Please help im in pain | Arthritis Information
Hi my name is berenice.
I was diagnosed with RA two years ago nearly when i was 19.
The docs said it was a case of inflammatory and rheumatoid arthrtis caused due to severe emotional stress.
I tried hard and eliminated the stress factors in my life and all was going well.
Acute pain had stopped,i began to lose the weight i had gained due to the medication.
Off late over the last couple of months.i switched jobs and moved to a new city.
I have a tiring ,rather hectic day at work...so i get alot of exercise.
My main pain point was my back and wrists.
ever since i moved.i have back aches and spasms.ive tried taking muscle relaxants and other meds to no avail.
ive had on and off enck aches that would last a day or two..very severe neck pain.
1 month ago i woke up with a bad neck ache.
if i didnt turn my neck all day,it would stop hurting.but when i went to bed and woke up the next morn it would be terrible...
this morning its been its worst..i wont get leave as i just joined a new compnay...no chance for rest..
what do i do....im literally in tears..its hurting too much...
i can hardly work....
the neck ache has further botheres my shoulder muscles and now slowly moving to my hand..i can ahrdly lift my hand...have anyone of you experienced anythgin similar..
i knw there isnt point gng to a doc as he will say its the arthritis and make me do tests and x rays...
pleas ehelp me...anyone
hi berenice, sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Are you on any arthritis medication or pain killers. By the sounds of it your RA is not controlled at all. A doctor could give you a quick pred pack and pain killers so that you can continue to work,but you cant be any good to anyone let alone yourself when you are in so much pain. Maybe you should do tests and xrays as its the only way of knowing what damage has been done. hi thanks so much for replying...
well i had done about 15 x rays and my doc suggested a nuclear bone scan.they found the inflammation in nearly all my joints.knees.ankles.wrists.elbows and fingers.he said that it was mild..but the pain i feel is in no way mild.
not many people take me seriously ,even doctors.i have no idea why.
i was on meds.but i dont knw what the point is of taking pain killers all the time.
can you suggest any...as im not sure if the ones ive been taking are any good...
i was taking nuxocia for inflammation...sarotena for stress and depression and voveran for pain.
also had taken norgesic a muscle relaxant..
any suggestions on what i should do...
To me if there is inflamation in all those joints, then its definately not mild. Its what they call uncontrolled RA. Do you see a rheumatologist or just a family doctor?. Generally they start you on prednisolone to hit the inflamation quickly then add other medication to control joint damage. I started on methotrexate which many on the RA board also take. I then started on Arava which I still take ,along with plaquenil,enbrel ,and Tramadol for pain.I am quite happy to take these medications regularly rather than live a terrible life of pain and fatigue like I used to. Only you can judge your own body whether the medication is needed. Take care and post on the RA board as most people are there. Take care , Ally
to be honest i havent even heard of these drugs.i went to a rheumatologist.does prednisolone have any side effects?and whats enbrel ive seen the name on many posts?also i take glucosamine chondroitin....is that good?
The key is finding a doctor willing to take the time to listen to you. All blood work on me came up negative until just recent. But to the untrained eye all my panels look normal but a CRP was run and came up elevated. Ask your doctor to be sure he's run one of these. Not all RA profiles show RA.
www.enbrel.com will explain Enbrel to you.
Hi Berenice, welcome to AI
I recently read in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Plan To Win by Cheryl Koehn, Taysha Palmer & John Easdaile, that Glucosamine is used to help with pain and stiffness caused by OA, not RA.
You asked if prednisone has any side effects. As Alleycat says, RD's will often prescribe Prednisone at the beginning while you're waiting for a DMARD to take effect. It's not a drug that most people want to be on for the long term because the side effects aren't pleasant. Pred can cause weight gain, a "moon" face, the pred hump, thinning of bones, sleep problems, mood changes, thin skin and GI issues. Some people can tolerate and respond well to low dose pred for a long time. I wasn't one of them. Three years ago I had another autoimmune issue and pred was the first step in the treatment. After 2 months I ended up with GastroEsophagal Reflux Disease. If prednisone is to be part of your treatment plan, be sure to ask for something to protect your stomach lining.
