Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
When I flare, before I got into a pain management doctor, I would have to take 4 Tylenol and 4 Advil with bfast, lunch, and dinner, 24 pills a day literally to just make it. After 3-4 days or so I would get these weird symptoms.
Upper back muscle burning from the bottom of my ribs into my shoulder blade area. It feels like muscle fatigue and burning....like I need a good long massage. The burning muscles makes it difficult to stand or sit up. It gives a fatigue feeling. It's pretty uncomfortable.
Then after a couple more days I'd wake in the morning with burning gnawing pain from my stomach straight through to my back. It was very painful and I still had the overall burn in my upper back muscles.
I assume I was irritating my stomach and beginning to develop an ulcer maybe? It goes away after I quit ibuprofen.
But what is this back discomfort before the stomach burn??
I ask because I've recently began taking Advil, ibuprofen, again. Only take two pills twice a day. Well it's been about a week or so at only 4 ibuprofen a day and my back is starting the burn again! It occurs about an hour after I take it and fades away over a few hours so I know it is the ibuprofen doing it. If I stop, it goes away.
What is it doing to my back? Maybe stomach irritation with referred pain to the back? My symptom begins and is currently all in my back, shoulder blades to ribs. Burning muscle fatigue. Quit ibuprofen, it goes away.
What is it????
Google didn't tell me anything. Thx!
Upper back muscle burning from the bottom of my ribs into my shoulder blade area. It feels like muscle fatigue and burning....like I need a good long massage. The burning muscles makes it difficult to stand or sit up. It gives a fatigue feeling. It's pretty uncomfortable.
Then after a couple more days I'd wake in the morning with burning gnawing pain from my stomach straight through to my back. It was very painful and I still had the overall burn in my upper back muscles.
I assume I was irritating my stomach and beginning to develop an ulcer maybe? It goes away after I quit ibuprofen.
But what is this back discomfort before the stomach burn??
I ask because I've recently began taking Advil, ibuprofen, again. Only take two pills twice a day. Well it's been about a week or so at only 4 ibuprofen a day and my back is starting the burn again! It occurs about an hour after I take it and fades away over a few hours so I know it is the ibuprofen doing it. If I stop, it goes away.
What is it doing to my back? Maybe stomach irritation with referred pain to the back? My symptom begins and is currently all in my back, shoulder blades to ribs. Burning muscle fatigue. Quit ibuprofen, it goes away.
What is it????
Google didn't tell me anything. Thx!
I can see where it may irritate the rib area with Motrin causing stomach issues but the back?
Maybe it could be linked to some sort of spasm. I know esophagus spasm can be very painful. I'd ask the doctor.
I take prescription Motrin. It's bothering me some. Since it really does help with my pain with the spinal involvement I hate the thought if giving it up.
The OTC Motrin would never cut it for me.
I hope someone else has some input, but I'd let the doctor know either way.
Good luck,
Sammy
Take your list of meds to your pharmacist and ask him the same set of questions - they are up on all that stuff, understand chemical interaction, etc. and the info will give you some ideas on what to ask either your Doc or Rheumy
Be well
Bluedogs2
It starts an hour after I take it and fades 3 hrs later. Hoped I wasn't alone in this strangeness!
I have to agree with Pronto. It sounds an awful lot like you are describing a pre-ulcer (serious irritation) or a small ulcer in the making.
Please keep in mind that if you are dosing yourself with four Ibuprofen and four Tylenol at the same time, you are seriously over-medicating yourself. Plus, you are giving your stomach a workout taking a maximum dose of NSAIDS at the same time that you are giving your liver a workout taking more than the safe recommended dose of Acetaminophen at one time.
Two important factors here. First, you shouldn't take the maximum dose of any NSAID AND Tylenol. This is too much medication at once.
Secondly, Acetaminophen is the number one cause for liver failure. Taking four Tylenol at once is way above the recommended dosage; especially with an NSAID.
Please speak to your physician and get his/her recommendations for administering these medications. My understanding is that you are playing with fire if you are really taking these medications at these doses together. I may be wrong so I really suggest a call to your physician.
The new recommended maximum daily dose for Acetaminophen is three grams per day. 3,000mg is the equivalent of three grams.
I wish you only the best,
TheWino
I got into a pain mgt doc so I'm now covered on pain meds, and I'm currently not having flares.
I know how terrible all those meds were for my stomach and liver, but I was in a position I had no other option.
What's odd is I am no longer taking all that. I am only taking ibuprofen two at bfast, two in the afternoon, 4 a day total with no Tylenol, and I'm still having the back symptoms.
Thx for all the info.
Oh, thewino, I totally agree. I was over medicating myself. Want to here something funny? Called my idiot general practitioner to ask if he'd manage my pain. This was before I found a pain mgt doc. Told the nurse my condition, and told her how many meds I was taking.
She called back.
The doctor told her to tell me....wait for it...........
It is fine to take 12 Tylenol and 12 Advil a day to manage my flares, and I can also take 2 Aleve a day with all that!!!!!
He said it was fine to take it daily! I hate this guy. Had nothing but problems from him. I will most likely never see him again! I need a good general doc desperately.
Thx again all!
I feel ya on the desperation to find something, anything, to reduce the pain levels. I've walked in those shoes.
I'm happy to hear that you have the advice of a pain specialist. These guys know what they're doing.
Lastly, to be truthful, I would be really concerned about any primary MD who prescribed that amount of OTC medication daily. In my opinion, it borders on negligence.
The main point is that I am happy for you that you are in a better place!!!
Warm regards,
TheWino
this guy saw my husband once....and the visit was a train wreck. I dont know how he became a doc in the first place. I've seen him twice, husband once, and that's it for us! He's real young and I'd assume fresh out of school he'd have a brain full of info, but guess not.
I was floored he approved that kind of medication. Floored.
My pain doc is great and gave me options on treatment. That and being on arava and plaquenil I am not great yet, but I haven't had a flare since mid January so that's a plus!
My flares were a dark place. Prednisone wasn't pulling me out of them,though it helped. That and I was taking tons of otc pills a day, and sitting as still as possible to avoid the horrendous pain. It was honestly a dark place after a couple days...which dragged on a week and once two weeks.
Much better place today. Nowhere to go but up, right?!
Anyway just wanted to let you know you are not alone. It is a horrible place emotionally when you are in so much pain and you have no "real" pain meds - I totally get it.
Glad you have found relief and help. : )
I've been taking mobic twice a day-the Max dose- and the last few days my low back has been throbbing too. More on the left side than the right. I know the kidneys are in that general area. And the article someone posted on prednisone the other day said the adrenals sit on top of the kidneys. Tylenol & nsaids are hard on the stomach & liver but also the kidneys. Along with the other RA meds we take.
I've increased my water intake but I'm going to ask at my next appt. Ive been back on the prednisone for about 3wks too.
BTW my first rheumy was like your gp. Told me to take 6 of each along with Aleve if needed. He also told me RA didn't cause pain & would only rx prednisone. Mine wasn't a newbie he was pushing 70.
The stomach upset is obviously pretty common, as everyone in here has mentioned. My husband and I both have acid reflux, and we have noticed that the pain from that (especially when I take nsaids), can radiate all over our torso depending on how bad it is. Have you ever seen a Gastroenterologist?
Good Luck sunshine!
Emerald, no words. Wow. Good luck with finding yet a new rheumatologist.