Bad stomach ache after taking advil.

[akaltz]

Hi, My husband takes about 2-3 advils a day for hios headache and it seems to be killing his stomach. Does anyone have any suggestions? Do other brands Motrin, Naproxen, Tylenol work the same ?

[Jim Scott]

Hi ~

I'm not a doctor but I've read that one shouldn't ingest more than 1200 milligrams a day of any NSAID OTC drug such as ibuprofen (Advil) and that you should stop taking it at all if stomach pain persists. If your husband is experiencing digestion problems, that could be a sign that he he doing damage to his stomach.  Tylenol is an acetaminophen that should not cause stomach problems although high doses have been know to cause liver damage in some people. 

I strongly suggest you and your husband schedule an appointment with his doctor to discuss ways of alleviating his discomfort with alternative (perhaps holistic) medication.  Please keep us updated on how this works out.  Thanks.

Jim
   

[Captain Deb]

Post-surgery I was taking large quantities of Advil due to really bad headaches and I ended up ruining the lining of my stomach permanently.  I would advise anyone taking OTC NSAIDS to never take them without food--graham crackers work great.If the pain continues even when he takes the Advil with food,   he really needs to see a doc and maybe a gastroenterologist (I know, more doctors)--he may have a pre-ulcerative condition. Tylenol (acetamenophin) does not act badly on the tummy--he could try that, too.

Capt Deb

[leapyrtwins]

I'm not a doc either, but I'm a little surprised that Advil would upset your husband's stomach.  It's one of the milder pain relievers.

I had to give up Aleve a few years ago because it had ruined my stomach, but since I switched to Advil I've had no further problems.

Jan

[Cheryl R]

Advil and Motrin are both ibuprofen.      Aleve is Naprosyn and another form of NSAIDS.    There are several drugs which are NSAIDS besides these.       Food should be taken with them and any of them can cause GI problems sometimes without symptoms until have a GI bleed.      This is more likely when taken on a regular daily basis and not just occ use.        There can be higher doses used when given as a prescription.            Sometimes some drs say to take the drugs called ppis or proton pump inhibitors whci is Prilosec or Nexium and other names.    Other might say to try the ones like Zantac or Pepcid.      Anyone taking NSAIDS on a regulae basis needs to talk to their dr about their own use and whether it is safe for their own medical condition.    Ibuprofen drugs users also have to watch their blood pressure as can elevate that too and for some should not be used.        Tylenol is acetaminophen and not a NSAID but should not be taken over 2400 mg every 24 hrs.   One should also be under a drs care of taking this ona regular daily every 6 hr basis.          There is problems with this being in so many other types of pain or cold medicine which is why one has to really watch how much they are taking every 24 hrs.      Chronic headaches meds should be checked out with your dr and possibly on to pain clinics and drs who do just headache care.           There are many on here who have their own story about what they have taken and what has worked for them.            Cheryl R                 

[akaltz]

Thank you all so much for your replies. Besides the headache he has been experiencing a numbness in his skull. It seems like Tylenol, Motrin and Advil are the safest to take. We will be contacting Dr. Chang tonight, Jason may have to take steroids to help with his headaches but we are trying everyting to avoid it! Anna

[Lesliegc]

I have headaches too, and at 6 weeks post op had been taking more tylenol and alleve than I ever thought I would. I recently purchased a natural remedy called "curamin" from the natural foods store. Turmeric-based, which is an anti-inflammatory, it actually seems to work. I've only been taking it 3 days, twice a week, but so far so good, and it does not destroy your stomach or liver. I'd definintely recommend. I wish I'd heard of it 6 weeks ago. Best of luck.

[akaltz]

Thank you , will give it a try and report back to the forum!
Anna

[Mei Mei]

Six months after my surgery I had to accompany my father to taiwan and Beijing for meetings.   My headaches came on strong and I had to see the academy physician who was a Johns Hopkins graduate.   He said  So, the surgery was unsuccessful.   He felt badly and this was the first time I heard some one say it was unsuccessful.     Yes it was unsuccessful and I went to Dr. Ducic to do something about what he said I had nerve damage and couldn't be fixed, but excised.     What's important to note is that I was taking Six Alleve a day which really impacted the headaches.    I also was told by my aunts who are doctors in the Beijing Hospital that the pharmacists where she went to buy the Alleve said I'm am not to take this more than 2 weeks.   We we Americans are much more liberal with painkillers than that and tai 6 to 8 every  day.   My God send at Goergetown Unifersity hospital who has bee managing my meds broung in a neuro guy and they both said I was in danger of getting serotonin syndrome that ends you u[ in the ICU.   So they cut bad on the all eve and added Indomethecin and cut bad on the cymbalta.   I am much better now but still have the cervical neuralgia and pain in the holder and uneven shoulders.   I need a hearing device to help with this straining to hear what people are trying to tell me.

Sincerely,
Mei Mei

[Mei Mei]

There is another example of what I am talking about my memory and word issues.    I've always been the most fluent writer and was a writer at the NIH and a pharmaceutical company.   I just re read the note above and didn't understand what I wrote.    I wrote  "cut bad"   but meant to say "cut back"

It's worrisome what's happening to my brain.
Mei Mei

[Jim Scott]

There is another example of what I am talking about my memory and word issues.    I've always been the most fluent writer and was a writer at the NIH and a pharmaceutical company.   I just re read the note above and didn't understand what I wrote.    I wrote  "cut bad"   but meant to say "cut back"

It's worrisome what's happening to my brain.
Mei Mei

Mei Mei ~

Without diminishing your concerns, I'm guessing that most of the minor errors in your post #8 were simply typos.  Probably the result of your brain outpacing your fingers.  You still write fluently but perhaps a more careful 'proof reading' of your posts might help avoid these nagging errors.  Just a suggestion.

Jim