Dangers of NSAIDs?

not yet Aka, but I will google it, thank you

Iam64 have you read any of the research on Vit k2 as menaquinone and bone density?

I had a bone density scan last year, hips in osteo pina range (that's the one before osteo porosis). It was part of the general care for patients with inflammatory arthritis (we're more prone to osteo arthritis, the joys eh folks). So, my gp prescribes calcium, and recommended i take glucosoman and chondriotin (sorry, I'm sure Galen and others will spell that properly)
The hope is the calcium treatment will return my hips to a better density level.
My GP used to prescribe gluco/chondri but prescriptions for this were stopped some years ago, as the research didn't support continuing to prescribe. I've been taking it again for 3 months, and it may be coincidental, but I'm not needing anti inflammatories so often, and the pain levels in my hands/feet/knees/hips have reduced. My memory is I felt better when taking it in the past, but had concluded that the increase pain etc was down to ageing. Anyway - on the cheerful note that something is helping, I'm off. good luck to everyone managing to live their lives with chronic pain and poor mobility. And! I regret that suicides led to coproximol being banned. I found it more effective, and with less side effects than cocodomol has.

I noticed that gem Janeainsworth - possibly the kind of rub in gel that does contain pain killers might be a better bet?
Flexiseq does claim to contain little lipid globs that go in through your skin though. Perhaps if you have time you could decipher the ingredients list on the patient leaflet. I got as far as water, glycerine and salt...

I was prescribed co-codamol for a rotor cuff injury but it made me spaced out.

It's the only thing that stopped my pain when it's bad. Only have paracetamol now as I don't like co codamol!

Also meant co-codamol not co-proximal.

Probably bought it over the counter aboard. Like in this country, even in a pharmacist, you are limited as to how much paracetamol you can buy. In Australia and New Zealand you can buy 100 packets. I know how addictive etc medication can be but at times I make the decision that I would sooner have less pain and only take it on really rare occasions.

Duicide? Suicide!

Brendawymms
Co-proxamol was banned several years ago. How on earth are you getting it?
It's a pity actually as it was an excellent pain reliever.
I gather too many people committed duicide with it!

If Arthritis UK are backing it I might give it a try, after all nothing ventured...

I never take ibuprofen because it upsets my stomach. And anyway I have a heart problem so it's supposed to be interdit. I'm not sure what the connection is, maybe clashes with all the other things I have to take.
But it does wonders for some conditions - husband takes Nurofen (similar) for sciatica and it really helps.

I take the maximine dose of a NSAID but recently have to top it up with co-proximal and the last two days this has had no effect at all. In fact for a few minutes thought of going to A & E but could not stand to have to be there to be told to take painkillers. Getting older is no fun.

FLEXISEQ does not contain any pharmaceutical drug, and consequently FLEXISEQ benefits from an excellent safety profile

Haha. They would say that, wouldn't they

If contemplating buying something like that ask yourself how much it costs? There are lots of things that only have a minor effect or none at all, but are quite expensive.
If it is really efficacious, can your doctor prescribe it? If not, then likely that there is not enough evidence that it is any good.
Some people spend astounding amounts of money on over the counter health products and alternative medicines. There was an example in a magazine i read recently of someone who had suffered from an unusual infection, started on a load of vitamins, chinese herbs etc etc and was afraid to stop in case she got the condition again. Was costing her hundreds a month! But she could have just got better, because she got better...

I don't take Nsaids as I am warned off them by reason of having had allergic reactions to aspirin. I only take paracetamol and occasionally co-codamol.

In my local Arthritis U.K charity shop they had a huge display of a topical pain relief product called Flexiseq. it described as a smart gel that lubricates joints affected by osteo arthritis. Has anyone heard of it or tried it?
www.flexiseq.com/

It's seemed to be designed to do a sort of WD 40 job on the inside of the joints by adding lubrication. It sounds quite novel but I am always wary of such stuff. I was interested that arthritis UK seemed to be promoting it.

To add to JessM's point, if I had been prescribed omeprazole or a similar drug alongside the aspirin and ibuprofen, it is very unlikely that it would have affected my stomach. I wasn't trying to warn people off NSAIDs but suggesting you should check with your GP if you are planning to take them regularly.

I should add that I am wary of extra medication such as NSAIDS on top of my essential daily medication, after belatedly reading about some contra-indications.

Your last point Jess about journalists is well made. There are some with no medical or scientific qualification who specialise in writing such articles which are often superficial, inaccurate and ill-informed.

Arthritic diseases are a blight on the later years of so many people - particularly women. You are a brave bunch of women.
Rowantree you are stressing out about this but you have not got it into proportion. As you can see from this thread, many people are taking very big doses of these to keep themselves reasonably mobile/pain free. There are inevitable side effects with most drugs if you are on a high dose, for a long time. But if the alternative is continuous pain and being completely seized up, of course people are grateful that these drugs exist.
You are an occasional user, along with a huge % of the adult population and I think this is one you could cross off your list of worries.
You are right that there are too many articles in the press that do not put risks in context. They are often written by people with a journalism qualification but no understanding of science or medicine I'm afraid. I have seen some howlers in my time, such as "mosquitoes becoming immune to the drug" - when it is of course the malaria parasite that becomes immune. I think that was on the BBC website!

Thank you for the flowers Iam64

Good luck with the biologic - I hope you stay well!

Noodles, I have one of the inflammatory types of arthritis, RA. Like you, I took the decision that the costs and balances of taking the disease modifiers, anti inflammatories as at worst, painkillers came down on quality, rather than quantity of life. I also take methotrexate, but am on a lower dose (half my previous dose) as I'm also fortunate enough to be prescribed one of the anti biological treatments. It was unfortunate I reached the point I needed it, but so fortunate my consultant prescribed it.

I wish I didn't have this chronic disease, but like you, I'm certain that without the drug therapies, I wouldn't be able to walk my dogs. The psychological benefits of increased mobility, less pain and better sleep shouldn't be underestimated.
for noodles

I think I posted about this before so apologies for repeating myself. I took low dose aspirin for years because I had a post- operative clot but rarely took ibuprofen until it was prescribed for me following a knee replacement. I took it regularly for about a fortnight, along with paracetamol and codeine. About three weeks after that, I had a very frightening episode of vomiting what seemed quite large amounts of blood. Every doctor I saw during the next week in hospital said the ulcer was undoubtedly caused by the aspirin and the bleeding by the ibuprofen. I took omeprazole most of last year and then lanzaprazole for a few weeks. I had a couple of episodes of heartburn before the bleed but other than that, no warning that I had an ulcer.

Nice to see you posting Noodles!

Noodles, there is always another article in the press to scare us, whether about medicines, food, drink, air, whatever!

Your philosophy is the right one, I think.