I read an interesting article in Arthritis Today Magazine (July-August 2006
issue) in my doctor's waiting room that might be connected to the swelling that
Grace wrote about and the water retention and painful swelling that I have been
experiencing. The following is paraphrased:
Q: When I took NSAIDS on two occasions I experienced so much joint swelling
that I had to have my knees drained. My rheumatologist said NSAIDS restrict
blood flow through my kidneys. Can you explain?
A: " NSAIDS like aspirin, ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve,
Naprosyn), can restrict blood flow through the kidneys. However, when this
happens you would typically have fluid retention throughout the body; swelling
might occur in just the lower extremities, such as the ankles due to gravity.
Patients may also experience weight gain and increased blood pressure.
I suspect the localized swelling you experienced in your knees was not
caused by an effect on your kidneys. Rather, it may have occurred as a result
of your immune system reacting to the presence of aspirin and ibuprofen. While
some people have a systemic allergic reaction to aspirin and NSAIDS, resulting
in hives or difficulty breathing, it is possible for a more localized reaction
to occur, which could have been the case for you.
Given your history of intolerance, avoid using any of these drugs in the
future....."
My appointment was to beg for help with pain. I quit taking the antidepressant
Elavil a month ago due to food cravings and weight gain and wanted to discuss
Cymbalta or Effexor for both depression and pain relief. (I'm going to give
Effexor a try.) My neuropathy pain increased as the Elavil wore off: then I
started taking Aleve along with Neurontin and Baclofen. My doctor agreed with
this article. He said NSAIDS can cause swelling in some people and that
swelling might be partially responsible for the increase in pain. He suggested
that I stay away from NSAIDS and use Tylenol (acetaminophen) instead. I hope
stumbling across this article helps me and others with water retention
problems. (Heat and humidity move over and share the bench with NSAIDS.)
