dicofenac

sallyann14

Hi all
I hope everyone had a good Christmas and are enjoying the New Year...
Now, is there anyone out there who might be able to help me out.
I have OA in my hips, knees and lower spine, I have been on dicofenac - i never have been good at spelling, so please bear with me - since 2009, only in the last year they have also prescribed Omprasole to protect my stomach, why that took so long to prescribe i dont know. Well in July I had my 4th THR and whilst in hospital the nurses saw fit to take me off of dico, as they didn't agree with it....this is a long one so stick with me here !!! ...... anyway, because of the constant pain, I don't need to tell any of you what I mean there as we are all in THAT boat, my dr put me on Co-Dydramol,as he agreed with the hospital that dico could infact damage the heart..nice !!, well after being on Co-Dy for a few weeks i became bunged up....below.... so i have now stopped these, but i am in agony, almost to tears, daily, the drs have said that the only other tablet that could possibly work is morphine, but a friend of mine is on them and to be honest, i dont want to be zombied like him, he sounds and looks drunk after taking them, his eyes are wobbling, slurred speech and diagonal walking. Is there anything that any of you are taking, either from the drs or herbally, that works.... any info that i could use i would be greatful of....thank you.xxxx Sally.

hileena111

Hi Sally
You know we are not medically qualified but here goes.
I {like a lot of other people} was on diclofenic but was taken of it for the same reasons as you. MY GP said all anti inflamms. weren't brilliant for the heart but diclofenic was the worse one.
She put me on Naproxen and although I don't feel it helps as much it's not bad.
I was on Morphine for a while when I fractured my pelvis and SI joint.....It was excellent for the time I was on it....really needed it but the GP had me monitored and kept decreasing them so no I wouldn't like to be on them permanently
Oh yes I have OA in hips, ankle neck and lower spine....also got kypho scoliosis and spinal stenosis. I'm due my 2nd THR in a couple of weeks time.
So all I can suggest {just my opinion} is Naproxen
Hope you find something

Love
hileena

hileena111

Sorry forgot to mention .....the GP I was originally with didn't have me on omneprosol either until I asked him about it {after being told on this forum about it} His attitude was....OK...if you want it......and he prescribed it :?
Needless to say I'm no longer with that GP

Love
Hileena

Tubby

I was on diclofenac and for the same reasons as you, the GP took me off it despite it suiting me very well. They put me on naproxen which didn't suit me at all (made me feel sick, digestive problems etc. I went back to the GP and he has put me back on diclofenac. He said that all this type of drug had similar problems it was just that they had more research data on diclofenac than on the others, hence the warnings. However, the risks were only small compared with the benefits. I am now back on diclofenac and much better for it. You have to make your own choices but none of these drugs are very nice - lesser of evils come to mind. Good luck.

madwestie

Sally, I take remedene similar to co- dydramol. In the early days I used to get problems and the dr prescribed a powder that dissolves in water to rehydrate your stools which helped a lot I have been taking the remedene for year snow and into longer have any trouble with them. I can't take diclofenac as they make me sick. Oramorph can have the same effect as the co-dydramol. I hope you get this sorted out soon.

ritwren

Sorry to hear you're in so much pain. I tried Diclofenic years ago but it did nothing for me and went onto naproxin. It upset my tummy a lot despite being on Lanzoprasole and I'm now on Celebrex but it was a letter from my Consultant at the hospital to my GP that got him to prescribe it. I still take the lanzoprasole to protect my tummy and only take the Celebrex when I'm very very sore, then I take it for a week or two.

The other thing I take is slow release Tramadol. It's a step up from co codamol or co dydramol and because it's slow release the side effects are less than if it was just an ordinary capsule.

There are also patches called Butrans that I was prescribed on the advice of the pain clinic when I attended. They're very good and you can start on quite a low dose and build up so the side effects are minimised. Unfortunately I had to stop using them as my skin became allergic.

