needing advice on living w/arthritis | Arthritis Information

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hi i'm new to the board i am looking for any ideas on living with osteoarthritis i am 42 years old and am getting worse by the day.  This winter i had a really hard time getting around. I work two graveyards a week and wonder if lack of sleep is making things worse.  I have 4 children and don't really have the option of not moving.  I feel like sitting around with my feet up.  I don't know if it is better to just keep moving or stop.  Could someone who has been living with this longer please please give me some advice.  My pain is in my hands, feet, left hip, left knee and ankles.  I love to wash my dishes by hand because the warm water feels good.  I thought that summer would make me feel better but it hasn't helped as much as i had hoped.  I am currently taking celebrex along with tylonol when i need it which is about twice a day.  I like to take things with a lot of asprin because it actually works but i am not supposed to do that with the celebrex.  I need some good advice as to wether i need to just toughen up and keep moving or if there are some things I can do to make life better. Help please!     I'm sorry you are having such a tough time, countrygirl.  You have the same symptoms I developed in my forties.  First off, please don't take aspirin in addition to Celebrex.  That is very dangerous, and the pain relief is not worth the risk you are taking.  You can end up with a bleed in your stomach that could kill you, or damage your liver permanently. 

 
Moving is the best thing you can do.  And believe me, I know how hard it is.  I need new hips and new knees, and sometimes just getting up takes a couple of minutes.  You need to just keep pushing yourself and keep those joints moving, so you don't lose the ability to move them at all.  Exercise and movement actually lubricates the joints, and I find that the day after I have exercised more than usual, my joints usually feel better.
 
I would also like to strongly urge you to insist that your doctor check your Vitamin D levels.  I had a severe Vitamin D deficiency and I am now under treatment for it and feel much, much better.  It won't cure osteoarthritis, but if you are low on Vitamin D, it can cause your bones and joints to ache terribly.  And you really have nothing to lose in having it checked out.
 
Parafin wax baths are helpful for painful feet and hands.  Blue emu creme available from Walmart is also helpful for me to put on, especially when I am trying to get comfortable at night and can't sleep.  I also find that I am much more comfortable sleeping on a "sleep number" adjustable air mattress style bed, and have reached the point where I can't sleep at all on regular mattresses. 
 
I hope these suggestions help.  I truly feel your pain, LOL!  Feel free to PM me if you like.
 
Karen
Hillhoney2008-08-26 18:43:20Good Morning Country Girl, You are one busy woman and need some relief.  Karen gave you some good advice.  I'd like to add that you should talk to your doctor about adding Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium, and fish oil to your diet.  They all work together so that the Calcium is absorbed to the max.  Also talk with your doctor about taking one of the bone building drugs that are taken either weekly, monthly, or yearly. 
 
Please do not take Aspirin with Celebrex....it's a molotov cocktail! I don't know how often you take Celebrex but if it's only once a day talk with your RD about increasing to twice a day. 
 
I had my knee replaced last year and trying to wait on having the other replaced until next year or the year after.  If your knees are involved, you can have them injected with Synvisc.  It's been wonderful for me and kept me moving with minimal knee pain.  I have my knee injected every 6 months.  It's not a steroid but a star wars lubricant that keeps the knee gliding smoothly. 
 
KEEP MOVING, is the best advice I can give you.  Take care and let us know how you're doing.  Lindy
Hey countrygirl.  I am so sorry you are feeling so bad.  I totally agree with the previous replies to your post and would only add that you try daily yoga.  I peform Rodney Lee's AM Yoga every morning and it's just light enough for our arthritic bones to handle, but just enough to keep us going too.  It will seem difficult at first, but give it 1-2 weeks and you'll be amazed at the relief it provides.  I got my DVD of it at my local Barnes and Nobel, but I'm sure you could find it on line if you googled Rodney Lee. 
 
RA/OA-cervical spine.  Remicade/MTX/Pred/Leucovorin/Folic Acid/acetametaphin/Vitamins and lots of Tums
Thanks for your help and encouragement.  I didn't realize that there could be such bad consequences taking excedrin with celebrex.  I'm going to see the doc and see if we can find a longer lasting combo of meds.  thanks so much
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