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Hi Im joy. Im 56y/o so if i am in the wrong group please let me know. I have never never posted on a message board and am in need of someone that can relate to severe pain. I have been up most of the night in so much pain. Hands, Both, swollen and burning and like cramps so severe I would love to put an axe to them if it would just Stop.

Dx with RA 7 years ago.been on so many meds I lost count. Took Gold Shots for 3 years and pain was a thing I forgot. It returned with slow ,gradual ,debilitating, unbearable vengence. I was put on Arava for a while.I was so scared of a changein meds and begged for a higher dosage of Gold but was told it was as high as it goes.

I am presently on prednisone,Methotrexate and Leucovorin with Humira Injections, and pain pills. I am so in pain i want to die. it has been 3 weeks of Methotrexate and I do not have a bit of relief.Pain pills last 10-15 min. and it is all over again. I am on vacation from my job of almost 18 years and worried I am going to have to retire early and not have enough money for meds and living .Sorry to rattle.it helps to get my mind on something else for a while. Thanks joy01

Hello Joy -just wanted to say welcome to this site

Dee and Becky

HI Joy, you certainly are in the right place, I am so sorry you had to come here though. At least you will find people here understand exactly what you are going thru, and we can all relate our stories with someone elses, so hang in there, I am sorry you are having so much trouble, unfortunately RA can have many different guises and takes on many different forms. The best thing to do is to keep hassling your Drs and possibly go and see a pain specialist, they can offer you different pain management strategies. I will pray for you, along with all my other friends on here and there is always someone on line as people come here from all over the world. Try to have a Happy Christmas and a painfree 2008. Regards Jane. thank you, thank you, thank you. I am weeping as I write. You guys are so sweet and so kind to me. total strangers ,friends. I did not expect one response much less two.this is so helpful to know someone cares and "really" understands. much love joy01 If the pain meds you are on arent' doing anyting for you i would contact your dr and have him give you something different. Nobody should have to "deal" w/ the pain. As for the Methotrexate, it does take a couple months to start working. Give it a couple more months to see if it will kick in.
Hope you have a great day and a wonderfull weekend!Hello Joy and welcome. You are absolutely in the right place, darling.

Now I have been in exactly the kind of pain you mention for about ten years. I survived until two months ago without any pain medication but living in tears from the pain and being unable to sleep for two months mad me go and do something about it. So I went to my GP and demanded some pain medication. It has taken them months to find the right combo but now I have a pain relief plan that is working.

Obviously, your pain meds aren't doing the job. Get back to your PCP and get them to sort it. You need to be on something different. Also I have always had my GP or PCP manage my pain meds are working out the combo to get it right is tedious and takes time. I have found a GP to be more accessible too if the combo isn't working and needs to be changed.

You can't and don't have to live like this, honey. They need to reduce your pain levels or you are not going to cope at all.

Also Methatrexate takes three months to kick in not three weeks. Whomever told you that was wrong, so no wonder you are not getting any relief from it yet.

This disease requires so much patience. I was diagnosed nearly three years ago and only just now have they found a medication that is working for me.I had some Rituxan infusions a couple of months ago and at week nine they kicked in. Those infusions commonly kick in between the eight and sixteen weeks post infusion mark. What a long time to wait. But it is working for me.

Don't give up. I know exactly how hard it is to struggle through each minute but you must not lose hope completely. This disease can take you to the darkest place emotionally...this is very normal. Most of us here have experience thoughts and emotions so dark that suicide seems like an option out of the pain and struggle but hang in there. You will make it. It just all takes an awful lot of time to work out what works for you.

It seems to me that what they are doing with you is not working or not working yet. Certainly the Methatrexate has not kicked in yet.

Now, instead of thinking of dying reach out to us here and vent. Vent as much as you need too. The people here know your journey and we will help you through. It can be amazing what encouragement, compassion and kindness can help us through.

So chew off small pieces at a time here. First go and get something different for the pain. Second, use here to vent as much as you need too. Third, just take one moment at a time and try not to stress about work and all that stress. Keep yourself as calm as possible, it will help...the more stressed you are, the more pain you will be in for sure. Fourth, if you don't feel what they have you on is working or even close, contact your RD and tell them so. Maybe things need to be changed.

You can PM me anytime and keep posting, darling. It will help you through. I know. I have been exactly where you are now.

WElcome to AI...I have been here on and off for...oh, geesh, more than 7 or 10 years maybe. It is the place for immense, caring support, and years of experience with this awful disease.

Everyone here has been through what you are going through right now and the help and suggestions and problem solving here is so helpful.

Enbrel was my saving grace after ..I think 8 years of trying to find the right mix. I have no insurance right now so I cannot get to an RD ( last one cost 0. 00 and he said I had no evidence of RA and it was all in my head)to see where my blood work is.

Not all RD's work that way and make you feel that worthless and stupid. Afterall I had been treated for many years quite successfully with another RD in Indiana. IT was with this board and their help and support that got me through those rough times.

GLad but sad you are here.

jode

Hello Joy and welcome. I am glad that you found us. Here we understand the pain you are in and I also think that maybe a different pain med is in order while you await the Methotrexate to kick in. Have you taken Prednisone? It is very helpful in flares like yours.

Take care and I will be praying for you.

Hi Joy, welcome, Cordy has said it all in her lovely way. Just one thing, there's no age barrier to being in pain and needing support.welcome Joy, great people on this thread, they will help you but best thing, you don't have to feel you are all alone in this....pain is a bad four letter word for sure....you will feel much better just knowing we know and understand what you are going through.

I am asking here if anyone has tried Lyrica, would be interested in hearing from you.....again welcome Joy.

Merry Christmas to you all.

rose

Rose, I take 75mg at night with great results.

Take care

Can't add much more, but welcome, and yes! u are in the right place

Lorraine

Hi. Joy,

Sorry about the pain, so many of us have been through it and toatally

As others said, MTX can take months to kick in but it's worth knowing it's effective in varying degrees in 8 out of 10 cases. Pretty good odds. It worked for me but I was taken off it and put onto Arava. Good luck - Des.

Hello, Joy, and welcome!

I hope you get feeling much better very soon.

Hello and welcome. I can't add much for advice, but we are here to listen if that helps!
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