General Medical issues thread

[Renato1]

I don’t like the codeine based drugs. For pain I take the anti inflammatories like the nurofen. No doubt they will be banned soon too.

Any idea from medics why my ANA keeps rising (doubling) even on plaquenil? I’m not in a flare. Speckled and homogenous.

Never heard of plaquenil, but have just looked it up.

For inflamation, the slow release Naprosyn 1000/ Proxen has just been so much better for me when I've needed it than Nurofen - which I always found pretty useless.

The incident with my shoulder pain went on for a day and a half and was getting worse, before I had the bright idea that painkillers kill any pain, not just headaches. I felt like such a dill when 15 to 20 minutes after taking the pill, my pain completely disappeared.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

With a couple of trips overseas each year there may be an opportunity to purchase a bottle of said pills and having used one or two of them bring an open bottle back to Australia.

Well, that's one way to get the pills, that I hadn't thought of!

For me it wouldn't actually be so bad getting the pills as I am retired and have plenty of good bulk-billing clinics around me, that I can wait to see a doctor at..

But for some people, especially those living in country towns where bulk-billing is virtually unknown, getting a scrip will mean taking time off work and being $50 or $60 out of pocket just to get a packet of Panadiene.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Milboo]

I will be stocking up as I use codeine based medication for migraines - try not resort to the prescription strength as they make me feel even more washed out the next day.

 

[Pushka]

Never heard of plaquenil, but have just looked it up.

For inflamation, the slow release Naprosyn 1000/ Proxen has just been so much better for me when I've needed it than Nurofen - which I always found pretty useless.

The incident with my shoulder pain went on for a day and a half and was getting worse, before I had the bright idea that painkillers kill any pain, not just headaches. I felt like such a dill when 15 to 20 minutes after taking the pill, my pain completely disappeared.
Cheers,
Renato

Plaquenil is one of the main stays for auto immune issues and somehow reduces associated fatigue and inflammation. Certainly works for fatigue and joints have improved. It should have reduced ANA but hasn’t.

 

[JohnK]

Pain killers are only good if they are effective for pain relief.

I will be stocking up on codeine (Panadeine Forte, Nurofen Plus, Panadeine Extra) but there is only so much you can stock before expiry date becomes an issue.

Can also get Tramadol generic overseas but may need to go to higher doses.

I took 2 x Panadeine Forte and 2 x Nurofen Plus last night around 8:00pm but didn't feel like they did anything for pain although they made me drowsy and crashed around 10:30pm.

I'm not comfortable with the proposed changes. The GP does not need to know about the small doses of codeine. I'm not hooked on codeine. I need the medication for pain relief.

 

[Pushka]

Pain killers are only good if they are effective for pain relief.

I will be stocking up on codeine (Panadeine Forte, Nurofen Plus, Panadeine Extra) but there is only so much you can stock before expiry date becomes an issue.

Can also get Tramadol generic overseas but may need to go to higher doses.

I took 2 x Panadeine Forte and 2 x Nurofen Plus last night around 8:00pm but didn't feel like they did anything for pain although they made me drowsy and crashed around 10:30pm.

I'm not comfortable with the proposed changes. The GP does not need to know about the small doses of codeine. I'm not hooked on codeine. I need the medication for pain relief.

I didn’t think you could take codeine forte and neurofen plus together? Panadol and nurofen yes but not the plus versions?

 

[JohnK]

I didn’t think you could take codeine forte and neurofen plus together? Panadol and nurofen yes but not the plus versions?

Why? Nurofen Plus is 200mg Ibuprofen + 12.8mg Codeine Phosphate. Panadeine Extra is 500mg Paracetamol + 15mg Codeine Phosphate. Panadeine Forte is 500mg Paracetamol + 30mg Codeine Phosphate.

I can't see why I cannot take Paracetamol and Nurofen together. I control the amount of Codeine Phosphate as needes. Usually 45mg Codeine Phosphate is more than enough.

I just took 55.6mg Codeine Phosphate. This time it feels like it has worked.

 

[Renato1]

Pain killers are only good if they are effective for pain relief.

I will be stocking up on codeine (Panadeine Forte, Nurofen Plus, Panadeine Extra) but there is only so much you can stock before expiry date becomes an issue.

Can also get Tramadol generic overseas but may need to go to higher doses.

I took 2 x Panadeine Forte and 2 x Nurofen Plus last night around 8:00pm but didn't feel like they did anything for pain although they made me drowsy and crashed around 10:30pm.

I'm not comfortable with the proposed changes. The GP does not need to know about the small doses of codeine. I'm not hooked on codeine. I need the medication for pain relief.

That's a lot of Codiene. Much better to just take Tramadol if you are in that much pain.

Don't worry about expiry dates - as I mentioned in an earlier post here, a US Depatment of Defense study showed that 97% of medicines were nearly 100% effective 15 years after the expiry date. The ones that weren't were liquid ones like diabetes shots, nitroglycerine and liquid antibiotics.

