Difene on a long term basis?

Daisy M

Hi I am just wondering if there is anyone else who takes difene on a daily basis. I take a minimum of 1 75g difene each day. I have RA and in the past have tried methotrexate and plaquenil and also tried sulphasalazin which made me sick. The combo of methotrexate and plaqunil worked some what but I still had flareups and regularly needed difene to deal with the pain. I stopped these two medicines a couple of years back as I was always sick, at best I always felt as if I was getting a cold at worst I got every bug going. since stopping I feel better in myself I only get 1/2 bugs/colds a year and they are never as bad as before.

However I do worry about the long term effects difene may have on my organs. I know if I stopped taking them my quality of life would suffer and I would strugle to care for my family and working would be out of the question. Any thoughts?

sam34

IMO, if you have nothing constructive to add then please don't post. post deleted

byhookorbycrook

I take it a good bit(2 x 75), not daily, but almost. If you take it with food ,you should be fine

Daisy M

Ya byhookorbycrook I am careful to take it with food and am lucky I can tolerate it. It does seem as though this isnt common!!

Sam thanks, I didnt see the post you refer to so if someone wasted posted nasty comments they wasted their time.:)

QuiteInterestin

I've only ever been prescribed difene once, and I lasted a full day before I was throwing up and feeling like I couldn't breath
Difene is a anti-inflammatory and long term use is associated with stomach problems, ulcers etc. If the effect it had on me after one days use is anything to go by, I'd be a bit wary of taking it everyday. What does your doctor think? Is it still prescription only, would you even get a prescription for everyday use?

Spook_ie

I'm in my late forties and had been a regular user of Difene, I did develop stomach problems with it, about 2 years ago, my consultant switched me to Arcoxia (comes in 4 different strenths) and I'm doing fine, having said that I have had both my knees replaced & other surgery so my need for it is reduced, and I would only use it for roughly a week to ten days out of every month, but never had an upset tummy using Arcoxia.

star-pants

Depends on the person really, obviously best to take with food.
Difene destroyed my stomach when I was on it a few years ago, even though I was taking Nexium at the time. I tend to react to a lot of meds anyway but my mother has RA and can't take Difene either.

If you can tolerate it then that's great, you can always discuss with your doctor any potential long term effects or if you feel it does affect you after a while.

Daisy M

Thanks guys I tolerate it really well so hopefully that will continue. My doc errs on caution talks about kidney damage in the long term but then also talks about joint damage if I dont do something to stop inflamation!
Quiet interesting it is still prescription only. My gp is extremely reluctant to prescribe pain killers in general but he does in my case with a bit of head shaking. My rheumatologist says if I need them take them, but he is the other extreme and would have and did have me rattleing around full of pills, haha.

locum-motion

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

I've only ever been prescribed difene once, and I lasted a full day before I was throwing up and feeling like I couldn't breath
Difene is a anti-inflammatory and long term use is associated with stomach problems, ulcers etc. If the effect it had on me after one days use is anything to go by, I'd be a bit wary of taking it everyday. What does your doctor think? Is it still prescription only, would you even get a prescription for everyday use?

It's in the nature of medicines and people that not everybody gets the same side effects from a drug, or the same benefits either. Please don't take your experiences and extrapolate them out to everybody else - the OP has already stated that they don't suffer from the same side effect that you did, so why would you use that as a reason to suggest that you'd be wary of taking it every day in their position?

Yes it is prescription only, and yes of course you can get a prescription for everyday use (the OP also stated that s/he takes it every day).

Do you think that nobody else should be allowed to benefit from a drug that is safe for most users, just because you had a side effect? What an incredibly arrogant thing to post! Why, you're just the most important person in the whole world, aren't you?

comeback_kid

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

I've only ever been prescribed difene once, and I lasted a full day before I was throwing up and feeling like I couldn't breath
Difene is a anti-inflammatory and long term use is associated with stomach problems, ulcers etc. If the effect it had on me after one days use is anything to go by, I'd be a bit wary of taking it everyday. What does your doctor think? Is it still prescription only, would you even get a prescription for everyday use?

have you asthma , i suffer from asthma and cannot take difene , cant breath on it

tbh

locum-motion wrote: »

It's in the nature of medicines and people that not everybody gets the same side effects from a drug, or the same benefits either. Please don't take your experiences and extrapolate them out to everybody else - the OP has already stated that they don't suffer from the same side effect that you did, so why would you use that as a reason to suggest that you'd be wary of taking it every day in their position?

