What To Do When You Can’t Take Acetamino-phen or Ibuprofin

• Lisa Ehrman
• Oct 2
• 3 min read

Ways to Stop Pain

1. Medications

• Over-the-counter pain relievers (e.g., ibuprofen, acetaminophen)This is a problem for me. My kidneys are not in a good place, as the numbers point to having Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3. My liver numbers are better, but going in a bad direction.
• Prescription medications (e.g., opioids, muscle relaxants)I have been taking a muscle relaxer for many years. I don’t like that, but I can not deal with this level of pain.
• Topical analgesics (e.g., creams, patches)I’ve been trying all types of creams and patches. I haven’t found a cream that works. Bio-freeze helps for short-term, even though I don’t like the gel. It’s very sticky.

2. Physical Therapy

• Targeted exercises to strengthen musclesI’ve had numerous orders for physical therapy and attended them all. I’ve had bad results with almost all of them. The best result I had was with a hand therapist who rehabilitated my shoulder after surgery.
• Stretching to improve flexibilityI have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type. I already have hyper-flexibility and stretching makes everything worse.
• Manual therapy techniques

3. Alternative Therapies

• AcupunctureThis is another treatment I’ve tried. I went for two months, biweekly, and couldn’t tell any improvement.
• Chiropractic adjustmentsI went to a chiropractor for 25 years. Although there was always short-term help with my pain, the relief began to stop. I found out after I quit going, that those of us with hEDS shouldn’t get this treatment. It makes us vulnerable to added stretching of ligaments. That happened to me. I didn’t know that I had hEDS until I was around 50 years old.
• Massage therapyI LOVE this therapy! Since it isn’t covered by insurance, I just can’t afford it.

4. Lifestyle Changes

• Regular exercise to maintain mobilityAt age 49, I was no longer able to withstand exercise. Before this age, low-impact exercise was always helpful.
• Healthy diet to reduce inflammationThis is a good change for many people (that I’ve read about online).
• Adequate hydrationI’m trying to improve my hydration.

5. Mind-Body Techniques

• Meditation and mindfulness practicesI have not tried meditation specifically, but pray daily.
• Deep breathing exercises
• Yoga and tai chiI have tried some of the yoga exercises (chair yoga). These seem to be mostly stretches.

6. Heat and Cold Therapy

• Using heating pads for muscle relaxationThese are very comforting. If only they could be used when I’m moving around.
• Applying ice packs to reduce inflammationIce packs are very helpful.

7. Supportive Devices

• Braces or splints for joint supportI am presently wearing braces on my left ankle and it provides support while my surgically-treated ankle rehabs. The wrist joint braces hold the wrist in place as I wait for surgery.
• Cushions for added comfortSitting in a soft recliner is the only way I can sit comfortably.

8. Professional Help

• Consulting with a pain specialistI have been a pain-specialist patient for many years. They don’t do anything except to: try a variety of muscle relaxants and give me new orders for PT.
• Exploring pain management programsSince these doctors don’t prescribe opioids or other strong medications, there is nothing to benefit me.

9. Staying Informed

• Understanding your pain conditionWe are all different. I have 9 diseases that cause pain. Some people have 1. No doctor has been able to tell me how they use this information to offer pain therapies or medications.
• Keeping track of pain triggers and patternsThis can be helpful to tell you which activities are the biggest trigger for pain. My trigger for pain is: using my body for any activity.

I’ve given my experiences with each of these topics. I know that each of us with chronic pain will have a different story. It’s important to give each other grace and an opportunity to talk about our story. It would be wonderful if people without chronic pain would listen to us and try to understand our struggle.

Some of these 9 ways to treat pain may be just the perfect key to your chronic pain problem. I urge you to consider those if you’re living with chronic pain. And, let me know what treatments work for your chronic pain. God bless.

@2025, copyright Lisa Ehrman

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical expert. This post contains my experiences and opinions, and is not meant to be taken as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your personal physician.

• chronic illness