Sport Today

Thanks to all who responded regarding the back pain problem that my
friend was having. Last night he took some prescription medicine that
another friend of ours just happened to have in her medicine cabinet.
It had originally been prescribed to her for shoulder pain.  Charlie was
quite aware that it's unwise to take someone else's prescription drug,
but he was in such distress that he basically didn't care.  The drug he
took was Naprelan.  He told me that within 1/2 hour the pain began to
dull a bit, and within an hour or so it was completely gone.  Today he
spent all day at a swim meet - and felt fine the whole day.

He explained that Motrin didn't do a whole lot, and neither did Ben Gay,
but that a heating pad helped some.  Also:  the pain didn't really seem
to be muscular, rather more like a nerve thing.  He showed me where it
had been located - about fist's distance from the spine, on the left
side of the lower back.  He also said it was more of an internal pain
than external pain.  (Pardon my utter ignorance on these matters.)  He
said the difference before and after he took this Naprelan drug was
almost miraculous.  He was totally incapacitated by pain before he took
it, and afterward, it was as if nothing had ever happened.  Not a trace
of pain.   Now he wants to know why.  How could those pills make such a
huge difference in how he felt, and what, if any, alternatives are
there?  (I have given him a printout of all the messages that you folks
posted, as well as the Email I received.)  

Charlie is very apprehensive about whether the pain will come back
again.  Naturally he's taking things very easy at the moment.  No more
landscaping for the time being.  (By the way, all of his swimmers did
quite well at the meet - an "Early Bird Long Course" competition
sponsored by Potomac Valley Swimming.)

Thanks again.

-Alex

Typically, my back problem is manageable on a day-to-day basis by simply
paying attention and doing/not doing all the things anyone should do to
prevent back problems (lift with your legs, sleep on your side, don't sit in
strange positions, don't sit or stand without moving for extended periods,
keep the abdominal and back muscles strong and supple, never stop swimming
for more than a few days).

However, from time to time I get flareups (stiffness and pain).  Sometimes I
can tell what caused the flareup, sometimes not.  When I get a flareup, I
can usually get through it with a little extra stretching and a cycle of
Naprosyn, which my doctor gives me an annual prescription (to be used only
when needed).  A five to ten day cycle of the anti-inflammatory medication
usually sees me through.

Twice (when the disk first ruptured, and one other time), the pain was
excruciating (I actually passed out) and there was accompanying numbness
down the left leg and into the foot.  This pain is casued by the ruptured
disk getting inflamed and putting pressure on a nerve in my lower back.  

These two serious flareups were treated with ***cortisone for a week,
muscle relaxers and Naprosyn.  Heap big medicine that works fast.

That's my story.  Tell your friend good luck.

Ed!

One other thing.  I always try to ice my lower back for 10-20 minutes after
every practice.  Works for me and it's worth a try.  

Ed!

Snip

Best I can tell is that is Naproxen sodium or an anti prostaglandin
(just as is the Mortrin he had been taking) and there is a whole list of
stuff (both prescription and over-the-counter, depending on dosage size
of pill) that does the same thing.  These are very effective medications
for such problems, i.e., arthritis, muscular pain, etc., requiring an
anti inflamatory agent that is non steroidal...

If you want to look these up,  I suggest:  http://www.rxlist.com/
as a source for such information...

Bob

--
Bob Grimes

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/RGrimes_3/
Jacksonville, Florida

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore....."

On Tue, 13 May 1997 20:44:20 -0700, Alexander Gabis

Naproxen is in the same class of agents as Ibuprofen.  

According to Lippincott's PHARMACOLOGY,  the side effects of Naproxin
are:  
1.      GI distress ranging from dyspepsia to bleeding.

2.      ***:  Reversible acetylization of platelet cyclooxygenase
resulting in inhibition of platelet aggregation and prolonged bleeding
time.

3.      Central Nervous System:  headache, tinnitius and dizziness.

I'll agree with Ed, about the flareups and good and bad days.

I am also a swimmer with 2 herniated disks in my lower back (between L4 &
L 5 and between L5 and S1), and my complaints were similar to Charlie's.
An internal pain, running into my legs, not really a muscle but more an
electric nerve thing.   I have also been diagnosed with progressive spinal
arthritis and a "significantly alarming" amount of degnerative disk
disease.

My additional advice:  Have an MRI, if possible.  I ignored my intense
pain for 18 months, and I am sorry for it.  As a competitive swimmer, I've
learned to ignore some aches and mails, but this is something that should
not be ignored.  I went from aches to serious aches to immobility.

Get a doctor to check it when it's in your back.  Try to get an MRI.  

My two cents.

Laura