Yes it is prescription only, and yes of course you can get a prescription for everyday use (the OP also stated that s/he takes it every day).

Do you think that nobody else should be allowed to benefit from a drug that is safe for most users, just because you had a side effect? What an incredibly arrogant thing to post! Why, you're just the most important person in the whole world, aren't you?

relax dude. Only trying to help, etc.

Lucyfur

I take difene occasionally and thankfully it has no ill effects on my stomach. I don't have a good stomach but I've never been sick with difene.

Longest I was even on it was for 3 months and I found it less effective as time went on.

Personally I wouldn't like to be on it long term...mainly as I think a stomach ulcer would be horribly painful...

QuiteInterestin

locum-motion wrote: »

It's in the nature of medicines and people that not everybody gets the same side effects from a drug, or the same benefits either. Please don't take your experiences and extrapolate them out to everybody else - the OP has already stated that they don't suffer from the same side effect that you did, so why would you use that as a reason to suggest that you'd be wary of taking it every day in their position?

Yes it is prescription only, and yes of course you can get a prescription for everyday use (the OP also stated that s/he takes it every day).

Do you think that nobody else should be allowed to benefit from a drug that is safe for most users, just because you had a side effect? What an incredibly arrogant thing to post! Why, you're just the most important person in the whole world, aren't you?

Wow, someones a bit tightly wound today, aren't they? The OP asked for other peoples thoughts on the long term use of difene, and since after 4 days they hadn't had many replies I thought I would give my experience of it.

This article http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1542356504006032 (abstract actually - don't have access to full article) is based on a study which showed that 71% of people who used NSAIDs (didn't specify which ones, may not have included difene at all) greater then 90 days had visible damage to their small intestines, compared with 10% in the group that didn't use them. I wasn't for one second saying the OP should stop taking it because of my bad experience, I was just pointing out the effect it can have on your stomach and while the OP is lucky enough not to have this side effect, it doesn't mean that they may not develop stomach problems associated with its use in the long term.

Back to the OP, sorry I misread your original post, I thought you hadn't been taking it everyday until now, but were intending to from now on, hence me asking about being able to get enough to take daily on prescription. If your GP is willing to prescribe it (in spite of the head shaking) he must be satisfied that its the lesser of 2 evils. How long does he give you the prescription for? I see the Difene product information recommends regular medical supervision for those on it long term to monitor for adverse effects.

Daisy M

I think what I was looking/hoping for when I wrote the thread was that loads of people would say " oh yhea I have taken it for years and years and have had no major side effects on my organs"! I suppose no one wants to think they will be dependant on prescription medicine for the rest of their lives and my main issue is reconciling myself with this. Up unto over a year ago I could go for a couple of months a few times a year without needing any antiinflamatory. Now I need to take at least one a day no matter how I feel because if I dont I pay big consequences painwise. If I wasnt working I could avoid having to take them a little more, but I want to work I enjoy it and its only part time so unless some amazing cure is found I guess I just need to accept this is the wat things are.

I have never heard of nexium or arcoxia I will look into that thanks.

star-pants

Daisy M wrote: »

I have never heard of nexium or arcoxia I will look into that thanks.

Just to clarify, Nexium isn't an anti-inflammatory (in case you thought it was), it's basically for your stomach, can be used to help prevent gastric ulcers. So I was taking that to protect my stomach from the Difene whilst I was taking it.
My mother who has RA is on different meds (she took methotrexate for 7 years) takes Nexium every day to help protect her stomach.

locum-motion

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

Wow, someones a bit tightly wound today, aren't they? ...

Believe me, I toned down that post from the first draft!

QuiteInterestin wrote: »

...I wasn't for one second saying the OP should stop taking it because of my bad experience...

Well, it certainly didn't read like that to me. I thought that was exactly what you were suggesting. However, maybe we just misunderstood each other.

