What's in a name...

I've been having a fabulous week, hip-wise. Last friday I got a repeat on my pain meds. I'd popped into the surgery during my lunch break to get the prescription and then wandered across the road to the local pharmacy, as usual, except this time I found them shut for lunch! Great, I'll have to pop into Boots later on my way home from work instead I'm thinking. This turned out to be the biggest blessing in disguise!

I've been taking diclofenac when I get hip-related pain as it is really the only thing that 'works'. I'm sure there are stronger painkillers I could take, but I get very sick with the likes of Tramadol or codeine-based painkillers. So, normally I get whatever brand of diclofenac the local pharmacy stock. Whatever Boots brand of diclofenac stock (which happens to be Dicloflex) is like a completely different painkiller!!! Since friday I've felt very little hip pain whilst taking them. The other brand has been making me think the worst about the deterioration in my hip as they were only ever able to take the edge off the pain. I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps the painkiller just wasn't up to the job? Or a bad batch? Or maybe I really am just having a good week and the joint is less inflammed?

It's hard to say. Part of me doesn't care either, it feels good! This is when the guilt sets in, 'I'm a fraud, the hip is totally fine mr.orthopod, honest! I'm sure you have better things to do'. I wonder if other people find the same with different branded painkillers. Voltarol is probably the most commonly recognised brand name of diclofenac and I know they 'work' for me too. I might have to do some research into how the drugs are constructed to figure out whether different brands deliver differently. As far as I'm concerned there's a massive change in one's quality of life with a painkiller that works and one that doesn't.

Here's hoping I haven't just jinxed myself either :o)