he is going to be asking his dr for something stronger too. I will see a new pain dr on Tuesday and it has been a long wait but it seems longer when you are in pain all the time.
Thanks guys,
Jamie

[sandee1818]

I can't take anti inflammatories either and my PM doctor gave me Voltaren Gel to use and it helps alot. Ask your doctor about it:)
You are a beautiful person inside and out and your smile is wonderful I am sure!
Ask about therapy to help the muscles repair faster.

[designgyrl]

Hi Jamie,

Did you try to take tramadol.  Im not sure exactly what it is, but I take it with vicodin and it seems to work pretty well.  I think if you have a doctor that is trying to give you naprosyn, it may be easy if you request to try tramadol.  You could state to the doctor that you've been on naprosyn and anti-inflammatories and they upset your stomach and you can't function on them.  Tramadol is not an anti-inflammatory, but a pain med.  I think it is a pretty good discussion about just what is tramadol, but it does work pretty well.  I would think your doctor wouldn't have too many problems, at least, getting you on that to at least try.  I know you are nervous to ask for pain medication, but your doctor does not know how bad you feel unless you tell him.  

Are you seeing anyone else besides the nerve doctor?  Maybe he only prescribes over the counter stuff?  Do you have a primary care doctor or a pain doctor?  That would be my next visit if you are not receiving any type of relief from your nerve doctor.

Hang in there!!!

Sunshine

[geminigirl1963]

I'm sorry I don't have any ideas on how to get your smile back.  Nerves do sometimes regenerate, however, it is a VERY SLOW process.

As far as the anti inflammatories - I can't take any of them.  I've tried several, from over the counter to prescription and they all give me HORRIBLE stomach pains (whether I take them with food or not or with stomach meds or not) (I also discoverd the hard way that I'm allergic to naproxen - the active ingredient in Aleve) They also make me very nauseas and have caused vomiting.  One of the main reasons also that I can't take them is that they can cause your blood pressure to increase, which is what the last one I tried did (Celebrex).  I don't normally have trouble with my blood pressure (other than white coat hypertension when I go to teh doctor's!), but that one raised my blood pressure so high (178/102) that the docs were very concerned that I might have a stroke.  The immediately took me off of it and told me to NEVER take an antiiinflammatory med again - they all can do this, even if you've not had a problem in the past.

Have you ever tried experimenting with them to see if it makes a difference whether you take them on a full or an empty stomach or with or without some type of stomach med such as tums or Maalox?  For some people, this may help - for me it doesn't make a hill of beans.

Best of luck!

[dame_wilbur]

First off, I think the medication you too was probably Naproxon (sp?). I was on it for a while, but that was so many years ago that I don't remember if I had stomach problems with it.

Secondly, I'm *very* sorry that you feel that you've lost your beautiful smile. I don't know what to do about it except as if you've seen a neurologist about it. As for the picture, what I do, as I have a lot of scarring on one side of my face, is to take the picture as a semi-profile picture, showing only my good side. It looks 'artistic' and hides what I don't want people to see.

Good luck, and know that you are beautiful no matter what,

~Dame

[namnam46]

My dear Jamie,

You would look beautiful no matter what!! You could always take a serious photo of yourself since it bothers you so much for your Facebook page.

I wish I had an answer to your question about your nerve loss but I don't. I'm hoping and praying that you will regain those nerves and be able to smile your ENTIRE beautiful smile!!!

About the anti-inflammatory drugs, be sure to emphasize to your Dr. (on Thursday :)  ) how much they upset your stomach and that you've tried them many times and don't want to go thru that again. Let him know, nicely, how much they truly bothered your stomach!! Also, be sure to point out that you don't have any swelling on the MRI and hopefully, he will listen.

Good luck my dear and don't be afraid to smile!!....Sherry

[Sarajmt]

Hi Jame:  I am so sorry .  Of course you have a beautiful smile.  Is there anything such as physical therapy or medications that will help this?  Don't get depressed.  There just has to be an answer.

As far as the anti inflammatory drugs, because of an ulcer I couldn't take them.  Now I use one called Atthrotec that is for those of us whose stomachs can't take them.  You might ask about it but I have no idea if you would help you.  Your doctor would have the answer for that.

Good luck sweetie,
Sara