My left arm has been in pain for over a week and I can't really sleep good at night. On medication when I'm not at work and in pain while I am at work. Not fun. And I just read how it can last quite a while.... there goes my summer.

=/ Aww... do we need to send someone over to give you a sensual massage, sir?

Can't have you down and out!

Crack your neck or see a chiropractor. Walk it off!

I feel your pain, though my disk issues are WAY lower in the spine. Alternate ice and heat, eat Advil, etc, etc. Not much beyond that helps, though PT can offer some relief.

I've been taking 800mg of Ibuprofen the past week, every 6 hours. Percocet and muscle relaxers to help with sleep. I'm seeing a specialist on Monday. It sucks not being able to hold my 6-month old like I used to. Very frustrating.

How long before ibuprofen starts to do more harm than good?

You'll feel it in your stomach, trust me. I kept taking it since it was the only thing that relaxed the muscles around the disk/nerve area. My stomach is likely FUBAR for life after ingesting on a similar schedule for a year +.

well once you develop a "new" symptom thats when you know you have taken too much. . So whatever symptom you get that is different then thats when you should stop. As to how long you can take ibuprofen before you have any bad side effects is up to your body. Many can take it for a long periods of time without causing any harm and some can only take it a few days (7-10).

That sucks. I've got a messed up back from a MX wreck 25 years ago when I compressed 3 discs and hairline fractured one or two verts... back issues are definitely not fun.

That sounds like a lot of ibuprofen....I would ask a doc about it. I usually alternate between ibuprofen, acetomeniphen, and aspirin if I have to take something for any length of time. I hate taking medication though, so at that point I'm usually in a hospital.

and i found this for you as well :

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop taking ibuprofen and seek medical attention or call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance
black, bloody, or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
swelling or rapid weight gain
urinating less than usual or not at all
nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash
bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness; or
severe headache, neck stiffness, chills, increased sensitivity to light, and/or seizure (convulsions)
Less serious side effects may include:

upset stomach, mild heartburn, diarrhea, constipation
bloating, gas
dizziness, headache, nervousness
skin itching or rash
blurred vision; or
ringing in your ears
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

and try not to take aspirin as it may cause stomach ulcers. acetaminophen would be tylenol

Sorry to hear, I know how much it can hurt. I did it to my L1/L2 disc skiing when I was 20 and it flairs up from time to time. When it does I can't even sit. I have to lie down or stand if I can.

What are you guys doing to cause all these disc problems, wasn't it your wife last year?

how did u that happen at 20??

steve said:

Sorry to hear, I know how much it can hurt. I did it to my L1/L2 disc skiing when I was 20 and it flairs up from time to time. When it does I can't even sit. I have to lie down or stand if I can.

What are you guys doing to cause all these disc problems, wasn't it your wife last year?

Click to expand...

I know right? Must be something in the water out here in Denver.

Landed flat on my back after flying through the air while skiing in Vail. Don't remember the details of how any more, might have been a lighting change that masked a mogul that put me airborne.

Guzman08 said:

how did u that happen at 20??

Click to expand...

I had a discectomy at 27. It happens. Being the big guy that "likes to help people move stuff" has some drawbacks.

Chiropractors can do wonders. I'm a 20 year old guy, who has spent at least 10 of them playing 3 sports (football, basketball, and baseball). Im also 6'4" 220, which is enough to put wear and tear on my body. I see a chiropractor once a month, for my knees, back, and right hand (been fractured twice). Theres been times where I barely can move after work (part time work for a moving company, so lots of furniture to be moved), and I head to the chiropractor and feel like a million bucks. Medication really sucks, but its needed sometimes. Maybe see if the doc can hook up some vicoden for when it gets really bad.

If you see someone with frequency, they ain't fixing a thing.

Would you take your car to a fake mechanic? Why do you trust a fake doctor?

