I find that when I start to while someone will roll up the eyes and say,  
"Oh, Jeeze, here we go again!' I've come to think of sych moments as  
"whine and jeeze" parties.

Are you taking anything to help you sleep?  I cannot take any NSAIDS, to
have to put up with a lot and get inventive with the rest.

I can tolerate more if I get some sleep.  Ambien is my friend.  I try to
manage on 5mg but take 10 on occasion.

I also take Paxil.  I've taken it for depression in the past.  Now I just
stay on it all the time.  It helps with pain tolerance and sleep and also
keeps my migraines at bay.

Then my "stash" includes serax if I really need it.  Used to call them my
IRS pills.  They are an anti-anxiety med.  And prednisone cause when you
need it you really don't want to wait to get a doctors appointment.  And a
really strong pain killer hydromorphone.  I don't react well to them and
can't take them all the time, but they do work on pain and it just helps to
know they are there.

Jo

Holey Moley!

  There's different things that you can take for stomach protection, Joan.
If Pepcid doesn't work, then there's Prevacid, or there's Protonix.

  You can also take 'em more than once a day, I recently learned. It really
is a matter of finding which is right for you, which really works. Protonix
bombed out for me but works super for others.

  The pain is telling ya ya need the anti-inflams...so get yer doc to work
with ya to find which stomach protector will work for you.

  I don't miss alcohol so sorry...can't sympathize there. Sometimes I feel
like a minority report. LOL

   YMMV sometimes trips us up badly...sorry it did for you, Joan.

Hugs from Rosie

started on Arthrotec I was taking it twice a day.  Same as you,
it tore up my gut!  I stopped it for a couple of weeks and tried again--same
thing.  I stopped it for a couple of weeks more and then tried taking it
just in the mornings.  No gut problems!  Since then, I just take one a day
and have had no more problems.  It might not work that way with you, but
that's what happened with me.
Gwen

Hey, Joan!  I'm one of those who couldn't tolerate Arthrotec.  It is weird,
but the stats show that misoprotolol (or something like that) which is
suppoesed to help your stomach in the Arthrotec actually aggravtes the
stomach in fully 25% of folks.  My PCP told me this and I've found it in the
product info since.

Anyway, I hope you can find something to help with the pain.  My tummy's been
acting up the past two weeks with lots of other strange symptoms, but I've
ruled out diclofenac as the cause.  Even my PCP's nurse when mystified when I
gave in and called today.  Going in to the doc on Friday........

(my husband loves wine, so periodically I buy him some better stuff and take
an occasional sip - just for the taste, mind you! - just to tide me over.....
sure wish Enbrel had been enough of a miracle for me to get off the mtx!  oh
well.)

Joan,

We all have to whine at one point or another. Some more than others too. ;-)

I sure hope you find something that will work and agree with your tummy too.
I know that has to be awlful.

Good job on the book signing. I am proud of you.

Take care and know we are all thinking of you.

{{{{{{{Joan}}}}}}

I hope you get to feeling better soon!

-- Ashley

=========
~~AC.