My arm hurts. The doctor prescribed anti-inflammatories. (Left arm) But it doesn't go away? What should I do?

Question

I already take tylenols with my anti-inflammatory. Yes it helps but I still have big pain especially when I do nothing. It's been a month and 2 weeks that my arm hurts. They told me it was tendonitis or something else that I can't remember. At first I thought it was because of my severe acne, but I don't think so. I also think it's stress, I'm always stressed! And the medication is called teva- naproxen 500 mg

David Tan · Accepted Answer

Hello, You may want to use acetaminophen (Tylenol) to supplement the anti-inflammatory medication that has been prescribed by your doctor. If you have Tylenol Extra Strength (500mg), this can be taken as 2 tablets up to 4 times a day as needed. Applying heat for 10-15 minutes 4 times a day can also help relieve your pain. How long have you been taking anti-inflammatory medications? What exactly are the anti-inflammatory drugs that you were prescribed? Do you know what caused your arm pain? I hope this information helps you... If you have any other questions or need more clarification, please feel free to contact me again and I will be happy to help. Cordially, David Tan, pharmacist In this case, if you are taking naproxen and acetaminophen (Tylenol) and would like another product to further lower the pain, the option remains "Tylenol with codeine." This is available over the counter, but should be requested from the pharmacist because of the associated side effects of drowsiness and addiction. Codeine is essentially comparable to morphine, so it is the strongest of the over-the-counter painkillers available. If you decide to use it, it will replace Tylenol, as it already contains it. A Myoflex or Antiphlogistine type cream can also be applied directly to the pain, but its effect is more as a mild supplement to tablet painkillers. There is also Voltaren Emulgel that can be considered; however, since it is an anti-inflammatory cream, this should not be used in conjunction with naproxen, but rather as a replacement for it. Otherwise, you could always ask your doctor if it would be appropriate to switch the naproxen to another anti-inflammatory. If the pain hasn't improved greatly since you started it, sometimes a better result can be achieved by switching molecules. Beyond that, another option to consider would be a cortisone injection into the joint, but that is reserved for severe, consistent, chronic pain.