Difene

AugustusMaximus

Anyone know is it available over-the-counter ?

Have a sore foot after a sports injury and it seems to be helping. A&E only gave me a perscription for 1 week. Hate to have to spend 40 Euros on a GP visit.

deepimpact

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Anyone know is it available over-the-counter ?

Have a sore foot after a sports injury and it seems to be helping. A&E only gave me a perscription for 1 week. Hate to have to spend 40 Euros on a GP visit.

Nope, it's not. Prescription only.

Traumadoc

A simple paracetamol analgesic such as solpadine combined with an anti inflammatory gel should be as effective.

littlefriend

Try a product called 'biofreeze' - I have pretty bad back problems and this helps me.
If you don't want to spend the money for the Dr try the biofreeze stuff first. You are still sore/swollen for a reason though so it might be wise to go to a doctor. The last thing you want is for it to heal assways as it could end up giving you trouble for quite some time.

btw difene tablets can be very hard on the stomach lining - I'm not sure I'd take take them again - but there is a difene gel that is quite good [prescription only too though].

Lil' Smiler

Ah Biofreeze, gotta love it!!

I was prescribed Difene years ago for a foot injury, made no difference to me, have never heard of anyone else feeling this way about it!!

Realistically anyway, you shouldn't be on anti -inflams for more than what was prescribed, foot injuries take a while to recover.... i had mine for 7 years.. but mine was quite severe i near ruptured the tendon in my foot & had nerve damage, all good now though!

watna

I was prescribed Difene for a week long migraine. It's very expensive - €54 for 6 tablets! :eek:

but yes, it's on prescription only. If you get a prescription for it, be prepared to pay! And as said above they're very hard on your stomahc. You have to be really careful to only take them with food.

Dr Galen

does PR difene have the same effect on the stomach as the PO version?

on the OP.....biofreeze is great stuff. I'd highly recommend it

charlieroot

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

does PR difene have the same effect on the stomach as the PO version?

on the OP.....biofreeze is great stuff. I'd highly recommend it

No but I believe it can cause proctitis (inflammation of the rectum).
Some patients prefer it alright, particularly if they've had previous stomach problems (ulcers etc).

AmcD

Nurofen (ibuprofen) should have a similar effect as Difene and is available over the counter. Ask for "generic ibuprofen" to get the best value. They are both anti-inflammatories. Both need to be taken with food. By the way I can't understand how somebody could be charged 54euro for 6 Difene tablets?? Could the prescription possibly have been for Imigran?

Stepherunie

AmcD wrote: »

Nurofen (ibuprofen) should have a similar effect as Difene and is available over the counter. Ask for "generic ibuprofen" to get the best value. They are both anti-inflammatories. Both need to be taken with food. By the way I can't understand how somebody could be charged 54euro for 6 Difene tablets?? Could the prescription possibly have been for Imigran?

I agree, I got a weeks prescription for difene tablets only a fortnight ago and it was 7e.....

subway

my difene is 35 for around 54 caps.

Caoimhín

watna wrote: »

I was prescribed Difene for a week long migraine. It's very expensive - €54 for 6 tablets! :eek:

but yes, it's on prescription only. If you get a prescription for it, be prepared to pay! And as said above they're very hard on your stomahc. You have to be really careful to only take them with food.

Em... I think they saw you comin.

watna

AmcD wrote: »

Nurofen (ibuprofen) should have a similar effect as Difene and is available over the counter. Ask for "generic ibuprofen" to get the best value. They are both anti-inflammatories. Both need to be taken with food. By the way I can't understand how somebody could be charged 54euro for 6 Difene tablets?? Could the prescription possibly have been for Imigran?

Shít, sorry it was imigran. I took the difene for a week first.

In my defence I had a very bad migraine and wasn't quite with it. That week is a blur!

Yes, the difene was a lot cheaper!

