Aleve or Advil (or Tylenol)

[skywalkerbeth]

Hello

I am a new owner (well, not exactly new, but it's flaring again recently) of sacro-iliac pain.

My regular doc said take Aleve and take it easy for at least a week. Heat at night, ice after exercise for 15 minutes, and do exercises for my back.

I was never an Aleve taker but ONE capsule (one) made me feel nauseous the rest of the day and maybe even a little the next day. Just a bad feeling in my tummy. A few times I thought I was going to throw up.

I used to pop Advil like it was candy (not strictly back issues, way back when I had undiagnosed Lyme disease for years and would have joint swelling and pain), until we figured it out and "cured" me.

What do you use? He said Aleve was good for this kind of pain. He didn't mention Advil or Motrin.

[alexis_the_tiny]

Beth, from what I know, Advil and Aleve are both NSAIDs. The difference, at least according to the friendly pharmacist, is that Aleve is really strong while Advil/Neurofen is a lower dose. He also suggested taking Aleve with antacids and on a full stomach because it can cause irritation to the stomach lining.

[indysteel]

Beth, from what I know, Advil and Aleve are both NSAIDs. The difference, at least according to the friendly pharmacist, is that Aleve is really strong while Advil/Neurofen is a lower dose. He also suggested taking Aleve with antacids and on a full stomach because it can cause irritation to the stomach lining.

Friendly or not, I'm not sure your pharmacist is correct. While both NSAIDs, Aleve and Advil use two different active ingredients--naproxin and ibuprofen, respectively. My understanding is that a standard OTC dose of Aleve controls pain longer than a standard OTC dose of Advil--at least according to Aleve's marketing. Each can irritate your stomach, as can aspirin, another NSAID. One should also be aware that NSAIDs can impact your kidneys. Especially if you're using it during exercise, it's important to up your fluid intake. Tylenol uses yet another active ingredient. In my experience, Tylenol makes a great fever reducer but is less effective when it comes to pain relief. In fact, I'm not even sure it's classified as an NSAID. If it's the only thing your stomach can tolerate, however, I suppose it's an option. Do not, however, use it with alcohol.

I've had a variety of aches and pains--including SI joint irritation over the last year. I have become FAR more relunctant to use NSAIDs to control the pain. The tendency with OTC drugs is to treat that as wholly benign. Unfortunately, they're not benign. I reach for the ice instead and religiously do the exercises my physical therapist gave me. I'm not saying you shouldn't use them, but use them as spraringly if you can. Take them with food if necessary, drink lots of water, and avoid alcohol.

[Dogmama]

I'd see a specialist & get some good exercises. NSAIDs are not without risks. I've taken meloxicam for 15 years (a prescribed NSAID) because I have arthritis in my hands, spine, etc. Now I have a constant ringing in my ears when things are very quiet. That's just one of the side effects that "they" don't tell you about.

[jessmarimba]

I use...nothing, usually. For the last year Tylenol has been the "recommended" pain reliever b/c the others can inhibit bone growth. Unfortunately, it doesn't really do much for pain. I take Excedrin for migraines when absolutely necessary and will occasionally take tylenol PM if I'm in too much pain to sleep, but there isn't a pill that really has helped my back pain (not even percocet).

For me, laying over a pilates ball on my stomach and then my back is the best thing I can do to let it relax and decompress. Once that feels good, I have a little while before it starts to bother me again. Obviously I'm having different issues than you are but I wonder if there is something similar that might help you, even temporarily.

[grey]

I'd see a good physical therapist. I used to have SI pain - couldn't even put a leg down sometimes. One visit to a good PT, he saw the problem, taught me some stretches & exercises, and no more SI pain May you be just as lucky.

BTW, Aleve is banned in Canada because it causes heart problems. My Dad was taking Aleve every day for his back pain. He started having heart issues he thought were unrelated - forgot to pack Aleve when they went to Nova Scotia, and was surprised not to find it on the shelves there, and a pharmacist explained why - it causes heart attacks. After some research online, they discovered this was true. His heart issues disappeared, we think forgetting to pack that bottle maybe saved his life.

[ny biker]

Tylenol/acetaminophen is not an NSAID. It does not reduce inflamation.

If the Aleve is making you sick, call your doctor and talk to him about it. There are other NSAIDs out there. He might say Ibuprofin is fine, or he might say something else is better.

All NSAIDs bother my stomach. I always have to take them with food.

