I just read Gwendolyn's Tooth Trauma diary entry (top form, Gwen! That was a good one. :) ), and I'm a little Annoyed with the triage nurse. She fussed at Gwen for having taken 1800 mg of Ibuprofen within a 24-hour period, saying that much Ibuprofen would endanger her kidneys. *scowl* More than once, I've been prescribed 1600-1800 mg of Ibuprofen daily (for inflammation and pain caused by tendinitis in my wrist, and, later, for a chronic shoulder injury). The dosage prescribed to me was either 4 OTC Advils (200mg each) 3 times a day, or 3 prescription-strength Motrin (600mg each) 3 times a day, for up to 2 weeks at a time. I realise that the key point here is that I was prescribed these dosages, but does that mean my kidneys were any less endangered than Gwen's were? I think a scolding was about the last thing Gwen needed last night, sitting in an emergency room in complete pain. *grumble* Am I just being a fussbucket? Or is my Indignation And Scowliness warranted, d'y'all think?

On a different tack, I'm awfully glad that Vicodin dulled Gwen's pain (and got her Loopy-- bonus! ;) ), because it doesn't work on me at all. I'm a migrainor (honest, that's the term for folks who get migraines! my neurologist said so. ;) ), and the only thing that works on my pain is low doses of codeine (16mg) mixed with caffeine and paracetamol, aka a British painkiller called Solpadeine. It was my lifesaver when I lived in England for a year; I sure wish they sold it here. If they did, I wouldn't have to resort to the rather unorthodox methods that I do, to obtain it. *wink*

I'm all over the place here, aren't I? Feh. Maybe a better question summary would be, What works best to dull your (physical) pain? Really, though, I just felt like discussin' Gwen's latest entry. :)

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2000

Answers

Gawd, I love vicodin, as I just posted to another thread. The stuff absolutely totally works wonders, although its efficacy will lessen if you take it too often. I didn't really take it to lessen pain as much as to increase pleasure, though, so this is obviously not the most objective answer.

I dunno if it is dangerous to take so much ibuprofin or not. But when you are in that kind of pain a lecture is the last thing you need.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2000

My father-in-law has really bad arthritis, and they're happy for him to take 49 capsules per week of a painkiller called Coproxymol. He rarely takes it, though, and has boxes and boxes at home, which he frequently donates to us. It's wonderful, and the first time I took it I actually felt a little buzzed. But if I have a headache, all I need is one of those and it's gone almost instantly.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2000

My doc prescribed 800mg Ibuprofen, 3 times a day, for cramps, so I guess my kidneys are a lost cause.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2000

I enjoyed Gwen's latest entry too and I do think it sounds like that triage nurse was kind of a harpie, but the thing is - ibuprofen is really rough on your kidneys and you should always take it with a *lot* of water to try and countereffect some of the possible damage it can do. Unfortunately, I think just because doctors prescribe it doesn't mean that it's safe.

Vicodin makes me crazy and I heard it's really addictive. Which didn't stop me from giving what I had left to an ex-boyfriend. Just to be mean. That was mean, huh?

I like Tylenol 3 with Codeine - I am a *big* wussy when it comes to drugs.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2000

I'm allergic to codeine, which I figured out after being given some at the emergency room for a severe sinus infection when I was about eleven; after returning home, I literally writhed around the floor with such extreme abdominal pain that I couldn't sit up straight. My father called the hospital and was told, 'Oh, she's probably just allergic to the codeine we gave her. She'll start vomiting soon, though.' And vomit I did, for hours. It was pretty fun.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2000

That was nice of them to be so concerned, Jackie.

I'm afraid I'm already becoming immune to the Vicodin. I had to ask the dentist for another prescription for it today. He said okay, but that he didn't want me taking as much as I did last time. "It's not good for your liver." I said my kidneys were already destroyed, so I didn't really care.

I'm scheduled for a root canal on Thursday. Then Friday we have houseguests coming over. And I was gonna visit Dallas this week. Guess I'll put it off for awhile.

CALGON, TAKE MY FUCKING TOOTH AWAY.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2000

Gwen, correct me if I am wrong, but I interpeted your diary entry to mean that you took 1800mg of ibuprofen all at once. If so, you might want to take at least 1000mg less at a time. BTW where ibuprofen wreaks kidneys, tylenol screws up your liver. I once saw someone hospitalized for a tylenol OD. Not pretty.

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2000

"Come.....back....bun....ny....rab....bit!"

That cracked my shit up, Gwen. Hope your toof is feeling better.

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2000

I took 1200 at once. Okay, so it was more than likely too much. But they weren't working... I had to take extra!

And I normally never take pain relievers unless I'm dying or something. But now I know better.

Thank gosh I'm getting my stupid root canal tomorrow. This is my third root canal, and I brush my teeth more often than anyone I know. I guess I need to floss, though.

How embarrassingly lame this is... I'm still drowsy, though. I'll just forget I typed it.

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2000

Does Vicodin Work For You ...

Dunno. Give me a bunch and I'll tell you. :)

And Should That Triage Nurse Really Have Scolded Gwennie About The Ibuprofen?

I think the timing was rather thoughtless--here, let me rub salt in that open wound, there!-- but I do think she should have said something to Gwen before she left, just so she'd know. Not saying anything at all would have been bad, too. If she feels the need to take painkillers, then by all means, give her the option of CHOOSING which internal organ to piss off.