Jane1012

watna wrote: »

I was prescribed Difene for a week long migraine. It's very expensive - €54 for 6 tablets! :eek:

but yes, it's on prescription only. If you get a prescription for it, be prepared to pay! And as said above they're very hard on your stomahc. You have to be really careful to only take them with food.

Yea u got screwed... i got 42 difene for 15euro....and the week before they charged me 6euro for 5 so i think they make up the prices

watna

erinser wrote: »

Yea u got screwed... i got 42 difene for 15euro....and the week before they charged me 6euro for 5 so i think they make up the prices

Read more of the threads after that one please. Someone else asked was it immigram I was talking about and I said yes, I was mistaken as I was very sick that wekk and it was the immigram that cost that much, not the difene.

Aoibheann

Ugh, I was given difene (along with other tablets) for migraines before.. Seeing as migraines can make me horribly nauseous anyway, never was quite sure why they gave me difene which only added to it!

fantasymale

with a sports injury you may need more than a pain killer such as difene. in fact sometimes they can do more harm but try over the counter paracetomol. Don't have codeine. it can give you gut problems eg. severe constipation, kidney & liver problems.

Sport injuries can be helped by physio's. Long term, costs alot but resolves rather than relieve for the minute.

Aspirin is a paracemotel. Thins the blood, helps alot. Pain is long term and difene will only make you forget short term.

anotherlostie

fantasymale wrote: »

Aspirin is a paracemotel. Thins the blood, helps alot. Pain is long term and difene will only make you forget short term.

Eh what are you talking about?

1) Aspirin and paracetamol are two totally different drugs. Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and analgesic whereas paracetamol is only anti-pyretic and analgesic, i.e. it does not reduce inflammation.

2) The blood thinning effect of aspirin is not shared by paracetamol and has nothing to do with its pain relieving properties.

3) Long term pain = chronic, short term pain = acute.

Odysseus

fantasymale wrote: »

with a sports injury you may need more than a pain killer such as difene. in fact sometimes they can do more harm but try over the counter paracetomol. Don't have codeine. it can give you gut problems eg. severe constipation, kidney & liver problems.

Sport injuries can be helped by physio's. Long term, costs alot but resolves rather than relieve for the minute.

Aspirin is a paracemotel. Thins the blood, helps alot. Pain is long term and difene will only make you forget short term.

Where are you getting kidney and liver problems from codeine, there seems to be so many things wrong here. I won't touch codeine for a few reasons but none of the above.

EdgarAllenPoo

We may just be an odd exception but Difene never seems to have an effect on my mother or me whether it's PO or IM.

It seems to be as effective as a painkiller as Smarties. Don't know why.

Traumadoc

Difene ( diclofenac sodium) is an anti-imflamatory it is not an analgesic ( pain killer).
Diclofenac has a large side effect profile that can be very serious

Vorsprung

Traumadoc wrote: »

Difene ( diclofenac sodium) is an anti-imflamatory it is not an analgesic ( pain killer).
Diclofenac has a large side effect profile that can be very serious

Any ideas as to why it's so effective for renal colic (given IV)? Does it dilate smooth muscle as well?

Traumadoc

yes i should correct myself they do have analgesic properties But I have seen 2 serious renal failures secondary to NSAIDs so try to encourage my patients to use paracetamol with topical NSAIDs instead.

tallaght01

bigjimthefirst wrote: »

Any ideas as to why it's so effective for renal colic (given IV)? Does it dilate smooth muscle as well?

It's pretty much always given IM, as opposed to IV for renal colic. It's very effective, and it's very commonly used in renal colic. But, I'm sure there are studies showing equal efficacy for other painkillers. BUT, in healthy people with renal stones, it's a pretty safe drug.

I don't use it these days, as I don't see many kidney stones, but that's my recollection of the situation.

Traumadoc

Can you get it as an injection drug in Australia?

tallaght01

No idea, I've never given anyone diclofenac in any of it's forms over here.

Traumadoc

I just remember they did not have it, nor IV amox/clav.

tallaght01

They still dont have IV co-amoxiclav, which really bugs the hell out of me.