If I ever had an injury like that I would rather go get realigned once and a while than to have something that disables me from moving a certain way forever, no matter what, and be on pain meds forever. There are good things doctors can do, and there are things that are just patches, like injury surgery. Doctors are just to keep you in one piece, and things like chriopractors keep the pieces moving how they should. I think it all just comes down to being able to ignore pain and making muscles not cause things to pinch nerves.

Chris, the 800mg dose of ibuprofen is generally recommended to be taken every 8 hours or you can take 600mg every 6 hours. If you are worried that it will affect your stomach lining then you can take an antacid as well like OTC Zantac or Pepcid. Or ask your doc for a stronger acid reducer ("PPI"). Most people tolerate ibuprofen quite well and these aren't even needed.

Until you get an MRI to see the location and size of the disc protrusion it's hard to recommend a treatment plan but I would not recommend getting any type of spinal manipulation done as it can make things worse. Ask your doc about a short cycle of prednisone to reduce inflammation. Don't take prednisone if you are diabetic.

LandoAWD said:

If you see someone with frequency, they ain't fixing a thing.

Would you take your car to a fake mechanic? Why do you trust a fake doctor?

Click to expand...

Ummm, some things you can't just "fix". I have fallen arches to go along with my size, and all the physical activity. My knees are bound to go out someday, but the chiropractor helps ease those pains that come along with it. Going to the chiropractor isn't a fix for me, it's more like monthly maintenence for me (think of it as a monthly tune-up for my body). Plus, some injuries will never go away, even doctors can't fix everything.

That sucks, I get pinched nerves way too often. Makes it hard to physically get out of bed.

I don't think chiropractors claim to fix you, they just make you feel better.

I found this after surfing Tuners for a few days straight, why all the intardnets and no work? I just had a cage put around my spine on Monday at the ripe age of 25. Being a medic in the army I can tell you whoever said to alternate tylenol and motrin every 6 hours is the winner. (If you have the luxury of throwing percocets or lortab in the mix, all the better) Muscle relaxers are a help, if they don't knock you out. Physical therapy CAN help, but it depends on the severity of the herniation. Ice/heat and rest are your best allies and when/if comes down to surgery, having a nice big TV with Battlefield2 setup for you is the best medicine ever

medical marihuana, that should help more then any narcotic drug that the doctors want you to pop fora long time

There's already a thread about chronic pain. Please use the search feature next time.

jk

If you can get some Tylenol 4's try that. Everyone reacts to pain killers differently. For me a couple Tylenol 4's did wonders.

I'm a big part of that chronic pain thread. I absolutely destroyed a disc in my neck. My doctor blew it off. Put me on 2400 mg of ibuprofen a day plus cyclobenzaprine every night. I struggled for 5 years until my kidneys gave out. I very nearly died. Ok so I dont take ibuprofen anymore. In fact I'm alerghic to it. 5&1/2 years later I woke up in insane amounts of pain going thru my left arm. It felt like I had my left index finger stuck in a pot of boiling water. It felt like I had an 18 wheeler sitting on my left arm. I went straight to the 'er. They thought I was havin a heart attack. Not the case. They scheduled me for a MRI. They prescribed me gavapentin, cyclobenzaprine, hydrocodone, oxycodone and oxycoton. I was supposed to take all those at the same time. I did it didn't do anything for the pain. Just took the very tip off. So I stopped taking any pain meds. I was in crazy pain for three weeks before the arm just faded away. Lost the pain and lost the use of my left arm. Could still feel it just couldn't use it. Most I could do was hold a cup of coffee. My left arm whithered away. I lost a couple inches off it within a few weeks. Lost all muscle tone...
Ok ok ok. Alot of this is in the chronic pain thread. Anyways. Stand on your doctor. Insist on a MRI and insist a neurosurgeon reads it not a MRI tech. The MRI tech said I had one partially buldging disc and one herniated disc. They completely missed my c7-c8 disc that half half of it completely blown away. Insist on a neurosurgeon reading it. This is serious shit. Stand on them to get the health care service you need
I got my 7&8th vertebrae fused together with a ti plate four big badly screws and some donor bone. Life is pretty much back to normal well after a 280k surgery, losing my wife, kids, house and truck.