injury to right knee at age 12, now I’m 37, have a job that keeps me on my feet/walking almost the whole time. Needless to say, arthritis has set in. Doc prescribed NSAIDs but I’d love to hear some at home treatment that’s worked for others

For a year now, I have had extreme foot pain, and feel tingling when I rub the tops. Prolonged standing/walking is painful, even after as little as 30 minutes. My foot X-rays do not show much arthritis or osteoporsis. I just had a blood test and am borderline low in B 12 and wondered if there was some connection there. I am a female, age 55, and very active until this condition started. The only other symtom I have noted in the past year is more frequent diarrhea. I don’t fit into any of the normal paramaters of foot pain sources, and so far, my podiatrist has not been able to provide much relief. Part of the problem is that I am unable to take the best NSAIDS, in 3 days I have severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. I do wear custom fitted orthotics, and they help, but I still can barely walk sometimes. Other times there is no pain at all, and there does not seem to be any pattern, except they are way worse when I am on my feet a lot.

NSAIDS?

This research report is getting graded on sentence fluency, organization and conventions. I don’t like the part about the serious effects.. its too long, but i need some ideas about what to do with it. Could you please proofread this and make changes where needed?

Ibuprofen
Have you thought about the effects ibuprofen can have on you? Not only are the long-term effects startling, but some of the short-term ones are as well. Understanding what ibuprofen is and how it works increases your knowledge of the risks you take every time you use ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen comes from a group of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (http://www.drugs.com/ubuprofen.html). NSAIDs relieve pain and inflammation due to damage done to muscles, ligaments, and joints. It is a nonopid analgesic. This means you have insensibility to pain without the loss of consciousness (Goldmann 894).
Ibuprofen is used for many things. It can be used to relieve pain from surgical or dental work (http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/ Use-of-Ibuprofen-Safe-for-Short-Periods-5917-v). People with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and gouty arthritis often use ibuprofen as a pain reliever. Often it is used to reduce fever, headaches, muscle aches, common cold, toothaches, and backaches. It is also used for inflammation. Ibuprofen can help reduce swelling and tenderness (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682159.html).
You may be wondering how this drug works. When your tissue is damaged your body naturally releases hormones called prostaglandins. These hormones are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Prostaglandins are what cause fevers, inflammation and pain. They cause the blood vessels to widen and leak fluid. White blood cells then move into the tissue. This makes the area red and swollen. When you take ibuprofen it stops your body’s production of prostaglandins, thereby reducing the pain and inflammation. The blood vessels return to normal, and the swelling and redness decreases (Goldmann 895) (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682159.html).
This medication, due to the way it works, can actually cause more problems then you had before. There are both common side effects and serious side effects. It is important to know which are which. Common side effects aren’t something you need to worry too much about. These include: upset stomach, mild heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gas, dizziness, headache, nervousness, skin itching or rash, blurred vision, and ringing in your ears. Serious side effects include: chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, swelling or rapid weight gain, nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin or eyes, sore throat, headache with a severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness, and neck stiffness, chills, increased sensitivity to light, purple spots on the skin and/or seizures. If you experience serious side effects, you should stop taking this medication immediately and seek medical attention or call your doctor as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effects (http://www.drugs.com/ibuprofen.html).
When ibuprofen is used for long periods of time, it can have serious side effects on your stomach and intestines. Bleeding and perforation, the forming of a hole, can occur in your stomach lining with long use. Also using it for long periods of times it can increase your risk of a heart attack and circulation problems. Strokes and even death can occur due to the use of ibuprofen. The longer you use ibuprofen, the higher your risks become (http://www.healthline.com/multumcontent/ibuprofen) (http://www.drugs.com/ibuprofen.html).
It has been proven that when ibuprofen is used for a short period of time, less then a year, it is safe. Although, when used for a long period of time, more than a year, it can be very harmful. You should limit smoking and alcohol consumption during use of ibuprofen. Also, using this drug as recommended increases its safety. The smallest effective dose should be used to treat your pain and swelling (http://www.drugs.com/ibuprofen.html) (http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Use-of-Ibuprofen-Safe-for-Short-Periods-5917-v)
Ibuprofen, when used correctly, can be a very affective and useful drug. On the flip side, if overused, it can be harmful. Understanding what ibuprofen is and how it works increases your knowledge of the risks you take every time you use ibuprofen. Next time you have a minor headache maybe you will rethink taking unnecessary medication.

She is currently taking NSAIDs as needed. She is 70 yrs & also is hypertensive, hence the doctor advised her not to take the pain medication continuously which tends to increase her B.P.

What is your advice for immediate relief and long term options?

How does it compare to Aleve for relief of minor arthritis pain? Do you have to take it all the time for a build up like with nsaids, or can you take it just when you need it?

After fracturing several vertebrae and a rib, developing arthritis and degenerative disc disease as well, I’ve been through countless MD’s (orthopedists, neurologists, urologists, rheumatologists, etc). I’ve tried chiropractors, physiatrists, physical therapy, TENS, facet joint injections, and RF rhizotomy, without achieving any relief. I’ve used every anti-inflammatory med in the book, and worked my way through pain management programs to the point where they’re pumping me full of oxycontin. The drug, which pharmacists are reluctant to stock, barely addresses the pain and cause a range of unwelcome side effects. I’d just as soon ditch it if I can find something that works. Earlier this year I went through a trial for a morphine pump, at my doctors recommendation, but again, the side effects were monstrous, and I vetoed the idea of committing to a lifetime of drug dependence with a hockey puck sized lump in my belly that would require an abdominal injection of meds every 6-8 weeks.

My pain management MD is referring me to another Doc thursday. Any suggestions as to what I might ask him to consider as an alternative treatment? (alternative as in so far unexplored; I have no faith in herbal remedies, aromatherapy and the like). Don’t know what to do at this point; both the pain and the side effects are unbearable.
I’ve tried accupuncture and Celebrex (as well as a dozen different new and old NSAIDS) without any benefit.

The side effects of the oxycontin include a general mental cloudiness, which I could overcome, but also a common side effect, which is profuce sweating. I can’t sleep through a night without changing my clothes twice since I’m drenched with sweat. I know this is a also an effect of withdrawal, but it happens whether I take my regular dose on a regular basis or try to go without.

injury to right knee at age 12, now I'm 37, have a job that keeps me on my feet/walking almost the whole time. Needless to say, arthritis has set in. Doc prescribed NSAIDs but I'd love to hear some at home treatment that's worked for others

I have chronic pain from arthritis in neck back and hands…I take pain meds and NSAIDS for inflammation. I am not getting enough sleep because the constant nagging pain keeps me awake. What non prescription tips to fellow suffers use for management of pain stiffness and inflammation of arthritis…I am tired of the suffering already

I have arthritis and multiple joint pain, my dr put me on NSAIDs which are causing many side effects and I'm scared that it might do damage to my body. I'm 27 by the way. So I wonder for how long can I use those NSAIDs? few months?