Hi all,

With consultation and permission from our illustrious hosts, Ian and Alicia, I have decided to lend a helping hand to all those who wish to pose a question to a Registered Nurse.

A bit about my background first:

I am a critical care nurse who has worked in the Emergency department for over 7 years and am currently working in the Intensive Care Department of the local trauma center. With this background, I have had the experience of working and seeing just about everything that you can imagine from broken bones, to foreign objects stuck where…well they should not be stuck.

Not only have I worked with the critically ill, but have to deal with the family dynamics in some extreme circumstances as well. It is my hope that I can answer your questions based on my experience in the health care field.
The response may be in the form of articles, advice based on my own health care or personal experiences. It may be as simple as “go see your doctor” or a more lengthy one based on the question or concern.

It is my intention to maintain confidentiality of those who are asking the question or raising a concern. With this in mind, I propose two ways that the visitors to this sight can ask their questions.

1. Post your question in this thread and I will answer you in a timely manor. The delay may come from any research that I may have to do on the topic. Any research will be sighted in the response.

2. Send me a PM on the sight. I will then do the exact same as with the above but will sterilize the answer to ensure that only I know who has asked the question. Not even Freddy and Eddy will be able to read your PM to me!

I will also ask any other people on this forum to add their comments about a question because there is a lot of valuable information out there from the valued members of this page. With this being said though, it will be a tightly controlled thread. The people asking the question have a genuine concern and any question will be treated with the utmost of respect by me as, I am sure, by the rest of the posters to this fine sight.

Northern Nurse RN, BSN

First, thanks for being available!
Question: (more to chronic than acute, so, please don't give it undue effort) I'm early 60s, fit, strong, and active, but with osteo arthritus. One hip is not my own ("total" hip replacement 5 years ago) and the other, and knees, elbows, etc., can be troublesome. Aerobic and strength exercise, ample Ibuprofin, and aspirin, usually reduce, but rarely eliminate, the pain. As you can imagine, it's worse after a long drive, which is often how couples meet...
I would take opportunities to warm up and stretch when still shy of destination, and would also make conservative use of exceptional pain reliever by prescription, should there be such. I have a regular doc and can/will ask.
As it is, I feel self conscious having to pause when getting up after sitting, or when adjusting position in - playful circumstances.
There is, as you might expect, a great deal of useful information on the web of a general kind. I give it a go from time to time. But the need is focal and not every day (sigh.) In the normal run of things, I can work around the disease OK, and hope to continue to for a few decades more, at least.
Thanks for your thoughts.

First of all, welcome to the boards.

It certainly sounds like you are doing everything right as far as exercise, range of motion and generally keeping fit.
You have mentioned that you use Ibuprophen and ASA regularly for the discomfort. Perhaps adding Tylenol to the mix would be beneficial if there are no contraindications in your history.
You also allude to the fact that you have a prescription for another drug to aid with the pain in your other joints. If this medication is a narcotic, then it can impede sexual function as opposed to enhancing it. There are many Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID’s) out on the marked that are available by prescription. This class of medication will not “dull” the libido but may have other side effects like irritation of the stomach lining causing heart burn like symptoms. All drugs have up and down sides to them and you and your GP will have to work as a team to figure out what combination works best for you.

As you have discovered, sexual intercourse and relations are found to be greatly enhanced once the pain of the arthritic hip has been resolved. Unfortunately, Osteoarthritis is a systemic problem and is not localized to one joint. http://www.springerlink.com/co...2r2hdxl/fulltext.pdf

Once you are in a Position to engage in relations with that significant other, perhaps a consideration of positions is in order. This will reduce the amount of stress on your prosthetic joint and therefore ensure that pain will be minimized. After all sex should not be painful! http://mediwire.sma.org/main/D...&ArticleID=106993#ph

I can not stress enough how an open and frank relationship must exist between you and your health care team. If they are not aware of your concerns, there is no way that they can address them. There is nothing that you can say that will surprise them.

I hope I have addressed your concerns and if not please post again.

NN, thanks, especially in sorting out the alphabet soup of applicable drugs, and the links to follow.
I did have a chat with my doc this morning - it was my 6 mo. checkup. She reflected that my ongoing weight loss - about 40 gone; 40 to go - should further ease movement and joint pain. She recommended trying ADVIL also, and paying attention to impressions on several occasions. We didn't talk NSAID's (thanks for clarifying that) but she is open to further intervention.
I am going to see if I can work out a set of stretches that ease the reduced mobility after a long ride. A bit of choreography should add entertainment to first introductions, eh?

Best wishes. Does the wind still wip heavy on the borderline up there (nod to Dylan), even if the polar ice is barely enough for a martini?

