Before going to physical therapy to fix my frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) about 15 years ago when we lived in Chicago, my therapist told me to take Motrin (4 tablets). That's double the recommended dose, but my therapist said I'd be fine and to take it with food. He said therapy was going to be painful and I needed to take the pain meds.
Since that time I've always taken Motrin for all my shoulder and/or back pain (WITH FOOD). I'm careful because I have a friend and a relative with painful ulcers due to taking pain meds without food.
One of my friends told me that she needs Aleve because Motrin doesn't really help. That got me thinking. I know Motrin is an ibuprofen. Was Aleve the same? What about Advil? So of course, I did a little research.
Motrin and Advil are ibuprofens. Aleve is a naproxen. They are both NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti- Inflammatory Drugs),
I got the following information from Drugs.com.
Ibuprofen is short acting, while naproxen is long acting and more likely to cause stomach upset.
Ibuprofen acts more quickly but lasts between 4-6 hours so the meds have to be taken more often. Naproxen has to be taken just twice daily.
However... there's always a however... If you take too high a dose of ibuprofen you run the risk of a cardiovascular problem. For somebody with a heart problem even a low dose could possibly be a problem so it should be taken after consulting your doctor. Naproxen doesn't appear to present that problem.
In summary:
Since that time I've always taken Motrin for all my shoulder and/or back pain (WITH FOOD). I'm careful because I have a friend and a relative with painful ulcers due to taking pain meds without food.
One of my friends told me that she needs Aleve because Motrin doesn't really help. That got me thinking. I know Motrin is an ibuprofen. Was Aleve the same? What about Advil? So of course, I did a little research.
I got the following information from Drugs.com.
Ibuprofen is short acting, while naproxen is long acting and more likely to cause stomach upset.
Ibuprofen acts more quickly but lasts between 4-6 hours so the meds have to be taken more often. Naproxen has to be taken just twice daily.
However... there's always a however... If you take too high a dose of ibuprofen you run the risk of a cardiovascular problem. For somebody with a heart problem even a low dose could possibly be a problem so it should be taken after consulting your doctor. Naproxen doesn't appear to present that problem.
In summary:
"In summary, naproxen (in dosages up to 1000mg/day) or low-dose ibuprofen (in dosages up to 1200mg/day) are preferred if NSAIDs are deemed necessary in adults. At these dosages, risk of cardiovascular events in people with no pre-existing risk factors is low, although risk of GI side-effects may be higher with naproxen."So there you have it. I guess I'll just stick to Motrin like I did when I walked during the Great Aloha Run. I just took a tablet at the start and middle of the race with cookies which worked perfectly. And no, it was not an excuse to eat more cookies.
Years ago I had a lower back problem that finally went away with exercise...lazy fat me. Anyway, Aleve was the only thing that worked. I alsway take medicine with food and lots of water unless it is contraindicted.
ReplyDeleteVery good research and information Kay. I take tylenol for pain relief as it is recommended for people with high blood pressure. Acetamenophen.
ReplyDeleteI can't take Naproxen as it is very hard on my stomach. I had to go all of the way to Celebrex.
ReplyDeleteKay, as you know I deal with chronic TMJD (which developed from a sustained intubation in Dec 2018 during a kidney operation). For months I attempted to tough it out (I hate taking meds) but eventually it got so bad this past October, went to the doctor and was put on 1000mg Naproxen. But after just a couple weeks, at my next doctor's visit, I had another doctor who said "Douglas, please stop taking the Naproxen immediately." When I asked why (as it seemed to be helping), he said "Because it is wrecking your kidney and causing your blood pressure to shoot thru the roof. Taking it longer than 2 weeks risks irreperabl harm." I stopped taking it immediately, but I miss it still.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much research to be done.
ReplyDeleteIt is a little confusing...
ReplyDeleteI wish I had had a doctor like ApacheDug. I was unable to get my operations on my bad knees because I was caring for my husband with Alzheimer’s. I took naproxen every morning for at least 5 years. This past January I could not breathe and my heart was beating too fast. I was diagnosed with AFIB and acute heart failure, had several tests, MRI, echo, etc., done and the results were that this was most likely due to my long use of aaproxen. Now I have to take Eliquis twice a day, my insurance does not cover it, it is $475 a month. They say I have to take it for the rest of my life, then I still have the acute heart failure since I could not go back to my cardiologist due to the virus for a follow-up. I wish I have never taken naproxen, that’s for sure (also my kidneys numbers are way up.)
ReplyDeleteVagabonde, that's awful.. I sure am sorry to read this. I honestly believe it's almost luck in many cases. My first doctor had no problem giving me prescription strength naproxen with directions to take twice daily, with 3 refills. I had enough for at least a year, easy. It was only because she got pulled away at my next appt and I got another doctor, who looked at my charts, asked if I was still taking the naproxen and said "Let's do an EEG and some urine tests, I don't like this" (even when I said I was feeling okay). He said for OCCASIONAL use, it's fine. Anything longer than 2 weeks is dangerous.
DeleteI hear that taking Ibuprofen makes one more susceptible to the Coronavirus. But I am not a doctor so pls check with your doctor under the current circumstances. I have been reading your blog for a long time, so much so that I feel that you are my friend. Hence I thought I would dare to write this to you.
ReplyDeleteHello Asha,
DeleteIt's so very nice to meet you. I sure hope Ibuprofen doesn't makes you more susceptible to the Corona virus. I haven't heard anything like that. I really appreciate you writing and hope to hear from you again.
There was, at the beginning of the pandemic, that rumor going around about ibuprofen. It has been debunked by the medical field.
DeleteAleve does an excellent job of wiping out severe pain, but it leaves me feeling icky. I've tried it a number of times, and each time, the after effect was not worth it. I LOVE Migraine Excedrin. It has aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. I only take one at a time, usually twice a day if needed. Works wonders.
ReplyDeleteUse to take the NSAIDs but when I had heart disease, I was told to only take Tylenol which does the job with less stress on my heart. But like all pain relievers, even Tylenol needs to be taken in moderation. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI stopped taking NSAIDs a few years ago, after some uncomfortable side effects of ibuprofen. My boss ended up with awful gastrointestinal effects of Aleve. They all scare me now, but if I must take something, it's a one- or two-time dose of ibuprofen. It's only when I take it a lot that I get those side effects. Interesting discussion!
ReplyDeleteI have the book on tape by Dr. Stephen Gundry - The Plant Paradox. He was a former heart surgeon but changed his focus on diet and most specifically on avoiding plant proteins called lectins (of which gluten is part of). His book is quite radical in the sense that it blasts gluten free diets as not enough and sometimes more harmful to the dieter. He also blasts NSAIDs as the gateway drug to poor health.
ReplyDeleteYou really do your research . Better to be safe than sorry.
ReplyDeleteI use both, and don't really bother to take it with food. I have used Ibuprophen for years, and still do for headaches. It works in about 20 minutes. I take naproxen every morning and night for my arthritis and back pain.
ReplyDeleteI just got around to throwing out a bottle of Tylenol PM that Mike used (so it was 7 years old -- stay at home has some upsides in the cleaning out department). I am fortunate in not needing pain killers, at least for right now.
ReplyDelete