Here are some other treatment options:
NSAIDs ( Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) such as naproxen and nabumatone, may be prescribed by an RD. They do reduce the effects of the inflammation, especially stiffness and pain, but they don't limit or stop the RA process that damages joints. NSAIDs often irritate the stomach so it's important to take a med that will protect the stomach lining.
Another group of meds are disease management medications that include DMARDs like methotrexate and Plaquenil, and biologics like Enbrel and Remicade. They're designed to control the progression of RA. Years ago RD's tended to go slow in the treatment of RA so DMARDs usually weren't prescribed unless the RA was severe. Nowadays RD's are seeing better results by treating RA early with DMARDs.
The thought of going on a DMARD can be scary, especially when you read about all the possible side effects a med may present, but I'm so glad that I did. I'm presently taking Plaquenil and it has made a huge difference in my hands and wrists and feet. I went from being unable to turn the car key to start my car to being able to finish the afghan I'd started 3 years ago.
I hope things improve for you very soon, Berenice. Please keep in touch.
FYI... the book I mentioned is very informative. One of the coauthors has RA.
I hope you can be a success story too.
Hi Berenice!
I am sorry to hear that you are suffering. I had experienced same in the past... aching all over. It could be a RA related problem indeed. I don't know if you are on RA treatment already, but if so and it does not seem to work then it is important that you go back to your rheumatologist. You may need to change medication. Sometimes when you are in a lot of pain (flare) NSAIDs only do not help. You may need stronger medication like cortisone during flares. Don't worry too much, it is often like this at the start until you find the medication that is right for you. It's only 2 years that you have been diagnosed, so please take care of you right now and don't let the disease progress uncontrollably. If damage is done it may be too late and less easy to remedy. Blood tests and x-rays are very important in the treatment.
Hope you get better soon.
Lily
Berenice,
My advice is keep calling the doc until you get relief. With as bad as you sound I'd say you need meds for pain and inflammation. My doc would put me on a medrol pack and then if it didn't stop he would put me on daily prednisone.
An additional thing I suggest is physical therapy. Your doc can order it. I went for neck pain and they showed me two simple stretches to do every day. Not just when I'm in pain, but EVERY day. I do them every morning when I wake, and again in the evening when sitting around the house. They strengthen my muscles and bones, allow me to sleep through the night. If I have an occasion to start feeling stiff I stop and do the exercises. Takes all of 10 minutes.
Again....call you doc, and keep calling until you get relief. You should not have to live in the kind of pain you are in.
Wow. I just noticed the date on your post. I sure hope you've found relief between April and now.
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and what would that product be if you dont mind saying? everyone here wants some kind of relief
Hi everyone,
I wanted to let everyone know here that there is a new website solely dedicated to OA and patient education and understanding of the disease including the importance of pain management education, and some recent research, and links to other sites as well.
www.IHaveOsteoarthritis.com There is a wealth of information on the website and it will be updated constantly. The website is unigue in that it offers evidence on not only why patient education is important but what some research has shown that the negative results can be as a result of patients not being fully educated on the disease. The website is new and I welcome any feedback on how to improve it and what should be added.
Good luck to each of you in managing your OA.
Berenice,
I really hope you are feeling better. For all the other people in here I just wanted to share that I have been taking epsom salt baths for a few weeks now and I can really see an improvement in my overall pain level. Just put 2 cups of the salt in a warm bath and soak for 20-30 minutes. I also know other people with arthritis that have been bathing in epsom salt and most have seen some sort of relief from the pain.
I like the Pepsom Sports variety at Walgreens because it comes in spearmint scent which I find particularly soothing. I don't know if there are differences in the brands but this one seems to be working for me. I just wanted to share now that I am convinced it has been helping. You might need to give it at least one bath a day for a week to see the max results. Hope this helps!Hello Berenice
I have sent you a private message
Jeanine
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