I was on Meloxicam for almost two and a half months when I started having intestinal issues and my doc pulled me off of it. Then last night (only three days after my last dose), I had very severe abdominal pain that landed me in the ER. Docs were afraid it was my gallbladder, thankfully it wasn't. They've put me on Prilosec and are gonna have me talk to the primary care (also they gave me a nice dose of dilaudad last night, was a nice fibro vacation even if it was for only a couple hours).
So now of course I'm worried that I might have an ulcer, or something silmilar going on. Tonight I had some nausea after eating dinner and a little pain off and on (it doesn't help that the ultrasound lady had to practically shove the ultrasound wand into my belly, talk about ouch. Feeling bruised from that today). Has anyone else had stomach problems with anti-inflammatories or other pain meds? I've had gut problems from Vicodin and other meds before, but this is the first time I've had upper stomach pain from a med.
Also, other than the prilosec, are there any other suggestions for soothing a roughed up stomach? I am NOT liking the stomach problems on top of my fibro and IC.
Meloxicam is like an ibuprophen (Motrin) med. They are the WORST on the stomach. If you take this med, you need to eat before you take it. All these meds we take for pain do a number on our stomachs. Try to fix one problem, and create another one.
I was just diagnosed last week and Meloxicam is what my doc gave me to try even though he said most likely it would give me stomach ulcers. I haven't really had many issues with it like a lot of the posts I've seen online. I usually take mine at night with a small snack and a small glass of milk a couple hours before bed. I've had a little stomach irritation once or twice when I first started taking it, but that's about it that I can remember. I know ulcers are caused by acid eating the lining of the stomach, so I figured if I take it with milk and a snack it might help...and so far, for me it has.
Drinking soda or juice within a few hours before I take it makes my tummy irritated. So, for the most part, I've cut out sodas (which I needed to do anyway!) and no juice after 6:00. I also take it easy on acidic foods like tomatoes, fruit, and I eat nothing greasy or fried, especially at dinner. If you think about it, I suppose anything that could give you heartburn could increase your chances at getting a stomach ulcer. You could also probably take Tums before you take your meds too, along with food.
My first drug to slow the progression of my Psoriatic arthritis was Suflasalazine which caused a stomach ulcer, then It was on to Methotrexate, also had side effects with this med, but it was necessary to try these before a biologic could be prescribed.
Unfortunately there is no medicine or herb we can ever take without the chance of a bad side effect, we just have to try them. I have been taking anti-inflammatories for nearly a decade, the best advice I can give is to eat something with every single dose, unfortunately it does not guarantee no problems, but it diminishes the chances of ulcers.
I have to take Phenergan before taking any pain meds, so I can keep them down.
Hope you can find some relief from something that will not cause additional problems.
Thanks for your kind words guys. My Primary is referring me to a Pain Specialist now, so hopefully I can find the right med for me. The Prilosec seems to be helping, my stomach feels much better today (though still bruised from the ultrasound lady, go figure). I took the Meloxicam with a big glass of milk and a snack, and it still got me. I've got a history of stomach problems from NSAIDS and pain meds, so I probably should have seen it coming.
NSAIDs are popular stomach antagonists. I give you credit for staying on the meloxicam as long as you did. I was on it a day and had to stop. Lodein I also only took for a few days, trying to tolerate the nausea, pain and vomiting. I have a history of ulcer and hiatal hernia, gerd, etc...so one thing I always think about is the damage that NSAID use can do to the lining of our stomachs. Even basic Ibuprophen usage over time can strip and damage our stomach lining.
All of these meds have caused me many different levels of pain, including needing ER. I am now using Voltaren Gel and it helps a little bit, it is topical so does not hit my stomach. I cant rub on enough of it to take care of all pain because I would need to bathe in it but at least I am not projectile vomiting. I am sorry that you have to deal with more pain from trying to treat your pain, yes, it seems we have a lot on our plates. Sadly, though, this is not uncommon.
Oh yeah, NSAIDS. Good stuff until they eat your stomach lining up. Then not such good stuff. At any rate, I'm glad you're finding some relief, Allesmere, AND will go to a Pain Specialist. I pray that he or she finds a good medicine for your pain.