... and the more I read, the more I feel like I have a lot of "pain dues" to pay, befour I can even be considered worthy to hang out here ... I wish it were not so, for all of you ... (and for me, of course)

I have a couple of questions regarding meds and supplements:


1) it seems to be stressed that only a certain type of B12 be taken (cobalamine?) ... I read that this is bcos with this type, the vitamin dose not have to be transformed by the body, and is more easily absorbed:

"Regular Vitamin B-12 supplements must be converted in the body to Methylcobalamin before they can provide any benefits – Methylcobalamin supplements allow you to bypass this step for quicker absorption

You may not be able to absorb B-12 as well as you get older, so mature adults may especially benefit from a Methylcobalamin supplement"

... so does this mean that the "regular" form of B12 (what Im currently taking) will do little or nothing for me?


2) I have taken ibuprofen in fairly large doses, for years and years, mostly for my (not related to PN) knee pain ... I generally take as much as 2000 mg in the morning, and the same or slightly less at night. I take ibuprofen rather than aceto-etc, bcos the risk of liver and other organ damage is considerably less, or that's what I understand to be the case ... I have also taken naproxen sodium (aleve), but have msotly stuck to the ibuprofen in recent years. When my foot doc gave me the lyrica, I told him about my iboprpfen use, and he recommended that I not take it in conjunction with the Lyrica (but I did it, anyway ) ...

- Does anyone have an opinion or know weather the ibuprofen in that amount, may have actualy kept the Lyrica from working as well as it otherwise would have?

- Should I be concerned about the ibuprofen somehow interfering with my body's ability to absorb and / or retain vitamins, minerals and nutrients from supplements and / or food?

... the ibo works pretty well for managing my knee and back pain (and usually takes care of the ocasional headache, as an added bonus of taking it daily), but as far as I can tell, it isnt doing much for my PN pain ... I am kind of dependent on it in terms of jsut being "used to having it there", but if it is problematical in some way, I would be willing to give it up, if there is some reasonable substitute ... I have so much to learn about drug interactions, vitamin absorbtion ... all of it ... in other words, I'm ignerint ... I admit it .