The other thing is that one has to be careful of Ibuprofen as one gets older. When my dad hit 80, the GP said absolutely no Ibuprofen or anti-inflammatories, as they start causing issues in the bowels.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Pushka]

Why? Nurofen Plus is 200mg Ibuprofen + 12.8mg Codeine Phosphate. Panadeine Extra is 500mg Paracetamol + 15mg Codeine Phosphate. Panadeine Forte is 500mg Paracetamol + 30mg Codeine Phosphate.

I can't see why I cannot take Paracetamol and Nurofen together. .

I said that was fine, it was the codeine in the Plus versions I was querying.
Even after surgery I experienced awful constipation after a couple of days - hate the codeine stuff.

 

[JohnK]

I said that was fine, it was the codeine in the Plus versions I was querying.
Even after surgery I experienced awful constipation after a couple of days - hate the codeine stuff.

I don't disagree with you but sometimes I have no choice.

The codeine in 2 x Nurofen Plus and 2 x Panadeine Extra < the codeine in 2 Panadeine Forte.

 

[Pushka]

I don't disagree with you but sometimes I have no choice.

The codeine in 2 x Nurofen Plus and 2 x Panadeine Extra < the codeine in 2 Panadeine Forte.

I thought you took the Nurofen Plus and Panadeine Forte though - not the Panadeine Extra.

 

[JohnK]

I thought you took the Nurofen Plus and Panadeine Forte though - not the Panadeine Extra.

I did last night but that is very rare.

As mentioned usually I'm ok with 45mg codeine for severe pain and most times if I do take codeine it is 15mg-30mg.

Last night my mouth/tongue were burning, the right lymph gland in the throat and my right ear were also aching quite badly. I decided I was going to try 85mg codeine. Didn't assist with pain but I did go to sleep and woke up 3-4 hours later with pain gone.

 

[whatmeworry]

Dad's latest PSA levels at 24. Pretty good after initially being ~800 in August, 100 in October and now 24.

 

[JohnK]

Who ever pushed me to go to physiotherapy, I thank you.

There is very little movement in my left leg/hip and obviously I've become used to it over the years. Explains the decline in my golf swing as I'm left handed and everything starts on the left side. Because of limited mobility on the left side, the right side tries to take over and assist but I've lost all the power that is generated by the left side.

Need to start working on the left leg/hip.

 

[JohnK]

As soon as the food hits the throat (swollen lymph gland?) a sharp pain shoots up the back right side of the skull. That's not fun.

 

[Milboo]

Who ever pushed me to go to physiotherapy, I thank you.

There is very little movement in my left leg/hip and obviously I've become used to it over the years. Explains the decline in my golf swing as I'm left handed and everything starts on the left side. Because of limited mobility on the left side, the right side tries to take over and assist but I've lost all the power that is generated by the left side.

Need to start working on the left leg/hip.

I'm now heading into even more controversial than telling you to see a Physio...

Find a Physio who offers clinical Pilates - using mat work and reformer work to help build get the right muscles firing again vs compensating with the wrong ones, reset the brain's messaging and build the strength back up.

It can be covered under the 5 Physio sessions on the care plan or otherwise comes under your Physio cover on private health.

 

[whatmeworry]

Ibuprofen or anti-inflammatories were probably the cause of mothers gastritis and her loss of blood. As I said before Ibuprofen is not good for gut health and cartilage regeneration.

Recently studies, suggesting gut health and over use of antibiotics linked to Cancer. Doctors might be prescribing probiotics or faecal transplants before chemo.

Now, two studies suggest they also strip our gut of the healthy bacteria needed to help combat cancer.

The new research might soon lead to doctors prescribing probiotics – or even faecal transplants – before starting a dose of chemotherapy.

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What remains unclear is which bacteria out of the millions living inside us are responsible for helping to fight cancer. Each study identified a different bug as being the most important.

Antibiotics which kill useful bugs are giving cancer patients a kick in the guts

 

[JohnK]

I'm now heading into even more controversial than telling you to see a Physio...

I'm now not convinced the Physio was the right option.

My knee/upper leg are worse the past 2 days since seeing physio. I played golf on one leg both yesterday and today and very poorly at that. I'm in more pain. Less movement.

I don't want to run to physio for everything. I need to find a way to get my knee/upper leg strength back.

 

[Milboo]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record...

A Physio will give you a strengthening program. Sounds like your activity is causing the issue not the treatment. But you can't be expecting an overnight miracle.

The Pilates will build strength too.

 

[whatmeworry]

I'm now not convinced the Physio was the right option.

My knee/upper leg are worse the past 2 days since seeing physio. I played golf on one leg both yesterday and today and very poorly at that. I'm in more pain. Less movement.

I don't want to run to physio for everything. I need to find a way to get my knee/upper leg strength back.

You could try peptides to increase muscle mass. Generally Illegal for sportspeople, but available for plebs.