NSAID question

[EricaH]

I've been having knee problems and saw the sports med doctor today. He thinks I have a meniscus tear and ordered an MRI and also thinks I have some mild arthritis and saw a bone spur.

Anyway, he prescribed Naprosyn, an NSAID, and told me to take that regularly along with icing the knee. He prescribed enough for 2 months.

My question is - what is the purpose of NSAIDs? Would I be taking them to make me more comfortable or will they actually help my condition?

I don't like taking meds if I don't need them and I don't have that much discomfort. I'll take the NSAIDs if they will improve my knee, but if it's just for pain relief, than I'd rather just take them as needed.

Erica

 

[amhess]

Hi Erica,
I too have knee problems. Initially, I had pain and for the longest time was told to take Ibuprophen to control the swelling. They ordered physical therapy and put me on NSAIDs. They prescribe it to keep the swelling down and in some cases it can help being on it for a few months. They ordered an MRI, but it didn't show any significant tears, so back on the Ibuprophen I went. After 2 years of grappling with pain, I finally got another MRI which was fishy enough to warrant Arthroscopic surgery. They found that I had the beginning stages of Arthritis and had to shave a lot of worn cartilage away and repair some of my meniscus.

Anyway, I think NSAIDs are for short term relief and in some cases, it keeps the swelling down enough for the injury to heal. If you go off of them and are still having problems, I would insist on more testing to see if Arthroscopic surgery is warranted. There could be a deeper problem. Also, I'm only 35 so the diagnosis of Arthritis was quite a surprise, especially, I've basically been healthy all my life. Mine was most likely due to over use at a young age. Now, it's been suggested that I don't run anymore so I can get a few more years out of them before a full knee replacement. That kills me though because I love running so much.

Good luck with your diagnosis and don't settle for taking pills for a long period of time. They can reak havoc on your system as a whole

Anne

 

[materialsgirl]

Yes, NSAIDs will help your problem, not just mask the pain. That is what NSAID means - Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug. It reduces the inflamation in your affected joint, so it can operate more smoothly and with less pain. You should take them for the entire prescibed course and at the appropriate intervals in order to see the benefit from them. They have a low occurence of side effects and are generally considered very safe to take every day for prolonged periods (lots of people do). Do I sound like a commercial for a prescription or what? LOL!

 

[t_jania]

I agree. If there's still swelling, the joint may not heal right. Take the drug for the course and see what happens. If you don't keep the swelling under control, it could tear worse if you try to use the joint.

 

[EricaH]

Thanks everyone!

I'll get the prescription filled and see what happens.


Anne - my situation is similar to yours. I'm a runner and I can't imagine having to take time off or actually quit running. I can't even think about it and am hoping that my knee feels better soon and I can just continue with my normal routine. I'm 37 and was also surprised to hear the doctor say that I have arthritis in the knee. I do overtrain, though, so I guess that I should have expected it.

Erica