Using pain relievers

Thanks, yes liver damage is a big concern as they say the prednisone takes a toll on the liver as well. Along with my other supplements I started taking milk thistle and vitamin E to help cleanse my liver and I only use the pain medication when I really need it and I keep it at a low dose. If i have to take it, its in the morning to get me through my work day. Thank you for your response

I wasn't aware of any adverse effects until I ended up in the ER for emergency surgery, a colostomy bag and loss of 8" of colon. The  NSAIDS are the most likely culprit. Unlike you, probably, I had practically lived on them at different times in my life. Hadn't used many once I had started on prednisone a year before, though.

I only took ibuprofen once or twice a week. And only one pill a day.

It is fine to take pain relief for aches and pains for other than PMR pains, such as codeine and paracetamol. It is not such a good idea to take NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen as they are considered contra indicative with pred. 

Interesting - what is your source of information?  My Rheumatologist told me it was OK, so obviously I would like to get more info from your source.

As amkoffee says you will find information on all drug comparison sites and PMR sites. Also I have worked with the drug industry for the last thirty five years.

I am not able to find any information to that effect from a MEDICAL or DRUG COMPANY source - could you give me a website (such as Mayo or Cleveland Clinic, etc.) or a drug company site?  I want to stop immediately if I find a reliable study that has been done or info from a drug company.  Obviously, my Rheumatologist does not know about any issues with Ibuprofen.  Thanks for the help!

It looks like I cannot leave links for you. I typed in prednisone and ibuprofen into the internet and the first item was on the drugs website with the question 

"Can you take ibuprofen with prednisone?"

The reply was

"No they will tear up your stomach, for one thing. You need to avoid it while on prednisone. They do the same thing. You don't need both"

I am surprised you cannot find anything. 

 

I also mentioned that people on this discussion board have mentioned being taken to emergency with nasty problems. 

I think this is why I was prescribed acetaminophen with hydrocodone as acetaminophen is not an NSAID where ibuprofen is. I was just asking on this post if other people needed pain relief as I do and obviously a lot of us do good luck

there is a website called drugs (dot) com where you can check interactions.

A lot of people will be prescribed painkillers for other ailments other than PMR. Pred is really the only thing that works for PMR. Acetaminophen or paracetamol is very popular in UK for basic aches and pains, also various codeine type tablets or the two combined in one tablet. As you say they are not NSAIDs so do not have the interaction problem. 

This paper:

Adverse drug reactions and drug–drug interactions with over-the-counter NSAIDs  by  Nicholas Moore, Charles Pollack, and Paul Butkerait

says

"Combined use of oral corticosteroids and NSAIDs may increase the potential for serious GI toxicity. A study of Tennessee Medicaid beneficiaries, including 1,415 patients =65 years of age hospitalized for peptic ulcer or upper GI bleeding and 7,063 matched controls, found that current use of oral corticosteroids was associated with a twofold higher RR of peptic ulcer disease compared with nonuse.132 On further analysis, this increased risk was attributed to a 4.4-fold increased risk for peptic ulcer disease in individuals who had also taken NSAIDs (any type or dosage) compared with no elevated risk when NSAID users were excluded (RR: 1.1).132 As discussed above, the Arthritis, Rheumatism, and Aging Medical Information System study found that for patients who received corticosteroids plus other concurrent therapy, the risk of serious GI events was significantly greater with acetaminophen versus ibuprofen (any dose) in patients with RA (15.0 vs 6.1 events/1,000 patient-years, respectively) or OA (12.0 vs 5.4 events/1,000 patient-years, respectively) across all comparable doses.22

A limited nonclinical study suggests that an ulcerogenic potential of NSAIDs in combination with corticosteroids was seen only with a COX-1, but not a COX-2, inhibitor.133 This effect may occur as a result of corticosteroid-induced reductions in arachidonic acid, reducing the substrate for COX enzymes and thus potentially increasing the gastrotoxic effect of NSAIDs.

In summary, although no specific studies have identified a clear risk for increased GI bleeding when OTC NSAIDs are coadministered with oral corticosteroids, it may be prudent for health care providers to prescribe COX-2-specific NSAIDs or counsel patients to avoid OTC NSAIDs to reduce the potential risk for GI bleeding."