Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Naproxen / Aleve for SI

In general, I can't take NSAIDS day in, day out, long term. The ones that work give me edema and gastritis. But out of all of them, Aleve / Naproxen works the best.

But, i've been hesitant to take it. The edema often comes on within a few pills. The gastritis follows shortly thereafter. But also I remember taking it for a short time in the past.

So, on thursday, I carried a not very heavy chair to a meeting room, then bent ~45 degrees to set the chair down, and that was enough to "tweak" my SI joint. The muscle spasms kicked in pretty good. Was lucky that I didn't have to teach for a few days, so started icing it immediately and spent friday through sunday on ice in the recliner.

Thought about taking methylprednisone, but I prefer to save that for:
1. Flaring systemically or 2. Going on a trip

and finishing antibiotics for a UTI, so not supposed to use the methylpred
while fighting an infection.

So much to do, work-wise. Needed to get back on my feet ASAP.
So, tried something I hadn't tried before:
Used Naproxen to heal up the inflammation in my SI joint ASAP.
Took the lower dose of 220 mg, every 12 hours instead of every 8 hours
(2x a day instead of 3x a day).
That small difference seemed to keep both the edema and gastritis at bay.
After 4 days on naproxen, only a bit of hamstring tendonitis flaring,
something that happens when i get edema.
But feet and other things seems ok.

Was well enough today, just 4 days after tweaking my SI, and was able to attend 1/2 day at a retreat I wanted badly to attend.

The reason I'm sharing is to say, even if you can't take nsaids as a general rule due to side effects like edema or gastritis, you might be able to do a few days of them for something like this. If you flare like I do with much better times in between.

Well, just wanted to share. Especially if it helps someone else out.

And note to self: no more moving of chairs. I WILL accept and even ask for assistance from here on out. I hate being dependent on others; its hard to swallow our pride and ask for and/or accept help. Hate being high maintenance; I never used to be high maintenance, but must learn to accept that things are the way they are.

Made an emergency appointment with the chiro. He did electrostim, then just worked on the muscle spasms a little bit. Asked him, why? Even when things were more chronically bad, little things like setting down chairs (or sweeping/vacuuming/mopping) didn't use to set it off. I wondered if its "stretched out and thus weakened ligaments"? The chiro said that years of enthesitis can degreade the entheses thus weakening the ligaments that way. In either case, its definitely more fragile than it used to be. But lots better tools to recovering a lot faster.

I was physically writhing and wincing when you said "I bent at 45 degree angle".......

I have so done this,,,,,,,,I barely bent once to put a dish in the dishwasher and I was out for a WEEK.

the doctors kept saying "how could you have hurt yourself putting a dish in the dishwasher"

IDK, but I FELT it go,,,,,,,,

you poor thing,,,,,,,,ice is my friend in these situations,a nd NSAIDS don't bother me one little bit, fortunate me,,,,,,,,I hope it gets better and better!!!!!!!!

Jen, thanks for sharing that story, for several reasons.

I think it is definitely worth considering NSAIDs like you did for a few days for something fairly acute. I wouldn't have thought about taking the lower end of the dose though, so thats something to remember for the future.

Asking for help - yes, hard to do, and hard to admit that you can't do stupid ordinary stuff like that. I guess I have it easier in some ways - walking with crutches lets everyone assume you are going to have difficulty, so much easier to say "can you get me a different chair", or "could you bring that chair in for me". But there is still some stuff I don't ask about and should.

Thats really interesting about years of enthesitis weakening the ligaments. I would say thats probably happening with my right elbow now. At the moment its fair agony, and no sooner I get it right again (eg after the last short course of steroids) it seems to take such a small physical stress to set it off again. At the moment I am just on the point of not being able to cope with it, but still managing to keep on going (with four times a day maxed out codeine and tylenol, and voltaren gel several times a day as well as ice when I can). I havent figured out a balance of keeping the joint moving and not stressing that ligament yet, but hopefully once I start the steroids again it will relieve totally.

I'm with you on the short course steroid use too (though its prednisolone here rather than medrol)- same reasons for me to use them: going on a trip, and when I get to the "really can't cope because everything is flaring" point.

thanks for sharing (especially as we seem to follow such similar patterns in a lot of ways)

I'm glad you've found some relief.

I usually take one Aleve (naproxen sodium) right before bed to help prevent rib pain during the early morning. On days of extra pain from overactivity, I will take an additional naproxen during the morning. There have been a few times when I've taken a third naproxen during a 24-hour period. I've found naproxen to be effective with few side effects, such as reflux, except when I've taken three.

I used to take 1000mg a day. It really helped with my knee pain. Then I do believe my guts were bleeding so when I ran out I didn't refill

Sherri

Hello Sue,

I recall those painful days of the SI many years ago... I looked for new job because of it partially. Was public accountant and always had to go to client's offices... there chairs always killed my SI's at the time as they were not always the best. Also if had a lot of stairs to climb at office a problem... either could set off my SI.

So i began taking small kitchen chair from home to my clients... knew my SI would not explode afterwards which was reassuring.

Things we do for chairs when SI's hurt.

Take care,

Tim

thank you all for all the comments.

long day teaching lab,

plus the long walk in from the parking lot, i'd say ~1/3 of a mile walk just to get to my building. Once again I'll need to complain to people here that this is totally unacceptable.

I'm really tired.......long day.

It's good to here hat the Naproxen helped your SI. I take 4/day. I think it helps my pain a lot. I sure notice the difference if I don't take it. My GI said it was more gentle on the GI tract then most other NSAIDS. It doesn't seem to bother gastritis.

You really need to do something about that long walk. It doesn't seem right that they can get away with this.

Do you have a disabled parking permit, Sue? And if so, are there any parking places closer to the building? I find my parking permit is wonderful. Don't always use it, but its there when I need to.

The other possibility is to car share, at least the last part of the ride. That way you could get someone to drop you at the door, then go off and park.

donna and cdmc,

thanks for your support regarding the parking here. you are both right, it is a disgrace.

I got a handicap parking permit specifically for here. i rarely use it elsewhere unless my SI is flaring and i can't walk. but here, the closest parking is 1/4 mile away except for 8 spots by the building. i was here before 8:30 am this morning and those 8 spots were gone.

and even the parking a quarter mile away, those spots usually fill up by 10 am.

parking, especially handicap parking is a crime here.

and i've talked to HR, students' disability office (we don't have one), ombudsman office, parking office, etc. and round and round we go. no one will do anything about it.

but things will get worse soon, they are putting a new building in the front half of that parking lot, reducing the handicap parking by 1/3. I hope this finally makes everyone else as irate as i am, to the point that something happens. i'm tired of being the sole advocate.

can't car pool. not a 9-5 job. here all hours and live 30 minutes away. and can only sit in my car, etc etc

but when things are truly bad, i pull the car up to the building and find a colleague who will drive my car out to the lot for me. then call security at night to take me back out.

walked in this morning ok, but SI aching after a day of being up and about. so will get security to take me back to my car....or my colleague if she's still around.