Looking Forward To My Next Headache

I've read on the internet, in multiple, reputable places, that if you have colitis or Crohn's disease you should not take NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin) because they can cause or exacerbate a flare. No reasons are given because they don't know why. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is okay.

It doesn't make sense, because NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory. They work by REDUCING INFLAMMATION. Colitis and Crohn's ARE inflammation of the digestive tract, with colitis being the very definition of "inflammation of the colon." Yet we're told not to take this common, over-the-counter, very effective anti-inflammation medicine?

Acetaminophen is not an anti-inflammatory, it is a pain blocker. It works by blocking pain signals from the inflamed or injured area to the brain, but the area still remains in a state of pain.

This has caused problems because, for me, Acetaminophen only works to reduce fevers, but nothing else. The average recommended dose barely moves the pain needle with headaches or sore muscles. And while I didn't have a lot of headaches before my colitis symptoms appeared, I've had some doozies since (usually medication related). I've also had problems waking up with a stiff neck more often than I did before.

I Can Take It!

I wanted to get this figured out once and for all so at my last follow-up gastroenterologist visit, I asked my doctor about taking ibuprofen. He said that he'd never had a patient who had reported a problem with it, and as long as it wasn't taken everyday, I would probably be fine. 

Hallelujah! 

Is it weird that I'm now kind of looking forward to my next headache? Just so I can have an ibuprofen?

After my initial research, I found a recent WebMD article, "NSAIDs and Crohn's Disease," written in June, 2022, that addresses this issue and admits that, "The common wisdom is that these painkillers can make your condition worse. But the link between Crohn’s and NSAIDs isn’t clear-cut." While the article does not mention colitis, much of what it says applies.

Like so many other IBDs issues, this is yet another gray area that may work one way for some, but another for others. So, AS ALWAYS, consult with your own gastroenterologist on any questions you may have, especially about medications.

As for me, I'm going to keep that bottle of ibuprofen handy. For occasional use, of course.

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 © Colitis Senioritis 2022

Update October 2022: The Search for Intelligent Medicine in the Universe Continues!

It's been two weeks since my gastroenterologist follow-up visit. At that point, I had been back on the prednisone at 10 mg a day for three weeks. Dr. Weber and I discussed my downhill slide after I stopped the prednisone at the end of June and how quickly I improved after jumping back on the prednisone at 20 mg a day in the middle of August.

Dr. Weber really wants me off the prednisone. And I get it. Prednisone has all of those nasty side-effects, both short and long-term. However, the only side-effect I've had are small bouts of insomnia here and there, and NO side-effects at the lower dose of 10 mg.  So at this point, it's hard for me to be happy about abandoning prednisone. But . . . (sigh) . . . I do get it.

So, Dr. Weber has put me on budesonide, another steroid, at 6 mg a day, to get me off of prednisone. The interesting thing is when I picked up this medicine from the pharmacy, my pharmacist was concerned at the number of refills the doctor had given. The pharmacist said this is not a long-term medication. After talking with Dr. Weber at my appointment, I was the under the impression that it was. So now I'm not sure.

I've been on the budesonide for almost two weeks. I'm feeling really good, but I've learned the hard way that these colitis/Crohn's medications often take weeks to kick in (or out.) So I can't tell at this point if the budesonide is working or not. My stool is still quite loose, about a 4.8 on the Bristol scale. And the urgency is still kind of there. From that first moment of "Okay, I've got to go," to I-better-be-sitting-on-a-toilet is about 30-40 seconds. Plenty of time if you're at home or even in most stores, but not good for traveling long distances in a car.

And thus you see why I titled this post as I did. 

I will be having my next colonoscopy in a few weeks, so I'll post my next health update after that. We are all very curious what it will look like. 

Next Update: November 2022, Colonoscopy is Finished, Ended, Complete, DONE!

Previous Update: September 2022, Prednisone Prevails! (and some insomnia)

 

 © Colitis Senioritis 2022