How many painkillers do you take in a day?

[Walkmehome]

I know some people suffer serious pain conditions which I don’t but I get headaches and lower back pain and seem to be popping pills every day. Today I have had four ibuprofen and my back is feeling so sore I am thinking of taking another two. Then possibly another one or two at bedtime if it still hasn’t shifted. Is this normal for the average person with no particular illness?

Fibromyalgia and chronic pelvic pain
4 tramadol and 4 paracetamol daily, I’m prescribed up to 8 of each but don’t like to take maximum dose.

Sumatriptan at least weekly for migraines.

Op how long have you been taking this med so regularly?

Isn't 8 Ibuprofen in 24 hours too many?

At my worst I was taking x2 Dicolfenic (slow release so a higher dose) plus up to x4 cocodamol. Thankfully another medication now manages my pain but if I have a flare up then I'm back to pain medication.

I also took daily Omeprozole to protect my stomach lining.

I’d say a couple of years.

This is not normal and you are exceeding the daily recommenced dose for ibuprofen
The headaches could also be caused by the continuous ibuprofen not to mention damage to your stomach
This class of drug is always prescribed with a stomach protector, I have Cerebral Palsy and know my painkillers!
I would see your GP,who may recommend Physio
You could also try some yoga positions at home
Alternatively you could try a mini Tens machine which i find helpful
Please do seek help

Ibuprofen can be used as anti inflammatories? So you take them as a course as opposed to just when pain is bad.... I have only ever been told to do this by a GP though and for a maximum of 2 weeks!!!

Your stomach will be torn to shreds OP

Get yourself to the doc and tell him what you’ve told us. He will tell you right there and then to stop immediately

You've been taking 8 Ibuprofen a day for a few years?

I used to get a lot of headaches and found myself taking a lot of ibuprofen and paracetamol. I also get migraines which are hormonal and last for 72 hours every month.
I gave up drinking alcohol due to a different health issue in January this year and my headaches have gone completely. I still get the migraines but the other ones have gone and I've barely needed to take any medication at all. If you drink alcohol I would really recommend cutting it out completely for a few weeks to see if that helps.

I have chronic back pain, constant sciatica, a fractured coccyx and osteoarthritis in my arms hands and knees. I take amongst other things, the highest doses of Co codamol, naproxen, gabapentin and zomorph. I also use fentanyl patches.
I know I'm addicted to all these, but I'd rather that then the constant pain.

Please go and see your Dr OP.

Mumsnet is full of people who proudly say they would never take medication- I’m thinking of all the anti depressant slagging threads and all the ones where people have been prescribed antibiotics for valid reasons and still hestitate to take them... and yet so many people do take painkillers non stop. It’s very odd! And I’m not really judging for it, I just find the paradox of the forum climate interesting!

I have Addison’s disease, asthma, anaemia, kidney issues and thyroid problems. I went through hell with a chronic back pain issue and at that time took paracetamol round the clock for about a year and also gabapentin and sometimes codeine. I was under GP care and they said it was fine to take regular long term paracetamol as long as I didn’t exceed the daily dose.

For me what cured my back pain was dance cardio classes... which I nearly killed myself doing as it was so much for me to do and I exhausted myself but I seemed to realign the nerves and since then I haven’t needed any pain relief at all. Ever.

Well apart from an odd dose for a headache etc.

could the back pain be because your kidneys are not happy?
see your gp

If I have done any damage can it be reversed if I stop taking them now?

I would keep taking the Vit D. Unlike painkillers it’s not doing any harm and it might be doing good. Don’t know what you mean about the taste, the pills are just tiny ones to swallow?

I was getting a lot of muscle pain and started using magnesium spray and within a few days the difference was remarkable.

There’s nothing wrong with taking pain relief sometimes but if you’re doing it every day then you need to find the underlying cause. Definitely get yourself to a physio and take paracetamol rather than ibuprofen if you really need to.
Ibuprofen will destroy your stomach lining long term and you really neee to be taking omeprazole or similar if you need it long term.
If have RA so I have periods where I take a lot of painkillers but even I don’t do it all day for more than a day or two.

Ps you’re only allowed 6 ibuprofen in 24 hours.

A couple of 30/500 co-codamol, 1 naproxen plus omeprazole first thing (when I usually feel like I've been trampled by elephants) and 10-20mg of amitriptylene in the evening. I have hypermobility syndrome. Sometimes I ache to buggery during the day so may take additional co-codamol or just plain paracetamol. Often I strain a joint and if that's affecting my mobility or dexterity I may take additional naproxen, though I take a break from it if I've had to take more than usual.

ChiefSpoon obviously if you’ve been told different by consultant that’s a different story and you rightly are following the advice given.

Quite a few - but I have a genetic neuropathic disability- I have discussed at length with my doctor and I am taking the option of quality of life now rather than quantity of life I.e. I know they're going to shorten my lifespan but I want to enjoy it as much as I can on my way!

You can take more ibuprofen than the dose that is recommended on the box if its prescribed by a GP.
However it can be quite toxic to the kidneys as well as causing stomach irritation so if you've been exceeding the standard recommended dose then you should see your Gp and probably need a blood test to check your renal function.

I don't understand why people view it as some sort of badge of honour to boast that they never take painkillers. No medals being given out!

Slightly different situation but after the surgery I had to insert metal rods up the inside of my tibia, plus pins and plates and so forth, I was taking 8 tramadol, 8 cocodamol and 8 nurofen each day (for around 6 weeks). Was still in tears with the pain.

Sounds a lot. However, I take ibuprofen for about two days every month for period pain. I know it is bad used long term (whereas paracetamol can be more dangerous more immediately, albeit takes about half an hour longer to have an effect), so try to minimise the use. I recently noticed that maximum dosage in 24 hours seems to have decreased from 1600 (8 200 tablets) to 1200 (6 200 tablets), so now I alternate with paracetamol, especially as my period pain seems worse lately (peri, I suppose, at my age). I hate taking paracetamol though as I have known a few people overdose on it.

I should add that I hate taking medication and knew someone who took ibuprofen every day for back pain, ending up eventually in kidney failure, so do address the underlying cause if you can. However, I do find ibuprofen the most effective painkiller for me. I had some metalwork put in me like a poster above and I didn’t find paracetamol very helpful save between ibuprofen doses. Codeine and tramadol just made me feel warm and sleepy, but didn’t really seem to do anything for the actual pain.

OP I saw an acupuncturist for a frozen shoulder when I was popping pills to get through the day.

Please also consider finding a physio massage therapist, someone who specialises in fixing posture issues. I've just started seeing someone for back ache and DH sees her for migraines and she is helping us find some answers, it's been really helpful.

I've got osteoarthritis in both knees, I struggled for nearly two years on just paracetamol, finally convinced a gp in November there was something up after hobbling in in agony, got prescribed ibuprofen 6 a day and codydramol (lowest dose) 8 a day and was told could take them long term along with suppliments.
They also sent me for physio, she was amazing along with the exercises she suggested swimming, I go twice weekly and within 8 weeks I've halved everything and now I'm on 2 codydramol and one ibuprofen morning and night to get going and help me sleep respectively and I can actually walk again , I've even started to lose a bit of weight as I'm finally able to move properly again.
Please see your gp for physio, it really will help. My friend also has back issues and she has a deep massage to help once every few weeks.