DrIndy

????

what do they use instead? Cephalosporins? Or do they jump to the extended spectrum antibiotics?

stevemcf

Hi,
Recently given Difene for dislocated knee. It was more like my stomach was dislocated after taking it for two days; cramps and other (will save you the detail). Think I prefer the knee pain than the stomach one.
Steve

Vorsprung

stevemcf wrote: »

Hi,
Recently given Difene for dislocated knee. It was more like my stomach was dislocated after taking it for two days; cramps and other (will save you the detail). Think I prefer the knee pain than the stomach one.
Steve

Yea diclofenac can be rough on your stomach, that's why it's advisable to take it with/just after food, or sometime to take it with a proton pump inhibitor (reduces the amount of acid produced in the stomach).

I'm confused.. I was using it on/off for a couple of years with a knee problem. But it was a gel I used, not tablets.

Worked very well in most cases and meant that I wasn't laid up for a while.

RobFowl

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm confused.. I was using it on/off for a couple of years with a knee problem. But it was a gel I used, not tablets.

Worked very well in most cases and meant that I wasn't laid up for a while.

Difene tablets and suppositories are prescription only but the gel is available over the counter in pharmacies

Fionnanc

Jaysus, I hope you got more than difene for your dislocated knee!!!

tallaght01

above post deleted.

Apologies jems. We can't offer individual med advice here.

norrie rugger

Bloody Difene, the first port of call for lazy docs.

Me: Doc, my tendonitis has flared up big time again. Think I need it checked out.
Doc 1: Nah, it's fine. Have some difene gel

Me (Three months later), talking to other doc in practice while walking out of office (work based practice so can not change)
Me: Yeah, I am walking again, about to start running
Doc 2: Well you are lucky, look to have healed up well.
Doc 1: Norrie, what happened.
Me: Oh I ruptured my Ahcillies Tendon, 3 days after you gave me Difene gel instead of investigating how serious my complaint was
Doc 1: Oh that is a stroke of bad luck isn't it?
Doc 2: face palm
Me: (mentally) smack!!!


Moral of the story children: Just because something reduces the symptoms, does NOT mean that it is treating the problem.
Get yourself checked out properly before just assuming that everything is fine.
Remember that, in most cases, you feel pain for a reason

Caoimhín

norrie rugger wrote: »

Bloody Difene, Moral of the story children: Just because something reduces the symptoms, does NOT mean that it is treating the problem.
Get yourself checked out properly before just assuming that everything is fine.
Remember that, in most cases, you feel pain for a reason

+1 I am sure that my doctor is on the payroll for the makers of Difene, he feckin force feeds me the bloody stuff. Three years and 5 back operations later and im still eating the damn stuff, i HATE it.

norrie rugger

Caoimhín wrote: »

+1 I am sure that my doctor is on the payroll for the makers of Difene, he feckin force feeds me the bloody stuff. Three years and 5 back operations later and im still eating the damn stuff, i HATE it.

hey, how long did you have coordinates as your location.
If it was after me, then stop stealing my idea.

It is was before me... a well. More than one person can have the same idea;)

Caoimhín

norrie rugger wrote: »

hey, how long did you have coordinates as your location.
If it was after me, then stop stealing my idea.

It is was before me... a well. More than one person can have the same idea;)

Long before you norrie, long before.

The idea came to me in a haze of Difene overdose.

AmcD

Norrie rugger that is shocking. That lazy doctor gave you pain relief instead of scanning you with his pocket MRI and putting you in a below knee cast for six weeks!

Caoimhín

AmcD wrote: »

Norrie rugger that is shocking. That lazy doctor gave you pain relief instead of scanning you with his pocket MRI and putting you in a below knee cast for six weeks!

Ah in fairness, Norrie has a point. I went to the doctor the other week and as i sat down he already had the prescription pad out, ready to write.
I told him i just wanted advice not bloody pills but i still ended up going home with a bag of Difene.

