What Do You Use For Pain Relief?

[ellen123]

Hello friends,

Now that I have learned that anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (and aspirin) caue new outbreaks of DH in many people, including me, I need some suggestions about the most effective pain-relief for headaches and/or neck pain. Since becoming gluten-free, I now have far fewer episodes of severe neck pain and migraines, but they do crop up from time to time, and I really need to kill the pain in order to function. Massage, stretching, etc. are not enough. What do you use?

Since I normally avoid medication unless I really have to take it, I'm hoping some of you use something not terribly hard on the body -- but maybe that's asking too much.

Thanks! Ellen

[GlutenGalAZ]

I use either Motrin IB tablets or Advil gel caps.

Here is a link of gluten free medications/drugs -- The list is not always up to date so double check:

Open Original Shared Link

If you have body aches can try heating pad or an Epson Salt bath (inexpensive).

[Ursa Major]

Motrin or Advil really are the same thing as Ibuprofen, I'm afraid.

I also can't tolerate Aspirin, Ibuprofen or any related drugs. The reason is, that they are extremely high in salicylates (in fact, that is all Aspirin is).

I tried lots of things, but the only thing that will stop a migraine for me (if I take it early enough, there is a point when nothing will work any more) is the combination of one extra strength Tylenol, and one Tylenol with codeine, which you can buy without a prescription here in Canada, but need a prescription in the U.S.

You could try a homeopathic migraine remedy, it works for many people. I also find that when I see my chiropractor when I have a migraine, he will do a special adjustment that will often stop it.

Do you get enough sleep? Lack of sleep will often give me a migraine. Or being completely exhausted.

[ellen123]

Motrin or Advil really are the same thing as Ibuprofen, I'm afraid.

I also can't tolerate Aspirin, Ibuprofen or any related drugs. The reason is, that they are extremely high in salicylates (in fact, that is all Aspirin is).

I tried lots of things, but the only thing that will stop a migraine for me (if I take it early enough, there is a point when nothing will work any more) is the combination of one extra strength Tylenol, and one Tylenol with codeine, which you can buy without a prescription here in Canada, but need a prescription in the U.S.

You could try a homeopathic migraine remedy, it works for many people. I also find that when I see my chiropractor when I have a migraine, he will do a special adjustment that will often stop it.

Thank you, Ursa. I'll try playing around with E.S. Tylenol first, then if necessary will try to get a prescription for the one w/ codeine. I'll also look for homeopathic migraine remedies -- I have one for "trauma" type joint and muscle ache that I've used with some success, but not one specifically for headaches.

[kbtoyssni]

There are I think five types of anti-inflammatories. One is the advil/ibuprofen/motrin category - the stuff you get over the counter. If one doesn't work for you, it's likely that the others won't either. Mobic is another type. It's a prescription drug, once a day. Relafen is another prescription drug. So if ibuprofen isn't helping, you might ask your doctor if you can try a different one.

[flourgirl]

About the only thing I can tolerate anymore....and not get DH is Tylenol. My DH outbreaks WERE getting less and less and smaller bumps. Somehow I got glutened (I think from a product that I thought was gluten-free and apparently wasn't), and I had a MAJOR outbreak of burning blistery rash. Guess I'm starting at ground zero again to get the DH out of my skin. Does the danger of DH outbreaks ever really go away again? Hope so!

[ellen123]

There are I think five types of anti-inflammatories. One is the advil/ibuprofen/motrin category - the stuff you get over the counter. If one doesn't work for you, it's likely that the others won't either. Mobic is another type. It's a prescription drug, once a day. Relafen is another prescription drug. So if ibuprofen isn't helping, you might ask your doctor if you can try a different one.

Thanks for the info -- but the problem is not that advil/ibuprofen/motrin don't work. They work great for my headaches if I take 2 or 3. The problem is they aggravate (activate) my DH, which lately has been more irritating than the migraines! I wonder whether Mobic or Relafen would have the same effect as advil/ibuprofen in terms of instigating a DH outbreak.

Ellen

[ellen123]

About the only thing I can tolerate anymore....and not get DH is Tylenol. My DH outbreaks WERE getting less and less and smaller bumps. Somehow I got glutened (I think from a product that I thought was gluten-free and apparently wasn't), and I had a MAJOR outbreak of burning blistery rash. Guess I'm starting at ground zero again to get the DH out of my skin. Does the danger of DH outbreaks ever really go away again? Hope so!

Me too! I had begun to think I was getting off easy, as my DH outbreaks were getting milder after only a few months of being GH. Then I got glutened by assuming something was gluten-free that wasn't, and I had a major outbreak too. It lasted 2 weeks and covered places I didn't even know I had! Sorry to hear you're in the same boat as me, but since we've been successful before, we can do it again.