MariB Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Being an advanced care medic, there are options for you aren't there? Worst case scenario could you work in an ER? As mentioned above, follow your doctors orders. Do every exercise given and in no time you will be up and about. If you worry about your ankle giving out, if it shows signs of it, how about a brace? My daughter in highschool was rolling her ankles terribly and the doc finally put her in a steel supported brace during sports. That is a possibility for added support on your shifts if you have problems.
mobey Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 I am the opposite of a shrink..... I am better at bitch slapping than hugging, but I do have some suggestions for you. First off, clearly you are way too smart to dwell on the things you can't do. So go ahead and cut that crap out. How?? Well, Here's what has worked for me! Advice #1 First off, think about the colour blue. OK, Now, think about the colour red. What just happened to blue? Well.... you chose to stop thinking about it so you could think about red, so it went away. Easy hey! Now apply that theory to all those things that pick at your soul. I know it seems pretty easy to say, but ultimately it is your choice not to let these things fester. Advice #2: Perhaps you need to set some goals, both long & short term. How about starting a blog? A bunch of us will follow I do promise that! Set daily goals, weekly, then long term (no dates on these ones). Short term goals should be both progress and distraction goals. Here are some examples: Learning to crochet Put an ankle weight on the uninjured leg and do 'leg ups', set goals for reps Post 1 scenario on EMTCity per week (13 years on truck and you're not sharing?) Find a physiotherapist (online perhaps) and get advice on how to maintain muscle while laying there Start making jewelry and sell it online Get some bubbles and play with the kids Long term goals could include walking with only a cane, or just 1 crutch. Doing light yoga, Weight lifting goals, etc The ultimate end goal could be passing a fitness test of some sort, then you can decide if you want to go back on ambulance or not, but i'd leave that alone right now. by posting your goals and progress online, not only will you get a 'cheering squad' but you will also have some accountability which helps with motivation. I know first hand it is easy to sit and wallow in sadness, so if your looking for the easy way out - go ahead and do that. If your ready to shake off the dust and get on with life, set some realistic goals and get at 'er As a side note: 9 Ibuprophen every day? What dose? Sounds like a recipe for a bleed to me...... I'd be following Dr.s orders if I were you, I know Narcs aren't fun and addiction is a real concern, but lying in bed bleeding from your stomach ulcer ain't fun either. 1
MariB Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 You can take 2000 mg of advil a day post surgery for pain. It isn't advised long term but that's what they do to wean you off the narcs
mobey Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 You can take 2000 mg of advil a day post surgery for pain. It isn't advised long term but that's what they do to wean you off the narcs No... No you cannot Be careful recommending dosages there Maryb The dose of ibuprophen is 10mg/kg q6hrs. I was less worried about the single dose and more worried about the duration. Taking any NSAID at these doses for extended periods (some will argue more than 3 days) puts patients at risk of internal bleeding.
paramedicmike Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) No... No you cannot Be careful recommending dosages there Maryb The dose of ibuprophen is 10mg/kg q6hrs. Where'd you get that number? Five to ten mg/kg is the pediatric dose. It doesn't necessarily apply to adults. Adult dosing generally ranges from 200-800 mg every 6-8 hours with a maximum daily dose of 3200mg. Responsible taking of medication follows instructions on the label recommending the consumption of food with the med. References for dosing can be found here, here and via epocrates (among other references). In none of these did I see 5-10 mg/kg dosing recommendations for adults. As a side note, I have seen lower max daily recommended dosing for rheumatoid arthritis in a couple different sources. However, they have also mentioned that some RA patients may respond better to higher doses (but not higher than 3200mg/day). I was less worried about the single dose and more worried about the duration. Taking any NSAID at these doses for extended periods (some will argue more than 3 days) puts patients at risk of internal bleeding. Yes. Longer duration medication use can potentially lead to GI issues. However, we don't know the dose, we don't know if this is OTC or prescription strength and we don't know if this is the treatment regimen prescribed by her physician. No drug is without risks. Even OTC medications. With this in mind there have been studies about ibuprofen induced GI bleeding. This lit review indicates a 2-3 fold increase in the risk of NSAID induced bleeds. Here's another study that saw somewhat increased risk of bleeding. Risks can be diminished by taking the medication with food. There are more references and studies out there. edit: formatting and link correction. Edited July 13, 2013 by paramedicmike
DwayneEMTP Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 "I would love to be able to just get out long enough to pop into work and remind myself that what I am right now is NOT me." Yeah, that's a biggie, right? As Mobes mentioned...you don't have to be up to be useful. EMTCity is constantly really short of scenarios/case reviews...there are many, many here, myself included that benefit any time someone is brave enough to post them...
paramedicmike Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 As Mobes mentioned...you don't have to be up to be useful. EMTCity is constantly really short of scenarios/case reviews...there are many, many here, myself included that benefit any time someone is brave enough to post them... Exactly! There's all sorts of reading to do about NSAID use and side effects! 1
MariB Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 /> No... No you cannot Be careful recommending dosages there Maryb The dose of ibuprophen is 10mg/kg q6hrs. I was less worried about the single dose and more worried about the duration. Taking any NSAID at these doses for extended periods (some will argue more than 3 days) puts patients at risk of internal bleeding. they don't make tablets that come with that low of dosing Been having to do the advil route a few times. Doc says prescription dose is 800, can take 4 OTC pills 3 times a day... or.. 3 pills 4 times a day... or 2 pills 6 times a day...
scubanurse Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 No... No you cannot Be careful recommending dosages there Maryb The dose of ibuprophen is 10mg/kg q6hrs. I was less worried about the single dose and more worried about the duration. Taking any NSAID at these doses for extended periods (some will argue more than 3 days) puts patients at risk of internal bleeding. Are you saying a 220lb (100kg) man can take 1,000mg OTC ibuprophen q6h? That would be WAY above the recommended 800mg q8h... and result in 4,000mg in a 24 hour period. they don't make tablets that come with that low of dosing Been having to do the advil route a few times. Doc says prescription dose is 800, can take 4 OTC pills 3 times a day... or.. 3 pills 4 times a day... or 2 pills 6 times a day... Yeah they do... say you weigh 110lbs=45kg that would mean 454mg q6h...
MariB Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 OK, paramedic mike says 3200 mg a day. I believe that is correct. Our doc said 2000 to 2400 max per day, I think it can depend on individual, docs orders, if you are piggy backing. Etc. /> Are you saying a 220lb (100kg) man can take 1,000mg OTC ibuprophen q6h? That would be WAY above the recommended 800mg q8h... and result in 4,000mg in a 24 hour period. Yeah they do... say you weigh 110lbs=45kg that would mean 454mg q6h... oh geeez forgive me. I was not paying attention and thought he said 10 mg total not per kg of weight! Der! Why are we doing pediatric dosing for an adult?
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