Ibuprofen = bad news for Crohnies? More info please!

I read in a pain killer post that we are supposed to be avoiding Ibuprofen but I am not sure why. I take it regularly, right now I'm using it to treat joint pain and intestinal pain that is not severe enough for the Vicodin my GI prescribed me. It works well for me.

He knows I'm on it but has never warned me against using it or told me another type of pain medication to take.

Can anyone fill me in on what they were warned about? What do you take instead?

Thanks!

From http://www.crohns.net/Miva/education/nsaids.shtml

In healthy people, the intestinal environment maintains a healthy balance, with anti-inflammatory proteins keeping pro-inflammatory molecules in check. In people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, however, the immune system can't calm the inflammatory response occurring in the gut. The result is damage to the intestinal lining, which also causes ulcers and increases the flow of intestinal contents, leading to diarrhea and bleeding.

In addition to causing chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, the immune response also accounts for the presence of disease beyond the intestine, as inflammatory cells are found in the joints, among other parts of the body.

In fact, arthritis is the most common "extra-intestinal" complication of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, affecting approximately 25% of people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Although NSAIDs block prostaglandins, thereby reducing fever, pain, and swelling that prostaglandins cause, it's not necessarily a good thing for the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

Prostaglandins play a useful role in the GI tract, where they have a protective effect on the mucosal lining of the gut. They can lessen the effects of cytokines, which are proteins released by the immune system, that produce inflammation.

Although NSAIDs can ease joint pain they can also cause damage to the mucosa in healthy people or reactivate the symptoms of disease in Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis sufferers.

I've had two deaths in my family from use of NSAID's causing ulcers and perforation (to be fair they had both used them for a long time) so theres a reason we're told to avoid it, we're at a higher chance than your average person of having that happen to us too. you know I'm in a hell of a lot of pain if I have to resort to taking it which if I am suffering I will do, you know when pain gets to the point where you just don't care about the risks you just want some relief, but I know I'm helluva stupid to with Crohn's AND a family of history of dying in that way.

Because I take codeine everyday for bowel control (and have done for years) I've completely stitched myself up in terms of how I can be treated when I'm in pain, when I was last really ill they had me on morphine and pethidine and I still couldn't get relief.

I have never heard of IBD going away and would find a new G.I. if one ever told me that. Did he possibly tell you that you do not have crohn's disease and your problems were caused by NSAIDs instead? NSAIDs do not cause Crohn's disease but can trigger a flare or cause bleeding which leads to other issues. Maybe I understood your post wrong, but was he possibly saying that you have crohn's disease and your flare should subside now that your are not using NSAIDS? IBD and IBS never go completely away but can be put into remission or controlled. IBD in particular is crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and there are no known cures. I am not trying to be condescending or rude so please do not take it that way. Have you been given an actual diagnosis yet or are you still in the process? Sometimes it can take a while and a few different opinions to get a solid diagnosis. It took over a year and 2 surgeries to get a solid diagnosis for me. It started out as appendicitis, gallbladder, IBS and then finally confirmed Crohn's disease. Many here can probably share stories similar to mine about their diagnosis. If you have a doctor telling you that he is a specialist and your crohn's is going to go completely away and was caused by NSAIDS, then I really mean it that you need to change doctors. You also need to report them.

None of my surgeons over the years will allow NSAID s, not only do they cause the irrtation to the lining of the bowel, they change the flora. Patrick Holford's website in UK has some interesting facts on it. He actually believes that even for non CD patients it is a very harmful family of drugs

MoobyDoo, yes do give her Tylenol instead of Motrin. For some the Tylenol does not work as well. If she is having the spasmy cramps, maybe you can ask her doctor for something like Bentyl or Levsin to help with the cramping. Good luck!