The important thing is you do have options. You don't have to settle for inadequate pain dullers. I would advise you to google these medications and go back to your GP and explain to him/her that what you are currently taking are'nt helping enough and perhaps he could try something different.

As to alternatives, I have a TENS machine which I bought and it did help with lower back pain and neck pain until my fibro prevented me from using it. Also I've had several sessions of acupuncture which if done by the right person can really help with pain relief.

I do hope you find some help soon. Do let us know how you get on.

dachshund

Hello Sally
i'm on lansoprazole and diclofenic I was took of it but I was told it was the only one I could have as I have a problem swallowing tabs i'm on co-codamol and oramorph liquid.
I was told I did not have a problem with my heart so diclofenic would be alright. good luck
joan xx

stickywicket

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory and co-dydramol is a painkiller. Naproxen would be a substitute for diclofenac but any substitute for co-dydramol would probably cause the same constipation.

The solution is to take something to keep your bowels loose and on the move. I normally eat a lot of fruit, veg, wholemeal bread, wholefood cereals etc and drink gallons of tea each day but, If I'm taking more pain relief than usual, I ensure I eat a few figs every day, too. That usually does the trick but there are things the doc can prescribe to keep you on the move if necessary.

barbara12

Hello Sally
The diclos were taken off a lot of people and replaced with naproxen..not that its much safer...I think there are a couple others but are a couple others that are more expensive so not perscibed the same.
I would go back to your GPs and ask what is available...I hope you can get some relief very soon..x

sallyann14

Thank you all so much for your help and your answers, there is certainly a lot of information on here for me to chew over, you are a wonderful lot, you really are. xxxxxxxx

ruby2

My husband was prescribed naproxen last year despite a history of a bleeding stomach.
All I can say is we are lucky he is still with us..!!!!.rather than bung the digestive system up it causes the reverse thins the lining of the stomach and to those vulnerable stomachs can be extremely troublesome.
I take double dose diclo and have the stomach protectors. My lungs and heart were checked last year and passed with flying colours.
Know your own strengths and vulnerable areas and discuss them thoroughly with those prescribing.

fortuna

I was on diclophenac when it was first suggested that I had RA. It worked wonderfully well, with stomach liners, and the gel was great for painful fingers. Within 3 weeks I was taken off because I have 3rd stage kidney disease due to having Type 1 Diabetes for over 30 years.
So now it seems Diclophenac is bad for the heart, the kidneys and the stomach!
So who can take it? They tried 2 different low morphine tablets and then naproxen. Suggested Tramadol but I know that sends me into Zombie land. None of them had the desired effect so now I take Cocodamol and Ibuprofen and of course a laxative. Not wonderful but they do help.
fortuna

Kitty

I used to take Diclofenac several years ago, I took it very successfully for 13 years, alongside Salazopyrin, Indomethacin (a slow release tablet to take at bedtime) and Cimetidine to protect my stomach. I was also going through the menopause at the time, with very irregular and heavy periods. Even though I was taking Ferrous Sulphate, my Hb was very low. They didn't know if I was having an internal bleeding or not, so they took me off them. But until then I'd had no problems in all the 13 years of taking them.

grandadpaul

This is the best drug i have taken.
My doctor is not happy at all and has tried to get me off them, but nothing else works as well.
At my worst flare ups i was on 7 x 5mg per day.
Yes bad i know, but when sometimes it takes months to get to see your Arthritis consultant what do you do?
Bills need paying etc.
I also take Lansoprazole 15mg to help with the stomach lining dicofenac can cause problems with.

Dammed if you take them. At home unable to walk, waiting on a list for months if you dont!

Rallymad

Hi, any drugs have side effects but if you are monitored then you should be fine. I am on diclofenac have omeprazole too. I have a chance of developing a heart condition also so am lucky I am well monitored. For the problems with your bowels ask your doc for movicol, powder put into water, do not take lactulose as you need to drink a vast amount of fluids for this to work! Hope this helps, like others have said not medically trained but information is good.