Hey guys, longtime no see :) I have been around, checking out what's going on, just not posting. I'm a ghost like that.
So I was wondering what people's takes were on chronic vs acute pain, and RA vs OA. I woke up Sunday morning with an absolutely throbbing pain in my right shoulder--I've had it before, but not since I've been diagnosed, and not this intense. The weird thing is that I took the max painkillers (660 mg of naproxen) the night before, so the rest of my body felt grand, but that shoulder... So I was practically crying, on the phone with the advice nurse, who recommended a)more painkillers or b)an eval w/ a doctor that day, neither of which I wanted to do... I ended up ICING it and it TOTALLY helped. WEIRD, since normally even the idea of icing joints is like, oooow *shudders*.
A massuese-friend of mine told me that the problem with my shoulder is the cartilidge wearing down (sounds like OA to me?) and fluid going in to cushion the joint (sounds like water-on-the-..shoulder?), and the nurse didn't really say anything beyond checking that I wasn't having a heart attack.... It's a throbbing pain in the joint--ring around where the shoulder and arm connect--anyone have a similiar exp or ideas as to the cause?
I was also thinking of the possibility of fibro, but I guess that's muscle tenderness rather than joints...? Sometimes to me it feels like the pain extends to my bones, but.... Can anyone with fibro describe symptoms more in-depth and their theories as to their cause? The websites I looked at were really vague.
Another weird thing is that I took a vicodin last night (1 pill kicked my 100 lb butt lol) and I felt like I was on a lot of painkillers mentally/physically, but my shoulder STILL hurt. A cold shower helped. And this morning the vicodin had worn off but I feel like I'm now in the worst full body flare I've had in a while. Anyone else tried vicodin as a painkiller, or had similiar effects or anything?
Thanks for any feedback anyone provides, I feel better knowing I can come here for advice. Hope everyone's week is starting off better than mine!
Gypsy - this is only IMHO, but I think we are all unique snowflakes in a snowstorm of autoimmune/arthritis disease processes. Your symptoms will be somewhat similar to someone else's, but the chances of someone having EXACTLY what you experience, I believe, are small.
Get lots of rest, drink lots of filtered water, figure out a vitamin regime for your body, eat properly, take your meds religiously, at least do stretching exercises all day long, research your disease and learn it inside out, and keep posting. Take care and keep letting us know how you are doing. Cathy
Well, I'm damn close Cathy! LOL
Check out www.palindromic.org. I had that shoulder. Do the 'attacks' start in different large joints? Is it migratory?
Hugs,
Pip
LOL
Ron White: CLOSE!
Horseshoes and hand grenades: CLOSE!
It's hard to say if they are the same problem, but I have involvement in my shoulders every time I flare. I describe it as down-right excrutiating. Sometimes, its the left shoulder, sometimes the right. I do, however, also flare in other joints. Sometimes, they flare at the same time as the shoulder, other times, the shoulder will start and other joints will follow - mostly the wrists and fingers.
Sometimes I just think the shoulder hurts worse because it's a larger joint. I don't know. But, like you, it doesn't seem that the hydrocodone helps very much. I feel like it really only alleviates the anxiety of being in such extreme pain.
Like you, icing is the only thing that helps, except if I try to ice too soon - it hurts too much. Usually, I can ice about 6 hours "after" the flare starts.
Sorry you are having problems. I can totally relate.
Sorry about your shoulder but I can relate. My left arm/shoulder flare up alot. It's at the top of my arm and like you said kind of like a ring of fire. I take vicodin 750mg and sometimes doesn't help. If it doesn't let up about 2 hours after I take 1st pill, I take another. That usually kicks butt. I cant do the ice. Never good stand it. I like heat but it's a hard area to keep the heating pad around.
I heard that it could be rotator cuff problems. Don't know. I plan on asking on Nov. 9th with rd appt.
Hope you get it feeling better soon.