morning all!! I'm sitting here pondering the switcherroo in my hand pains over the wkend...right hand still feels good after the cortizone shot in the middle finger that locks up....now pain is in left hand, primarily in 4th finger on palm side, it's starting to feel like the right hand was doing....still have about a week of sample celebrex left...insurance won't pay for it....don't know wether to ask for a cortizone shot in left hand...pain is bearable, but bothersome...and wondering about asking for xrays on both hands...very confusing as doctor does not believe its ra, but reg (?) arthritis...oh well what the hell, always something going on.....wife is suffering bad headache right now, so have to concentrate on her....have a better day all!~!!!
I think you doctor determines the difference in RA arthritis in your hands and "regular" OA is based on the joints that are affected, and the amount of swelling and redness (inflammation) that is evident. And very often people have both RA and OA. Usually OA is found in the joints closer to the fingernails, and RA typically attacks the joints further back, especially at the base of the finger.
I have OA in my hands and I find the hot paraffin wax baths can be very helpful when my hands are bothering me a lot. Have you ever tried one?
Hope you and your wife feel better soon.
< =text/>_popupControl(); Don...so sorry you and your wife are not feeling well right now. Hope things get better for you both soon.
If you really feel that this hand is starting to do what the other hand did...then by all means give the doc a call and see if you can get a cortisone shot now instead of waiting for it to become really bad. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
When was the last time you had x-rays done of your hands? Even with having OA vs. RA...x-rays should be done for diagnosis and a base line comparison. Then every year after that or if a situation warrants...sooner than that.
Hi Hill & Gramm, thanks for your concern...I'm still researching with my insur on the meds they will pay for, (very few)..and don't have access to the parrifin wax... I think I will go ahead and ask for another corti shot and xrays, I've never had any on my hands...(had dozens done on low back probs in the past)...ah well this too shall pass!! (somehow)
Don, maybe you should just go ahead and get another cortizone shot. If the hand is going the same as the other, why wait for it to get as bad? Karen,what exactly is a parafin wax bath? I can guess that you dip your hand in and let the wax harden and then peel it off? Isn't parafin the kind of wax you put in candy? How long does it help pain for, just while the wax is warm? Hi Don, insist on xrays of your hands. Your doctor may want to rule out psoriatic arthritis. You don't have to have skin lesions to have PA. It almost always starts in the fingers. First one hand then the other. I have had it longer than RA, even though I wasn't diagnosed with it until 2 years ago. I've had symptoms of PA for the last 10 years. It's difficult to diagnose but there is a definite finger bone deformity that shows on xray and diagnosis can be made that way. I don't mean to add to your burdens right now but your doctor needs to rule out all forms of arthritis and without xrays that's difficult to do. You want to know exactly what's wrong with you so that you can start the proper treatment. Take care and keep us posted. Lindy Thanks all....I called and got appt for tomorrow for xrays and another shot of corti....also got some info from ins co about nsaid coverage...hopefully can get something to help out...thanks for all the help and encouragement you folks give on here...luvyall!!
have a good one.... Link, you can purchase a paraffin wax bath at Walmart for under . They sell scented wax you can use in it, but the old fashioned kind used for canning or candlemaking works just as well. You just keep reheating the same wax for quite awhile. I use it on my hands and feet, and I really enjoy it. I keep the wax on for about 45 min or so, depends on my mood and if I need to use my hands for anything, LOL. The benefits last for hours for me, but everyone is different.
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Don...here are a couple of resources to help maybe pay for those meds your insurance doesn't want to cover. Some of them (like Celebrex) can be very expensive. I have a co-pay with my insurance for it. http://www.rheumatology.org/public/acrast.asp?aud=pat I hope you can find something insurance will cover that will help ya out.
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