Eseram

Hi OP,

I have been taking 3x50mg Difene per day for over 6 years now.

I asked my Doctor about damage and he came to the conclusion that we will have to cross that bridge if/when it comes.

I have chronic pain so I'm taking Difene, Cymbalta ,Kapake, Neurontin.

I hope this is of some help.

btb

Hi OP
been taking difene on and off for over 20 years, (3 X 50mg), take with food and have not had stomach problems. Longest regular use was about 18 months, now only take as needed and will make 3 weeks supply last 3 to 6 months. Use other pain meds to compliment difene.There is an issue with kidney problems associated with long term use, dont know the exact details but have been told this by both my GP and Cons. Was on arcoxia, also a NSAID, at one time but think there was an issue with them (cant remember exactly what it was now).

As with all meds there has to be a balance between having some quality of life and risk associated with taking certain meds.
Best to get good medical advice and watch for any side affects.

Daisy M

btb wrote: »

Hi OP
been taking difene on and off for over 20 years, (3 X 50mg), take with food and have not had stomach problems. Longest regular use was about 18 months, now only take as needed and will make 3 weeks supply last 3 to 6 months. Use other pain meds to compliment difene.There is an issue with kidney problems associated with long term use, dont know the exact details but have been told this by both my GP and Cons. Was on arcoxia, also a NSAID, at one time but think there was an issue with them (cant remember exactly what it was now).

As with all meds there has to be a balance between having some quality of life and risk associated with taking certain meds.
Best to get good medical advice and watch for any side affects.

Thanks for that, its good to hear of someone using them long term and has not had drastic side effects. I suppose any kidney damage would be a gradual process so if I go for regular blood tests it would be picked up on before major damage was done. Last week I didnt take any for most of the week as I had no pain or stiffness, this week I am sorer than normal and really stiff so instead of the usual 1 I take, I had to take 1 in the morn and again in the evening. So I think in future I will take 1 everyday unless I have had a signifigant pain free period.

cafecreme

Hi daisy, im allergic to difene but I can take mobic, 2 tabs a day. It was probably the metho that made you ill all the time, plaquenil is a very very mild immuno suppressant. Have you thought about any of the biologics? I have had massive relief with enbrel, never take mobic any more.still take plaquenil with it and haven't had any infections yet, touch wood.you need a rheumatologist to prescribe biologics. It has changed my life and allowed me to work full time, fatigue was killing me as well as the pain before I started.

Daisy M

cafecreme wrote: »

Hi daisy, im allergic to difene but I can take mobic, 2 tabs a day. It was probably the metho that made you ill all the time, plaquenil is a very very mild immuno suppressant. Have you thought about any of the biologics? I have had massive relief with enbrel, never take mobic any more.still take plaquenil with it and haven't had any infections yet, touch wood.you need a rheumatologist to prescribe biologics. It has changed my life and allowed me to work full time, fatigue was killing me as well as the pain before I started.

Thats interesting, I had written all the RA medications as been immune suppresants and thought they would all leave me feeling as bad as the methotrexate did. I am going to make an appointment with my rheumatologist in the summer so I will speak to him about alternatives. Thanks for the info it would be good to find something that works well with minimum side effects.

louglee

Daisy M wrote: »

Thanks for that, its good to hear of someone using them long term and has not had drastic side effects. I suppose any kidney damage would be a gradual process so if I go for regular blood tests it would be picked up on before major damage was done. Last week I didnt take any for most of the week as I had no pain or stiffness, this week I am sorer than normal and really stiff so instead of the usual 1 I take, I had to take 1 in the morn and again in the evening. So I think in future I will take 1 everyday unless I have had a signifigant pain free period.

The damage to the kidneys doesn't just happen with long term use, but you should be careful to avoid other things that can damage your kidneys eg keeping your blood pressure normal, if you have diabetes keeping your sugars in order. But if you are on difene or another NSAID regularly I would insist on being given a tablet to protect your stomach such as Nexium. I was on difene 75mg BD for 3 years (generally was taking it 3 weeks out of 4) and ended up with a stomach ulcer and 3 months of really bad pain, acid etc, even ended up having to spend some time in hospital as my stomach was so bad.