loll, a few years ago I made over 100 posts over a period of 3 days on another forum, and they limited my post count to just 5-8 per day. It was a nightmare. But they didn't remove the post cap for so long I eventually stopped going.
For those of you that don't know I am a plumber. It can be rather hard on your back which has crippled my boss who also happens to be my best mate. He started taking pain killers a couple of years ago but now it seems to have gotten out of control. He picks me up in the morning and the first thing he does is take 6 nurefen plus. At lunch time he tops up with about 4 more. It is not uncommon if we are doing a lot of digging or jackhammering for him to have 12 or more. He takes the tablets and he feels fine and is rather pleasant t work with. As soon as they wear off he is moody and unbearable. He becomes angry at the smallest things and stresses for no reason. I have told him to stop, but now he hides the fact that he takes them as I have caught him red handed sneaking in half a dozen tablets. What do I do? I'm sure he is killing himself and god knows what he is doing to his back injury. Anyone else been in a similar circumstance.
mmm its a hard one he's definetely addicted by the sound of it maybe you should approach his wife who could get him to go to the doctor to get a better pain killer
from personal experience the only way to beat this sort of thing is to very slowly wean off the pills.
I think the ongoing ibuprofen in it is actually an immediate concern as these types of medications can sometimes do severe and possibly terminal harm to the kidneys or liver or something along those lines. I don't know how addictive the codine is but pain induced or otherwise it can often warrant a stay at a detox or rehab. If you're really concerned though you should ask your GP his opinion on the matter.
As far as jobs taking their toll like that, I know people who's job gives them back stress not even as severe as what you would get, and some go to chiropractors or physios regularly for what is hopefully preventative maintenance. It might be something to consider for yourself... keeping in mind though that lots of people, especially chiropractors, can be biased and even really have sort of weird medical views when you get to know them better. I recommend chiropractic for example, but they seem nuttier than psychologists (who I would also recommend), and can be real extremists.
My advise... get accurate information regarding long term over use of nurofen and the like. Any kind of anti inflammatory over a long period of time is dangerous, as Dean said.
There are three main types of painkillers: aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol. Prof. McLachlan says it's vital to follow the guidelines on how to take all of them.
"As long as they're used within the recommended dose, everything should be fine but making sure that we only use them in that dose range is really important," he says.
You should always take aspirin and ibuprofen with food, otherwise they can cause nausea or stomach bleeding.
Paracetamol is considered the safest painkiller when used properly but an overdose can cause liver failure and in extreme cases, death.
What is a safe daily dose of painkillers? For the average adult, the maximum for aspirin is 12 tablets; six for ibuprofen and eight for paracetamol.
But according to Dr Lynn Weeks from the national prescribing service, it's important to consider other factors too. "For some medicines it'll be important to also consider your weight," she says. "If you're a small person then take the lower end of the dose range, if you're a large bloke, then you're probably okay at the higher end of the dosage range."
Another thing to watch for is hidden overdose. For example, most cold and flu remedies contain paracetamol. If you unknowingly take painkillers as well, you're doubling the dose and going beyond safe limits.
He needs to be counselled and maybe even attend a programme similar to alcoholics anonymous because he does have an addiction.
Accupuncture also can help with chronic pain and is not as invasive as chiropractic treatment. It is going to be a hard task though to convince him because he enjoys taking his drug of choice like any addict does.
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I didn't notice that...
