HELP PLEASE! I need a NSAID alternative

Try the above suggested tramadol (Ultram). I take it now and use Vicodin when I need something stronger. I was first given tramadol when I broke my toe and needed something to get me through the day at work without being asleep at my desk from the Vicodin!

I haven't found anything. Tylenol doesn't do much for me, and I really can't take pain killers - I'm a recovering addict. Most of my pains have disapated since dropping the weight that I have. I have little cartalidge under the knee caps and arthritis, a tear in each knee and maltracking at 50% bilatteraly. I usually work through it all. 

I do miss being able to take motrin on a regular basis.

The thing about NSAIDS, for me, is that I use them for inflammatory swelling. Like right now, my sinuses are so freakin' swollen. I can't breathe, and I KNOW an ibuprofin would help.

I don't know what I'll use for that afterward. The neti pot, ice packs, and sudafed aren't working.

 My surgeon told me it was ok to have some Advil occassionally, just not all the time. So instead of swallowing the pills, I will take the childrens chewables.

 Tramadol (Ultram) seems to be the most popular non-opiate (but still prescription only) pain reliever for us.  I take a combination of the Tramadol and Vicodin for my knees, depending on how badly they hurt.  Although it is not an opiate, you can still experience tolerance, addiction, and withdrawal issues with the Tramadol.  It is just not as severe as with the opiates... but it also is not as strong a painkiller.

I really underestimated how much of a problem the restriction on NSAIDs would be (and overestimated how much pain relief I would get from losing the weight).  :(

Lora