ZYX

Caoimhín wrote: »

Ah in fairness, Norrie has a point. I went to the doctor the other week and as i sat down he already had the prescription pad out, ready to write.
I told him i just wanted advice not bloody pills but i still ended up going home with a bag of Difene.

Just change doctor people. If you are not happy with the service change. It doesn't really matter if it is a works doctor or not. Change. If necessary complain and then change.

norrie rugger

AmcD wrote: »

Norrie rugger that is shocking. That lazy doctor gave you pain relief instead of scanning you with his pocket MRI and putting you in a below knee cast for six weeks!

As I stated, he treated the symptoms and not the cause.
No "Norrie, your leg is buggered. Lay off running/rugby/training."
Just "Rub this in and everything will be fine"
Free medical so anything to treat the cause culd have been done (if anything could be done), failing that a bit of advice on the problem. Not just dishing out difene.


Also it is well bloody easy to say change doc. hindsight is 20/20, isn't it?

old boy

plenty of water is required with difene, i am taking it with years on and off.
an old aquaintance of mine claims that a middling vet is better than any doctor, i also suscribe to his claim.

drzhivago

norrie rugger wrote: »

Bloody Difene, the first port of call for lazy docs.

Me: Doc, my tendonitis has flared up big time again. Think I need it checked out.
Doc 1: Nah, it's fine. Have some difene gel

Me (Three months later), talking to other doc in practice while walking out of office (work based practice so can not change)
Me: Yeah, I am walking again, about to start running
Doc 2: Well you are lucky, look to have healed up well.
Doc 1: Norrie, what happened.
Me: Oh I ruptured my Ahcillies Tendon, 3 days after you gave me Difene gel instead of investigating how serious my complaint was
Doc 1: Oh that is a stroke of bad luck isn't it?
Doc 2: face palm
Me: (mentally) smack!!!
Moral of the story children: Just because something reduces the symptoms, does NOT mean that it is treating the problem.
Get yourself checked out properly before just assuming that everything is fine.
Remember that, in most cases, you feel pain for a reason

Have a more interesting question
Had you been taking any antibiotics around the time of the snap or have you ever had quinolone based antibiotics

I have treated a number of patients with achilles ruptures who had recently been on such antibiotics
Not fair to mention drug names here but it can be googled

drzhivago

old boy wrote: »

plenty of water is required with difene, i am taking it with years on and off.
an old aquaintance of mine claims that a middling vet is better than any doctor, i also suscribe to his claim.

Anti inflammatories not great to be taking long term for numerous reasons

Some have increased risk of cardiac events

norrie rugger

drzhivago wrote: »

Have a more interesting question
Had you been taking any antibiotics around the time of the snap or have you ever had quinolone based antibiotics

I have treated a number of patients with achilles ruptures who had recently been on such antibiotics
Not fair to mention drug names here but it can be googled

Nope, had not been taking any.
In fairness, he did ask that also. I know that "certain" antibiotics can have damaging effects on the tendon.

I know what caused the tendonitis but had managed it to the point that this was considered "just a flare up", even though I was pushing for a more indepth exam, as it was a hell of a lot more painful.


On the topic of Difene, I just brought this example up just to show that the OP should not fall into the trap of thinking that, with no pain, there is no problem

AmcD

Well norrie rugger I hope your Achilles tendon is up and running again. For future reference I would probably avoid old boy's suggestion of going to a vet (better than any middling doctor). They put their patients down on a regular basis.

AdMMM

I'm just back from the hospital after going last night with severe stomach pain. Turns out it's just severe constipation, but the Doctor prescribed diclofenac as well as a laxative. Going on what I've read here, my stomach will be hating me for the forseeable future?

robert muldoon

Is difene available in Spain and if it is - how much is it? - it must be a hell of a lot cheaper than in Ireland

Nonoperational

Diclofenac for constipation/stomach pain? Strange....