What painkillers are safe to take?

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I'm currently on Mezavant and Azathriopine. I have really bad neck pain that I think is being caused by the Azathriopine.

I really want to take some painkillers so I can get some sleep tonight but not sure why ones will be safe to take with this medication. Could I take paracetamol or ibuprofen?

I know my consultant told me to stay away from one particular painkiller when I was on Pred.

Thanks xx
 
You can take paracetamol but not ibprophen. This isnt because of the medications, ibprophen and other NSAIDs arent recommended for people with IBD. This is because they encourage bleeding and ulceration in the digestive tract.

You can also take small amounts of codine, which is available from pharmacies in the UK mixed with paracetamol without a prescription as long as a pharmacist is present.
 
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I'm so grateful to you both, I was beside myself at the thought of another night being in this pain. Actually feel like I've been hit by a bus, consultant did not warn me this was a possible consequence of Azathriopine :(

It's amazing how little I know for actually having an IBD, I assumed that I been told not to take ibuprofen because it might react to other meds! Thanks for the info Valleysangel.
 
Yes, unfortunately azathioprine can make you feel awful to begin with, my consultant told me I'd feel like I had a flu but it should pass. It did but unfortunately I reacted badly to it so now I'm trying the sister drug 6mp.

Heat gels and pads are my best buddies when my joints are giving me problems. You can get stick on heat pads from most chemists and stores like boots, they work by giving gentle heat for anywhere from 8-12 hours. They're great because you just stick them on your skin under your clothes and then you can move around freely and no one can tell it's there. You do need to get the proper branded ones like curaheat or deep heat etc not the cheap ones though, I say this because I made the mistake of getting store brand ones in the past and it burnt me, and when I realised it was burning and tried to take it off it peeled off some of my skin with it. So it's worth paying a little extra for the good ones. Also some you can sleep with, some you can't so check the individual packages. You can also get wheat packs which you put in the microwave, my partner got me one from his local pharmacy and I loved it do much I asked for another.
 
How long did the feeling awful last for Valleysangel? I've been on it only 4 weeks so far.

I can't believe they're allowed to sell crappy products that don't work and can burn people! Thanks for the advice, I'm going to get some heat pads and the wheat packs sound good too :)
 
Well for me it only lasted 2 weeks, but I think I was lucky, but then after another week I had to come off it. One tip my nurse gave me was to take it at bed time so you hopefully sleep off the worst of the side effects.

We were really shocked and put in a complaint about it, it's not like I have sensitive skin either, but it literally ripped my skin off.

I hope they work for you. You can get scented wheat packs to help you relax too but I don't know if they're much good
 
Thanks, I'll need to try taking them later. I'm on three pills and actually been spreading them out throughout the day! Should I take them all at once? This board is far more informative than my consultant!! Do you mind me asking why you had to come off?

Quite right putting a complaint in. Bloody ridiculous.

Thank you :) Hopefully the effects will wear off soon.
 
Yes they should be taken as one dose hun, I think some doctors forget we don't have medical degrees ;) . My current team are brilliant but I've had some that have the communication skills of a teaspoon.

I got horrible stomach pains that were nothing like my crohns pain. It was across the top of my stomach and felt like something was ripping it's way through. So I called my nurse and she said skip one dose and then try half dose the next day, the pain got a little better but was still there so she took me off it as there was no way I could be left like that and they symptoms I had were indicating pancreatitis which is one of the things they watch for with Aza. Please don't let that worry you though! There are loads of people who take Aza without anything like that happening, I was just unfortunate. If it did happen it's reversible by stopping them.

They should wear off, if it gets unbearable make sure you speak to your consultant.
 
Thank you again, one dose it is! Why would they not tell me these things, I didn't think to even ask because it's almost like 'what can I do to get you out of my office as quickly as possible'. And then foist some new pills on me and say, see you in a few months. These drugs are a necessary evil with the emphasis on evil. I've had some pains across top of stomach and it feels like strong heartburn, just in the wrong place. I'm on weekly blood checks so hopefully they'll catch any signs before anything does awry.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and helping me out. The paracetamol are helping ease out my pain slightly and I'm not as terrified as I was earlier on. Xx
 
Yeah my old consultant was very much like that so I understand. Keep an eye on that pain, if it gets really severe then call your doctor just to be sure.

You're very welcome, I'm glad things are a little better xx
 
If you have neck pain, be sure that you get bloods drawn soon as Azathriopine can have an impact on liver function. Any irritation of the diaphragm or surrounding tissues - which can result from various billary/hepatic/pancreatic conditions - can cause referred pain in the neck/shoulder. This happens because the diaphragm develops in the unborn at the neurological level of the shoulder, and later drops to its normal anatomical position with the development of the lungs.

I note you are on weekly bloods at the moment, so hopefully any difficulty will be caught quickly. To avoid the possibility of the results sitting unread in the inbox, I would recommend getting the results [and the references ranges] yourself and query any out of range values with your consultant, and your family doctor. With regards to references ranges, it is important to be aware that some values have to be several times the upper range before they are of any significance. Others need only be mildly out of range to require some intervention. So, don't be concerned by out of range values, just make sure they are medically reviewed.
 

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