There's also lots of information online about whatever drugs you might be taking. Drugs.com can be useful:

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/aleve-side-effects.html

And the NIH has all kinds of good information about drugs, vitamins, all kinds of stuff:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...s/a681029.html

[indysteel]

Physical therapists--good ones--are life savers. I went a year with some significant back and hip pain. I popped Advil when it got really bad with no real lasting relief. I finally went to my doc and got a PT referral. After one visit, I felt better. After a couple months worth of treatment, almost all of the pain went away and the mobility of that hip had improved greatly. Thanks to the exercises, I haven't had any problems for almost a year.

[surgtech1956]

I like Aleve, because I can take it in the morning and seems to last alot longer for me. I broke my ankle in December and still experience alot of swelling and the Aleve works better as an anti-inflammatory drug than Advil, at least for me.

[NbyNW]

I don't really think to reach for painkillers when my SI is acting up. I save the ibuprofen for when I have really bad PMS.

I find ice/heat to be plenty potent for reducing inflammation and improving blood flow. Stretching, ongoing core strengthening/maintenance, massage all help. Also being aware of any alignment problems and correcting them during exercise or regular activities, like walking (this is where a PT can really help). General good posture, especially when sitting.

There are also some good self-massage techniques for lower back/glutes, you can use anything from a cheapo inflated rubber toy ball to specialized balls by Yamuna or Franklin, or if you want to really target specific trigger points, a tennis ball or lacross ball.

I also went to an osteopath for about two years, following a major injury. Things would go out of whack pretty easily, and he would gently move them back in place. Started going every 3 weeks or so and gradually tapered off as I got stronger, and one day he said he thought I was doing well enough that I didn't need to go back in on a regular basis, and he was right!

At various stages with my injury recovery, I've found muscle relaxants can help. Some have awful side effects, so it may take a bit of trial and error to find out which would work for you and still enable you to function. If my pain is really severe, I take Tizanidine, which my Dr. originally prescribed for my TMJ pain, but hey, it works all over.

In a pinch, red wine does the trick, too. In moderation, of course.

[badger]

I get frequent headaches and hated taking OTC for them. I wanted to take "natural" remedies as much as possible, so I found white willow bark and a combination of guarana and feverfew to be quite effective in alleviating most of the headaches.

Just because they're herbal doesn't mean they're harmless, but they have not given me any side effects, even on an empty stomach. They do take longer to take all the pain away, but I've been very happy with the results.

Advil makes my GI hurt, even with food, and they don't do anything for my headaches.

[Dogmama]

I just read a research article that said 3 grams of fish oil daily decreased inflammation. It was in the Journal of Sport Science (I think) September edition.

[badger]

I just read a research article that said 3 grams of fish oil daily decreased inflammation. It was in the Journal of Sport Science (I think) September edition.

I started taking fish oil last month, and had a noticeably easier PMS last cycle. Maybe a coincidence, I'll find out in a couple of weeks if it has indeed made a difference.

[skywalkerbeth]

Hi everyone

Thank you everyone for the information. I have tried to keep it to a minimum this week but I am heating my back morning and night. Right now, as a matter of fact. I filled a tube sock with rice and nuked it. That works pretty well actually!

I can't find the paper with the exercises the doc gave me though, darn it.

Fish oil, huh? I wonder if that can be in a capsule to avoid the fishy flavor.

NbyNW, what happened? How did you get injured?

I don't think I'm going to use Aleve again, I really felt like crap. Advil didn't do that to me ever, and I was popping two every four hours years ago.

Jess, how big is a pilates ball? I need to get to the gym, maybe someone there can help me out.

[Dogmama]

Hi everyone

Thank you everyone for the information. I have tried to keep it to a minimum this week but I am heating my back morning and night. Right now, as a matter of fact. I filled a tube sock with rice and nuked it. That works pretty well actually!

I can't find the paper with the exercises the doc gave me though, darn it.

Fish oil, huh? I wonder if that can be in a capsule to avoid the fishy flavor.

NbyNW, what happened? How did you get injured?

I don't think I'm going to use Aleve again, I really felt like crap. Advil didn't do that to me ever, and I was popping two every four hours years ago.

Jess, how big is a pilates ball? I need to get to the gym, maybe someone there can help me out.

You should be icing, not heating. Ice will quell the inflammation.

Yes, fish oil is in a capsule.