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View Full Version : Is Ibuprofen safe to take?



janNaz
11-04-2010, 08:10 AM
I was wondering whether it is safe to take ibuprofen for headaches considering all the different types of meds we are on. I currently take 20 mg mtx, 17.5 mg pred, dapsone, folic acid, and other typical vitamin supplements. I thought I read somewhere that ibuprofen should be avoided, but my rheumy gave me approval to take because I'm on a low dosage of mtx. I've been having headaches these past few days and a bit of a scratchy, dry thoat. The ache is on the back of my head above the neck, on the right side, and also above my right eyebrow. I went in for labs the other day, and rheumy said they look good (haven't gotten the numbers from her yet) as far as inflammation, and ENT doc checked nose, ears and throat and determined no infection, all look normal. Well, I don't feel "normal"! ENT doc said it might be a migraine, which I used to have up until about 6 years ago. I'm a bit hesitant to believe them and concerned it might be a sign of a flare. I'm unsure because headaches like the ones I'm having now were not part of my initial symptoms, although I am aware that symptoms can change.

elephant
11-04-2010, 08:13 AM
How long have you been on MTX? They can cause headaches. Had a neighbor run to the ER and had a huge massive headache and come to find out it was the MTX. Are you feeling tired? Joint pain? stuffy?

talentx7
11-04-2010, 11:54 AM
my drs. said no Ibuprofen for Carter, but I think its because of his kidneys, but tylenol is ok to take.

Sangye
11-04-2010, 02:09 PM
JanNAz, go to this page (http://www.triggerpoints.net/) and click on "Head and Neck" then see if if any of the links at the bottom match the pain you're having. The home page tells you how to interpret the symbols.

Jack
11-04-2010, 08:20 PM
If you have any kidney involvement you should not take Ibuprofen. The renal clinic I go to has notices pinned up telling you this so they obviously think it is important.

Sangye
11-04-2010, 11:41 PM
You should not take ibuprofen while on pred. Both are extremely hard on the gut. Ibuprofen often causes silent damage.

elephant
11-05-2010, 02:45 AM
It also cause abominal bleeding too, especially with prednisone. Like Jack stated, ibuprofen is hard on the kidney too.

janNaz
11-05-2010, 02:24 PM
Thanks all...very much appreciate the advice. I talked to my primary care doc earlier today and, like all of your comments, mentioned how ibuprofen can affect the kidneys and gut. She highly recommended that I take tylenol instead. She prescribed Loratidine for 7 days for my current symptoms. If it doesn't help, she agrees with my ENT doc that it might be migraines.

Elephant, I've been on mtx for about 2 mos now: started at 15mg Sept 5th and increased to 20mg on Oct 6th. I've not had any problems with it thus far, other than the recent daily headaches which have been interfering with my daily routine. I haven't had any joint pain (knock on wood!) and no tiredness. Although this morning I woke up with a cough and could taste some icky stuff but can't bring myself to cough anything up. Maybe I'm coming down with a slight cold? So hard to tell; so afraid of a flare. This disease really stinks!!

Sangye, I'll definitely review the links you provided.

Thanks again all. Have a good night and take care!

Jack
11-05-2010, 08:37 PM
Tylenol is just Paracetamol under a different name and should be taken continuously in order to allow levels to build up in the body. However, it never seems to have much effect on me so I switched to Tramadol which I find a bit better.

elephant
11-05-2010, 09:51 PM
Jannaz, it could be the increased dose of methotrexate that could be causing your headaches. Just keep a close eye on it and let your doctor know if it continues. You may just have a cold. So glad to hear that you have no joint pain, that is a good sign.

Sangye
11-05-2010, 11:48 PM
Tylenol is just Paracetamol under a different name and should be taken continuously in order to allow levels to build up in the body. .
Recent research has said not to take Tylenol on anything approaching a regular schedule, because it's very toxic to the liver. They've known about its liver toxicity for decades. Tylenol causes huge numbers of deaths because of this, and many survivors wind up needing liver transplants.

You need to get to the root of the headaches instead of just adding more drugs.

JanW
11-06-2010, 12:55 AM
Hmm, just thinking about the fact that you are taking mtx, the tylenol might not be the best add on because of the stress mtx puts on the liver. I'm on mtx and my rheumy always advises advil.

Jack
11-06-2010, 01:02 AM
I sort of remember you saying that once before. Good job I didn't persist with it as I didn't like the sound of the idea anyway, but the "constant use" idea is one that seems to be widespread. It was my renal nurse who told me about using Tramadol for long term treatment.

janNaz
11-06-2010, 05:47 PM
Eeeks!! Think I'll be heading to the drug store tomorrow for some Advil. Boy, I love you all...this forum is soo awesome! I'm finding that Tylenol isn't helping much anyway; dulls the pain somewhat but not enough. Jack, I tried Tramadol the morning the headaches started and I think it made me sick to my stomach..felt very nauseous, couldn't keep food down and was throwing up...so I'm a bit hesitant to try it again. I'm with you Sangye that I need to get to the root of the headaches instead of taking more drugs. What was the time frame for mtx to "kick in"...was it about 4-6 weeks? I've been on it for 2 mos now, maybe I'm now just experiencing one of its side effects? hmmm...I'm hoping it's just a slight cold. Thanks again everyone.

Jack
11-06-2010, 10:22 PM
I had a bad experience with Tramadol when I first tried it, but then discovered that it should be introduced very slowly if you are to avoid side effects. No one had mentioned this! I tried again using a slow release version of the drug using half dose for the first week and I tolerated this much better. In fact, I keep considering an increase in dose.

DEE
11-06-2010, 10:39 PM
Jack whats your daily doseage of tramadol your allowed just curious as i use slow realese too

elephant
11-06-2010, 11:07 PM
My sister is on methotrexate and she had severe headaches in the beginning and she still has them but not as intense. A friend of mine was on methotrexate for 4 weeks and had such severe headaches he ended up in the ER. The doctors ran a battery of test and concluded it was the methotrexate, so he stopped taking it....no headaches.

Jack
11-06-2010, 11:50 PM
I take 2 x 100mg / day, but you can also get 200mg and 300mg capsules. I was thinking of trying 200 in the morning and 100 at night.

DEE
11-07-2010, 12:37 AM
Thanks Jack i take 100 in morning and 100 at night the consult said i could take extra midafternoon as i dont take night ones till late
Elephant i agree with you about joint pain but when i spoke to consult on thurs he said they thought some of it was from preds withdrawl :confused1:
all i know whichever its painful
he said he was going to talk through pain management next time we meet
thanks guys :smile1:

elephant
11-07-2010, 04:32 AM
Dee, give it some time but listen to your gut too. Hang in there, glad to know you have a doctor who is keeping an eye out...just ask questions and be persisant.

Sangye
11-07-2010, 11:56 AM
Dee, another way to differentiate pred-withdrawal joint pain from Wegs is this: If you get joint pain after any exertion (eg, walking, opening a jar) it's Wegs. The pain is due to general inflammation. Pred-reduction won't do that.