Arthritis Information -Looking for answers

 

I am very glad to have found this site.

 

I am 50, my husband is 66.  Over the last year he has talked about stiffness.  During the summer I took him to the urgent care center in the middle of working on a deck for my sister.  He was on his knees a lot and the pain got so bad in ONE knee that he could not continue.  The didn't really diagnose it as anything.  Just perhaps an overextension.  Well, things have progressed.  A few months ago he started talking about his thumb.  All of a sudden he will just yell.  He said the pain goes through it and he just doesn't know what to do with it, raise it, hold it, brace it, etc.  Now yesterday he was putting some Christmas decor boxes away.  When he lifted the box over his head his elbow hurt so bad he dropped the box down, breaking things.  It continued the rest of the day and the next.  I put a heating pad on it last night and he said that helped a bit.  He says it is still sore today but he is not using it much. 

 

We don't sleep together anymore, because all of this really started with his hips.  He tosses and turns all night long due to pain.  Xrays reveal only mild arthritis.  We have had to leave places in the middle of shopping or visiting because of his pain.  Too much to stand, too much to walk. 

 

I think other than his hips, both sides, his thumb one side, his elbow one side that is kind of it right now.  Although he does have problems holding his coffee cup due to his arm and he says his hands don't work like they used to, not as strong.

 

His Dr. put him on Celebrex for a month.  It didn't touch it.  He saw no improvement.  If anything it got worse.  His Dr. was really puzzled by that and said it should have helped.  So now we go to see a Rheumatologist on Thursday.

 

I have been reading up on this and have a few questions:

 

What I have read says that if it is RA, in most cases it is symmetrically affected.  He has not had that.  Does that mean it is not RA.

 

His Xray shows mild arthritis.  Does that mean it is not RA.

 

It comes and goes sometimes, but the last week, really, everyday seems to have brought a new part of his body into it.

 

Does any of this sound familiar to any of you.  I suppose it does.  Just wondered your thoughts.  I am going crazy trying to help him.

 

My husband just retired 1 1/2 yrs. ago.  He was a plant manager, though he is very good with his hands.  He has built decks, additions, garages.  He can (or he used to) work circles around men in their 20's and 30's.  Anyone who knows him has said he is the hardest worker they have ever seen. 

 

Now that winter is here and really due to his pain, he is getting pretty sedentary.  I don't like that.  I don't want him to get old before his time.  AND, I don't think it is good for whatever is wrong with him.  I used to go to the YMCA every morning before work.  A little old lady used to come in around 6:00 every morning.  It took her forever just to get from her car to the locker room.  Every day she got in the therapy pool-88 degrees.  One day I asked her what made her do that and she said because she knew if she stopped, she wouldn't be able to move.  I don't know what she had, but she kept moving.  I never forgot that and now hate to see what is happening to my husband.  He has literally sat in his lazyboy all day watching tv.  He came upstairs for dinner and now is back down there.  He has his dogs and they lay by him and he is happy.  I don't like it.  I worry he is just too inactive.  Of course the boredom of that brings him up to the kitchen frequently and he is also gaining weight.

 

Any insight would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

Thank you all for reading,

 

Julie 

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's pain. My step-mom has rheumatoid arthritis and has a lot of trouble with it.  She does try to get some exercise each day, and hot showers help her back in the morning.

 

Has your husband tried any natural remedies or suppliments? I use Xango, the mangosteen juice. It has the highest antioxidant activity of all the fruits, and many people I know have had great results with it for pain, as have I. The antioxidants, called xanthones, are natural COX2 inhibitors, so they reduce inflammation and pain. Here is a link that will give you more info. http://www.mangosteenfruitinfo.com/ If you have any questions, let me know.  I'll be happy to help if I can.

 

I was just diagnosed with RA. I didn't initially present with symetrical pain. In my case, it started with pain in my left hand, that moved to my shoulder and then to my knee over the course of a few weeks.

 

It then came back into my left hand and went away, followed by coming into both hands and not leaving since...

 

I inititally went to my family doctor. He suggested that I see the same Rheumatologist that my mom is seeing. She has Still's Disease. He also gave me a blood test looking at my SED rate and my RA factor. In my case the RA factor should have been about 14, but came back at 174.

 

The Rheumatologist, when I initially saw him did more blood work and confirmed the RA diagnosis last week...

 

I don't know if that helps but it sounds like they could test a bit more to determine if RA is involved.