Why do NSAID drugs upset tummy??
#258499 - 04/17/06 08:55 AM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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Anyone have any idea on why NSAID medication make my IBS WAY WAY worse???? I'm on Previcid to help with acid reduction as a preventive. My RA is just awful and the RA meds haven't seemed to started working yet, they can take 3-6 months to get into your system. The RA doc put me on indomethacin, its a prescription anti inflammatory (NSAID=non steroidal anti inflammatory) to help with the swelling and joint pain and it did help but after about 4 days on it, my tummy went into a complete TIZZY and it went on for 2 weeks so I stopped the drug Friday to see if my tummy calms down but now I'm premenstrual, which always upsets my IBS so I will have to wait until later this week to be for sure if it was the medication. However, I've tried to take Bextra and a few others in the past and even motrin does upsets my tummy. I had been taking Alieve which is a nsaid for about a month and that hadn't seemed to upset my IBS but it also wasn't working anymore, even at a very high dose. I've tried Tylenol and my tummy's ok with that but it doesn't do anything at all for the swelling. Since stopping the anti inflammatory Friday, my hands are little sausages again, had to have Will comb my hair this morning, my chest is hurting so bad again I can hardly breath, not to mention my wrists, hips, knees, ankles, toes, neck and shoulders!! About the only thing that doesn't hurt are my elbows!!!
Anyone have any thoughts or idea's?? I've been on the placquenil since mid January and I started the alsulfazine (sp??) about 3 weeks ago. I don't want to do the methotrexate because it can take several months to work as well, and a LOT of people don't tolerate it well and you have to stop it at least 4 months before trying to get pregnant. When the RA gets worse, it makes my fibro get worse as well. All I'm on for the fibro is the Zanaflex (muscle relaxers) at bedtime along with the Ambien to help me sleep and the magnesium supplement the Linz suggested, anything else I can do for that?
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I was on cataflam (which is an anti-inflamatory) when I injured my tendon and it made me horrible nauseaus. I do best with motrin.
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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Yikes, I'd be sunk if I couldn't do NSAIDs -- I take around 2400mg ibuprofen every day. Do you know for sure that it's the NSAID and not the Prevacid that you're taking to help w/ the NSAID that's upsetting your stomach? I was on Prevacid for a week and it gave me really bad D and horrible abdominal cramping. Just a thought.
It sucks that you have to pick your poison, huh? I know you're a C so I'm not sure exactly what symptoms you mean by your stomach being upset -- can you try to treat the stomach problems by maybe a regular dose of anti-spasmodics? When I was having really bad D the main thing that saved me was huge doses of Levsin (3x what the doctor prescribed, don't tell).
I'm so sorry you have to go through this!  I'm really hoping that your meds will eventually kick in and you'll start feeling better.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Yeah, sure its the NSAID. I've been on Previcid in the past and if I take more than 30mg a day, it sometimes will give me D. I had started the Indomethacin (nsaid) and the alzulfidine at the same time. A few days later, my tummy blew up, SO bloated I almost pulled out the maternity pants!  I get awful cramps I guess you would call it, they don't come and go, it just always HURTS. I stopped the nsaid last Friday but tummy was still upset and I was still very nauseous and dizzy and just felt like puke. So, I stopped the alsuflidine Tuesday morning and I'm already feeling less sick. My RA is really flaring but tummy is calming down. I think I'll wait until tomorrow and if tummy is ok, maybe I'll try taking the nsaid just twice a day instead of three times a day and see if that helps. I've tried Motrin in the past as well as Bextra and a few others and always have the same reaction. However, my hands are SO swollen right now, I've got to do something!!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Have you tried Aleve? It works well for my TMJ so it might help you?
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Actually Alieve is about the ONLY nsaid drug I can take without too much tummy upset. I was taking 2 pills 3 times a day per my dr but it wasn't helping the swelling very much, thats why he gave me the script. When I see him, I'm going to ask him if there is a stronger version with the Alieve base.
The swelling is interfering with my work and life. I fit glasses, do repairs, etc and right now I can't even make a fist let alone pick up a screw. I'm having to use special tweezers the pick things up and I've actually had to ask a few patients to cut there own screws after I repair there glasses because I don't have the hand streagnth to open a bottle of water let alone cut a metal screw! The gal that grooms Harley for me gave him a bath today and knows that I'm sick but she looked at my hands and said "Oh My God, What Happened to Your Hands??"
Do you guys remember me talking about that fabulous Coach purse Will bought me last year? I can't even use it because it doesn't have a shoulder strap and I can't hold the handles!!!  Sorry, just got off on a poor me tangent!  My physical therapists told me that its actually good for me to type because it forces the joints to move and it keeps a little mobility in my fingers. 
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I think they cause problems because they suppress the enzyme that creates prostaglandins and there's a prostglandin that protects your stomach lining.
Here, I looked it up just to be sure: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pain-medications/PN00058 There's also tips on how to lessen the side effects; I hope you find something helpful there.
My RA told me I wouldn't see the full effects of plaquenil until the sixth month on it. Are you noticing anything from it yet?
Have you tried amitriptyline? I'm on that right now for pain and sleep, and it's really helping me sleep!
I'm sending you good thoughts this morning, Michele. I hope your swelling goes down and you get some relief. It made me sad to read you can't carry your Coach purse! It reminds of the little things I used to take for granted but can't do right now.
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I'm glad the amitriptyline is helping you...but I think it would constipate Michele horribly. That's what it did to me. Not good for C people. 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Phewy!! I just typed out a big long reply to you Maria and I droped the mouse and lost it!!  Aw well!
I guess its probably more accurate to say I have intenstional upset rather then tummy upset! I am on Previcid to help combat the nsaid side effects but the nsaids aggravates my IBS, terribly.
I tried the amitriptyline once about a year and a half ago when I developed RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) in my ankle. I found out why they call'em "trips" on the street because I felt like I was tripping! I couldn't drive, I couldn't concentrate, I was paranoid, I was hyper, couldn't sleep, it was crazy!! Granted, I only took 3 pills in two days so maybe I didn't give my body a chance to adjust. Did you have those kind of side effects when you first started it?
I haven't noticed the placquenil to help any yet. I started it mid January and my rheumy wants me to give it a full 6 months before declaring that it hasn't helped. Problem is the next step is methotrexate, which is very toxic, has a LOT of side effects, takes a couple of months to work as well and you have to stop taking it at least 4 months prior to even trying to get pregnant. While I'm definitely not well enough to try and get pregnant again right now, I'm also going to be 36 soon and not sure I have that kind of time! The RE (reproductive endocrinologist) I saw said she would actually put me on prednisone (steroid) before I try and get pregnant to help me carry the baby but it will also help the RA.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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NSAIDs upset my upper GI tract as well as my colon - so I get D or C when I take them as well as esophageal spasms and acid reflux. Ick. I'm not sure why it would cause IBS attacks; I just assumed since it's all connected an upset in one area would trigger problems further down...
My doctor is starting me out on a very low dose of amitriptyline. For the first couple of weeks, I took 5 mg a day before bed; currently, I'm at 10 mg a day. I'm thinking of going up to 25 mg the next time I see her. I haven't noticed any side effects, except once I fall asleep, I stay asleep.
I hope the Plaquenil starts working for you soon. I really it hope it works so you don't have to take methotraxate. Ugh! That doesn't sound fun at all! It's good to hear you RA has a plan for you. I'm really praying that you get well enough to get pregnant! I think of you a lot, Michele! 
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