Friday, March 27

A Warning to Those Taking Medication


This morning I got a call from Jordan. He wasn't feeling well and wanted to know if I would come and stay with him because his mother had to work. I did and though he was well behaved and helped me out, I'm tired tonight. The stairs at Michelle's play havoc with my arthritic knees.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I said that the woman doctor who was taking my GP's place while he was on holidays gave me Pennsaid. Well, I've been using that and taking my Celebrex, which has helped. However, the pain is still quite evident even using these, so I have been taking ibuprofen.

Last night I was surfing the net and found that when you are using Pennsaid, you should not be taking ibuprofen. Apparently both are very hard on the stomach and when used together can cause internal bleeding. So today I called my pharmacist to confirm whether this was fact or fiction.

Now my pharmacist is on holidays so there was a lady taking his place. She told me I should not be using Pennsaid and taking iboprofen. Furthermore, I should not be taking Celebrex and iboprofen or using Pennsaid and Celebrex together. The lady doctor is the one that prescribed Celebrex, so she was definitely aware I was taking it when she prescribed the Pennsaid and then I was told if I was still in pain to take ibuprofen. GRRR!!!
I am tired and am not sure if this is as clear as mud, so I will break it down.

* Do not take ibuprofen if you are taking Celebrex.

* Do not take ibuprofen is you are using Pennsaid.

* Do not use Pennsaid if you are taking Celebrex.

A word of advise. Do not trust any health professional without looking into matters yourself. They do not follow the guidelines. The do not have your best interests at heart. They do not take the time to make sure that their patients are safe.

Always be sure to check with your pharmacist when new medication is prescribed. I've been taking all of these and am lucky that I wasn't admitted to hospital with internal bleeding, according to the pharmacist. I've been using ibuprofen and Celebrex together for months. I've been using all three for the last two or three weeks. So now I'm back to square one. Of course my doctor's office was closed today, as it is every Friday. No information was forthcoming from there. I'm not sure whether to take the Celebrex and quit the ibuprofen and Pennsaid or whether to use the Pennsaid and stop the Celebrex and ibuprofen. Maybe I should just quit using everything.

Trust your own judgement. Check and double check. Everything that is online is not true, but at least it can give you a heads-up and you can check it out to make sure the meds you are taking are not going to kill you. And believe me, if you get the wrong mixture they can interact and yes, they can kill. Use extreme caution.

On a happier note, our weather was gorgeous today. We only needed jackets, the sun was shining and there was only a slight breeze. Enjoy the nice weather. ~Blessings, Mary~

32 comments:

  1. I worry about all the meds my mom takes. I really like her doctor, but she never removes anything ... just keeps adding. I hope the weather change will help your knees feel better.

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  2. One of my friends is a pharmasist and I take advantage of her knowledge quite often. Hope your knees feel better soon Mary.

    We still have lots of snow and cold here.

    God bless.

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  3. A word to the wise . . .

    I have heard of several instances recently where so many doctors are prescribing so many different things to to a person that they're not coordinated and can be harmful. Scary.

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  4. So glad to hear that you caught this error before it caused you serious stomach bleeding.
    Hope your dr. can find a med that helps with your knee pain. I know that makes getting around so difficult.
    xo

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  5. we always ask if the med will clash with something else,and ask the dr.to check to make sure.

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  6. Glad you caught this - it can be dangerous. I agree that you should check with your pharmacist.

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  7. Bless your heart, thanks for this information.

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  8. I wondered about you taking all those NSAIDs together when I read it on your other post. I'm glad you didn't have any ill effects from taking them all together!

    I agree, you should ask your pharmacist about drug interactions because most doctors sure don't know what's safe to take together.

    Hope you find something to take that helps and that you can tolerate. I don't take anything for my arthritis now except for Tylenol occasionally, and it doesn't really help, maybe takes the edge off a little and perhaps helps with the inflammation.

    I like your new Easter theme!

    Happy weekend!