Good to hear, by the way Advil, Ibuprophen, Motrin are all the same drug.

Duh, thanks. I missed that one too. My doc probably assumed that I knew.

Another woops - above - wind whips not wips. Pesky keyboard when you're a hunt-peck er, err.

'Probably ought to look into both yoga too. My workouts are rowing and weights, and some cycling, all with attention to form in order to get full and healthful joint motion. I'm not at all familiar with yogas and the attendant mental disciplines and skills. 'Might be worth a look.

More follow up:
I followed the links. Good articles for their focus and rigor. Thanks.
I had to move a good bit of hardwood lumber and boards yesterday in close quarters with some bad angles and body contortions, and no air conditioning. I came after (after a shower; it's hot this time of year on the Gulf Coast) with aspirin and Ibuprophen. In a few hours, I was walking unimpeded. This morning, it took a few minutes to overcome the discomfort, but things are back to normal now. I have some other heavy outdoor work coming up (raising a building - much digging and crawling) and will try the a comparable treatment with tylenol, then repeat a few times.
I'd install grease fittings, but that might be a turn-off at times of no clothes (:
Again, thanks for the perspectives. c123

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Comealong123,

My pleasure, you could also go easy on the ASA as it is a gastric irritant. As you age, it is much preferable that you go with an 81 mg tab once a day but stick with the Tylonol and Advil for pain and mobility.

Thanks NN for lending a honest, reputable opinion regarding health. I know we all have questions to ask....

Bring them on! That is what this section is for!

quote:

Originally posted by Northern Nurse:
My pleasure, you could also go easy on the ASA as it is a gastric irritant. As you age, it is much preferable that you go with an 81 mg tab once a day but stick with the Tylonol and Advil for pain and mobility.

Will do, thanks!
Today's joys included more lifting and other motions in twisty postures. 'Got good and dirty. Aside from soaking the requisite number of shirts from the heat, I stayed pretty comfortable. 'Nothing unusual from the left hip - usually the biggest complainer. Onward with Tylonol and Advil. More on the subject of sorting out the off the non-prescription meds : (DMccay art.)

Monday 8-17 update: rowed a half marathon (1 1/2 hours at a good pace), and feel better than usual, I think, Joints are loosened up nicely. This follows Tylenol at the recommended dosages for a few days. The effect is subtle, but discomfort with movement drops a half hour or so after dosing and seems to hold on for a few hours.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Comealong123,

Those who know me say that they are always in danger of proximity embarrassment because of my tendency to overshare purely for shock value. Here goes.

Do you want to know what's more embarassing than buying feminine hygene products for your wife? BUYING THEM FOR YOURSELF.

Jill has had a few yeast infections over the years. I found out the hard way that they are spreadable to men as well. The last time Jill got one and got medication from her doctor to treat it, I developed a nasty itch that wouldn't go away. I googled it a bit and found out that the treatment was to use the same OTC that is available to women. So, I go to Walmart and buy some Monistat 7, some 5w30 Mobil 1 full synthetic, and two cases of birdshot shells. I look at the guy behind the counter with the "What the hell are you looking at" glare.

I took the thing out of the package, and find a waxy suppository. I wasn't sure how to go about doing this, so I got a swab wet and tried to apply it to the head of the one-eyed trouser snake directly. After messing with it for a couple of days, I figured out that it does not dissolve in water, it MELTS under heat. Putting a chunk in a small container and letting hot water run over the outside to melt it was MUCH more effective. I applied it twice a day for two weeks and it went away. There were no instructions on the box to tell men how to use it.

My question is, was there something else I should have done? I would spare other guys this pain.

Many doctors recomend treating the male partner while treating the female with a yeast infection. The concern is that the infection can be passed back and forth between partners.

There are several treatments and yes the first line is the over the counter anti fungals like Monostat. In the male, the cream is applied to the head or glands of the penis. (not up the Urethra!) If that is not successful then a trip to the doctor is in order and you will be prescribed a systemic anti fungal medication.

An e-mail question from a visitor too shy to post:

Dear Ask a Nurse, if my boyfriend has a cold, can he spread the virus to me through oral sex? In other words, if I swallow, can the virus be passed through his ejaculate?

A "cold" virus lives in the respiratory tract. It is spread from person to person by particulate or small dropplets when you cough or sneeze.

The short answer is no, you can not get the common cold from semen. That being said, if you are close enough to be giving him a blow job, the chances are high that he can pass the virus to you by kissing, sneezing or coughing while you pleasure him.

quote:

PT141

The only thing I could find and frankly I had never herd of it before is from the manufacturer.

Here: http://www.palatin.com/pdfs/pt141.pdf

and here
http://www.pt141.com/

There is a note that it is still in clinical trials!