ibuprofen gel or tablets?

jackyann

Jennie - I am surprised that a GP told you that ibuprofen or diclofenac cream/gel doesn't work as there is plenty of good evidence that they do.
Are you sure that they weren't referring to other kinds of cream (like "deep heat" or similar)?
I completely agree with the rest of your post

Ibuprofen gel/cream will get absorbed into the blood stream, and that is why you should not in principle take both the tablets and use the tablets.

At a very simple level, remember that ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory. I use tablets for generalised inflammation, and gel/cream if dealing with a very specific area. It is also true that some find one or another more of less effective on an individual basis.

jenniewb

jewlls wrote: »

Thank you for the suggestion of doing Pilates, but I don't think there are any classes by me, except the gym down the road where I'm not a member,

If your physical health is affecting you day to day, you can get a referral from your GP to do classes at your gym, it's not widely known, but does exist. It could also be that you get referred to a physiotherapist who often suggest exercises to do at home and will check in with you every few weeks to see how you are getting on.
I don't know if you have a local town hall or library or community space (even local colleges) but sometimes you will find instructors for Pilates and other core support type exercise classes- just try to weed out the qualified/trained ones against those who aren't!

jenniewb

jackyann wrote: »

Jennie - I am surprised that a GP told you that ibuprofen or diclofenac cream/gel doesn't work as there is plenty of good evidence that they do.
Are you sure that they weren't referring to other kinds of cream (like "deep heat" or similar)?
I completely agree with the rest of your post

Ibuprofen gel/cream will get absorbed into the blood stream, and that is why you should not in principle take both the tablets and use the tablets.

At a very simple level, remember that ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory. I use tablets for generalised inflammation, and gel/cream if dealing with a very specific area. It is also true that some find one or another more of less effective on an individual basis.

I don't know either way- I had been using the gel myself for a good number of years on a sore point on my calf. I went to my GP after 2 years of grinning and bearing the pain which they'd told me was nothing to worry about. My GP told me the gels don't/can't work and explained what I wrote about the blood stream...etc but also that it wouldn't be possible for them to go that deep anyway- and she was considered one of/the most informative in the subject in my local surgery.


The reason I say I don't know either way as to cut a very long story short, what I had turned out to be a stress fracture all alone and there is nothing topical you can apply to a stress fracture to make it mend! I'd been mis-treating it for years (as had my GP and the physiotherapy service at my local hospital- it was only when I was referred to a separate physiotherapy service that they requested scans as they had their own theories).


I can only say my experiences don't work and that a GP subsequently told me what she did, I've not bothered to try since as it's not cheap to do this and if I'm in that much pain I tend to take a different approach, but if it does work for anyone reading, don't stop because of what I was told, I'm just at a point now where it wouldn't work because I don't believe it can work rather than anything else.

JJ_Egan

Might be worth trying Deep Relieve that's levomenthol plus ibuprofen .A recent trial showed improvement for those that used it before any exercise .Worth a try at circa £4 for 50 g Boots Asda etc . The levomenthol aids the penetration of the ibuprofen .
Its very true that knee pain can be the result of weak muscles in the thigh ( theatre knee ).
Their are a number of low cost knee braces strapping and bands that are also worth a try .

The Flector Gel 1% is just another name for Diclofenelac/ Voltarol gel .

iammumtoone

jenniewb wrote: »

My GP told me the gels don't/can't work and explained what I wrote about the blood stream...etc but also that it wouldn't be possible for them to go that deep anyway- and she was considered one of/the most informative in the subject in my local surgery.

I think what they were referring to is the gel will get absorbed into the bloodstream before it reaches the area you were applying it, which makes sense when you think about it. However it will still get into your system the same way taking a tablet does.

I tried the gel but didn't think it as effective as tablets, I can take tablets so went back to those, however for those who cant tolerate tablets or are on long term use I can see the gel being the better option as it doesn't carry the risk associated with the stomach when taking tablets.

theoretica

jackyann wrote: »

I am surprised that a GP told you that ibuprofen or diclofenac cream/gel doesn't work as there is plenty of good evidence that they do.

Among the most respected sources of what does and doesn't work are the Cochrane reviews - they look at the experimental studies other people have done on a subject and combine the data.

Their feature on this is here http://www.evidentlycochrane.net/topical-nsaids-good-relief-for-acute-musculoskeletal-pain/ and concludes that they do work better than placebo.

oldandhappy

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Might be worth trying Deep Relieve that's levomenthol plus ibuprofen .A recent trial showed improvement for those that used it before any exercise .Worth a try at circa £4 for 50 g Boots Asda etc . The levomenthol aids the penetration of the ibuprofen .
Its very true that knee pain can be the result of weak muscles in the thigh ( theatre knee ).
Their are a number of low cost knee braces strapping and bands that are also worth a try .

The Flector Gel 1% is just another name for Diclofenelac/ Voltarol gel .

thanks for the info on Flector Gel...I have been getting what seems to me a spasm with a lot of sudden pain in the shoulder area after physical tasks like digging... and run for the Flector Gel which works very quickly for that issue.....BW Dianne