If I'm in pain, my liver and kidney will just have to fucking deal, man. BRing on unconsciousness! Woo!

On the whole, though, I don't take pain killers, not even for The Curse of Aunt Flo. (Every three or four months or so, though, I have to give in and stop being all macha and drug myself so I can uncurl from my fetal crouch and get up off the floor and, you know, function and stuff. Bleah.)

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2000

Oh, I take ibuprofin like there's no tomorrow. My doc prescribed 800 mg a day for my knee, though.

Totally off topic, but when I was in high school, my family's pediatrician would write an all winter prescription for all cough syrup w/codeine for us kids (I'm the oldest of 6). I had a cough, and took it, and then kept taking it, because I couldn't sleep without it, and then I started being really tired all day, until finally I asked a friend "Is codeine addictive?" and the "Duh" I got back still resonates in my head to this day. But at least I kicked the habit.

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2000

A Late Entry:

I have taken Vicodin, Endocet (generic for Percocet), and Codeine. The codeine made me hyper - like drinking 3 giant lattes from Starbucks. Vicodin and Endocet were a waste of valuable time for my pain-relief needs: NEITHER of them worked for me! But once you take them you have to wait 4-6 hours before taking anything else, so I had to suffer miserably until it was time to take some Excedrin.

Excedrin and Ibuprofen are Godsends to me. They're the only things I can take that will even touch whatever pain I'm in.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2000

P.S.

My podiatrist gave me a prescription for 800mg Ibuprofen with instructions to take one pill, three times a day. This was for a sprained foot, and when the sprain healed but I was still having problems, I started taking 2 pills, twice a day. Now I always take 2 pills at a time - but usually not more than twice a week. I don't think you can get addicted to Ibuprofen, and I don't intend to try. But whoever said that the efficacy diminishes, was very correct.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2000

I knew at the time that I was taking too much. The nurse could've been more ... I don't know... nurse-y about it, though. Or more professional. She could have just told me straight-up instead of braying at me like a stepchild and stuff.

Peace out, yo.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2000

Stop! No one badmouth that nurse anymore! KARMA WARNING:

I'm sitting here eating a kolache, and my fucking crown FALLS OFF.

My crown fell off. My $500 crown, which was carefully replaced Thursday in a $750 procedure, FUCKING FELL OFF.

Vicodin, take me away!

-- Anonymous, July 29, 2000

Gwen, let me put this gently. Any bad karma you may have doesn't come from badmouthing grumpy nurses. You need to spay your cats. Bast is not pleased.

-- Anonymous, July 29, 2000

Maybe Bast can come over and help me catch them, then. Or, better yet, Bast can feed the strays in my neighborhood and then spay them, too!

-- Anonymous, July 29, 2000

Of course, it's Instant Karma, Gwen. How does a crown (and at $750 + $500, that's a pricey coronation, even without the carriage ride) just fall off? Not thorny enough? I just got a crown last week and that sucker is cemented in there. Speaking of crowns, how do you like that temporary filling shit they put in the cavity while the crown is being made from the casts they took? You know, the crumbly stuff that does absolutely no good at all while looking like you've got a big ol' wad of Wriggly's in your mouth?

Vicodin: Never had it. Not likely to, either.

That damn nurse: Heck yes, she should have been much nicer to our Gwennie. I hear so many stories about rude/mean/insensitive nurses that i figure they must all just get so worn down by whiny sick people day-in and day-out for years on end that they finally lower their inhibitions to being nasty as a defense mechanism to blunt the joy-sucking parade of damaged humans they've committed their lives to serving. That's just my opinion, though. :-)

-- Anonymous, July 30, 2000

Watch it. This nurse owns a deadly chihuahua~~HuaHuaville ;)

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2000

Karen, when you spam someone else's forum, it's considered polite to at least acknowledge the hostess. Something like, "Hi, Gwen, love the forum -- check out my site, y'all!" or "www.huaville -- hope Gwen doesn't mind my pimping" wouldn't have been out of place.

C'mon, people, now.

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2000

That was a spam? Oh, Hi. *blush* I really do like your site, sorry my bad <:(

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2000

Oh my pet peeve is y'all. Am I on the wrong thread. hee hee heee *devilish grin*

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2000

I meant the term "y'all" not y'all...

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2000

Maybe even the wrong forum.

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2000

snort

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2000

Props Gwen!

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2000

woo hoo!

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2000

Hi. I am reviving a long-dead topic, but worry when I see things like this that peeps (like my own self) read it eons later and could get all mis-informed. The nurse has gotten her info a wee bit scrambled... 1800 mg of ibuprofen could cause you some real stomach irritation, by which I mean your stomach lining bleeding and hurting. Obviously bleeding stomachs are not good. On the other hand, folks with arthritis and other painful aliments commonly are told to take higher doses of ibuprofen than the "maximum daily" listed on the bottle you buy at the drugstore. If their tummies can handle it, they'll be usually be fine. There is risk of various kinds of kidney damage sometimes seen in this type chronic use, but Gwen's situation wasn't what you'd call "chronic".

There was a drug on the market before more time (the 1970s?)which was a combination of

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2001