    Love and hugs,

    Diane

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  9. Good Evening Mary,
    "THANK YOU" for the heads up about he medication warnings. I am allergic to several different kinds of meds and it'a always hard for me to take just anything. When I was in teh hospital when I had my stroke last month, I had a reaction to Phenegran, My Mother -in-laew nocticed that it was making me talke meanlike to everyone. That is the first time that Phenegran had ever done tht to me. So, now i stay away from it and when a doctor or nurse ask me about what meds I CAN or can't take, I tell them what pHENEGRIN DID TO ME. It never hurtw to be too safe when it comes to taking medications. I hope your knees are feeling better and glad you had a nice day up your way. It is suppose to be cooler here tomorrow and Sunday. My Mom told me this morning when she called me that they are expecting some wintry mix up in Branson, MO tomorrow or tomorrow night. I hope they make it home on Sunday before they get snowed in up there. Take care my friend and have q great weekend. MY god bLESS YOU AND YOURWS.i hope Brandon is feeling better also.
    Love,
    Karen H.

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  10. Very good advice. have a great weekend my friend...m

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  11. I know it's a good idea to check with a pharmacist but sometimes I wonder about the hasty prescriptions.

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  12. I remember once that my maternal grandmother was given so many medications that she 'lost it'. She was doing all kinds of crazy things - she even ran away.

    The problem was she had 5 or 6 docs - and they all kept prescribing her meds - she was on 16 different meds. During this episode, she was taken to the hospital and they ended up taking her off of everything for a few weeks. Then she only had 3 medications to take - that was easier!

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  13. I seriously just DON'T take anything anymore other than the one to keep my blood pressure lowered. And then, I read and was told that it could possibly cause liver damage in years to come.

    I also read that our physicians get a kickback for each Rx they prescribe. So I tend to wonder if some of these patients aren't getting screwed to line the Dr.s pockets.

    I just wonder. Period. I so distrust a doctor any more that I try to find 'non drug remedies' online.

    ....and like you said, even what you read online can very well be misleading.

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  14. PS....I had to stop back and leave Bud's comment on this [that we were just talking about]. Something that has NEVER crossed my mind. But, he pointed out the fact to consider just how many M.D.s in all fields cheated on their exams to become a doctor. Whoa...scary.

    Hope Jordan is feeling better and enjoy the day with them.

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  15. I knew about Celebrex and ibuprofen. At the time I was told that they want to occupy the same space. I wasn't told that the combination was dangerous though.

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  16. Scary Mary-I'm glad you found out the info and shared it with everyone.

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  17. My Daughter the pharmacist is always calling drs who prescribe something for a patient which will not mix with something they''re already taking. Drs just don't have time to keep up with all the meds and their side effects.
    If I were you, I'd ask the Pharmacist whom you spoke to about which med to continue taking. Were they both for arthritis? I don't take anything regularly for mine. I took a prescription drug for about a year and couldn't tell it made any difference so now, I just take Naproxin when I have a flare up. My pain is usually only a 2 so I just bear it. I do find that I ache more when I walk but we must keep moving or we get stiff.
    Feel better my friend,
    Mama Bear

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  18. It's amazing how much doctors don't tell you unless you specifically ask, but how do we know to ask right? Don't we trust the medical profession...hmm hope your knees get better.

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  19. I always check prescriptions with the pharmacist as that is their specialty. Doctors don't always have all the information on new medications. I have been trying to find a good medication for my knee pain. Celebrex was of no use, ibuprofen, so-so, and I have found Aleve (naprosyn) to be the best. I was going to ask my doctor about Pennsaid this week. (You should be able to take Tylenol with your anti inflammatory...check it out)

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  20. Yes, Mary, a good warning indeed! People who take many prescribed meds just don't realize that a lot of them don't mix with over the counter meds. I'm so glad that you found out about your meds before you had a negative reaction from them!!!

    Been raining or freezing rain here all weekend. I'm moving south where it's sunny! lol xoxo

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  21. Oh, Mary....Cele*brex gave me a heart attack. My doctor won't even allow me to take any anti-inflammatory drugs now. I just take prednisone every now and then, but just for 10 days at a time. Be careful with any medications...there's a side effect to everything! Bless your heart...I know about knees....mine are bad, too....

    ((( HUGS )))

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