feeling ill without logic | Arthritis Information

Share
 

I guess this may be typical. The different reactions of everyone to drugs and the course of their disease probably covers this subject too. I'm on MTX, pred and nabumetone. I've been on these drugs for weeks, the only dosage changes are very slowly reducing the pred.

So why will I go along, doing everything the same, feeling decent, then suddenly be felled by a bout of nausea and headache? Not bad enough to barf, but bad enough to be unable to eat or do anything but lie on the couch feeling sorry for myself. There seems to be no explanation why I feel fine on Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday, half of Thursday, then eight hours of misery.

Does this sound familiar? I admit I'm a big fan of explanations. As in "Oh, it must be the actonel" or "I stayed up too late last night" to feel like I understand what's happening to me. Do you folks see the ups and downs of your body as inexplicable, and as such to be accepted as random events that you must simply live through? If that's the case, I will work on acceptance and living through the moment, and stop trying to impose logic on whatever my body's latest reign of terror might be!

MTX Nausea I'm aware of as many are here at AI. Not sure if thats it but I'm sure others could comment on it

I would get nausea from MTX but it usually occurred a couple day after I took it.There has been a stomach flu going around my house...could it be that maybe?Hey Bluehour, for me the mtx and the pred. are enough for nausea.  Go buy some ginger candy and see if munching on that helps or brew some tea with a couple of fresh ginger slices in it.  Idk about the actonel but I understand that can well do it too.  I feel you getting the blues from feeling rotten.  I try to take my rotten days in stride but if that fails, a good pity party here helps me ;)
Here's hopeing your good days out number your bad!

Waddie

Bluehour,

I would guess the mtx also, but with ra who knows.  I felt sick to my stomach the entire time on mtx. just an general feeling of unwellness, energy zapped, fatigued, nausea. different medications for ra or bp bring that on for me.
as for feeling down, I don't think the brain was designed to be in daily pain. it is bound to be bring you down from time to time in my opinion. I used to attend an in-person support group in TN and all they talked about was their antidepressants.  i was like but what do you take for the RA and how to make the pain stop. they looked at me like I was speaking martian. they only wanted to discuss antidepressants. nothing else.
That tells me it takes a lot of work to keep your spirits up.
I mention all those things to my doc.  Maybe he can help.  maybe not but worth a try.
Hope you feel better soon.
Do you have teenagers at home? I'm blaming my depression on them

Seriously, I agree with Shelly. Chronic pain changes your brain chemistry (or so I've been told). Also when you have to think twice about everything i.e. "I'd like to look at that magazine but I left it upstairs" "We need orange juice, but I'd have to walk to the car, drive it to the store, and walk in the store"... you know, the simple stuff other people take for granted.
I understand what you mean about wanting a "reason". I try to be really patient with my self the day after mtx, but 3 days later I'm really frustrated by my "unexplained" fatigue. I'm actually really frustrated with everything right now. My migraines are totally out of control and my neurologist says its because the mtx is changing the way I metabolize my other meds. So now I get to increase or change all the meds that used to be working for me... just what I was hoping for... more meds! ugh!
ok, sorry, I know this thread isn't about me. I'm just going to go take some norco and lay on the couch.
I hope you feel better soon, and if you want, I'll let you blame my teenagers for your depression.
LeilaI had daily nausea and headaches for 5 years before my diagnosis. It was terrible and I ended up quitting my scheduled job for over a year and went to a casual status because I never knew how I was going to feel day to day. And I was not on any meds at the time. So, it could be meds and it could be the disease. Maybe talk to your doctor for some meds to take to prevent these things. Also, make sure you are drinking a lot of water so the headaches are not from dehydration. ahhh, Welcome to the RA world.. first thing.. imo.. is give up looking for reasons!
You'll just drive yourself crazy!
Its the most weird disease..... I've had it 4 yrs now and can see no rhyme or reason.. shrug.  I DO plan, that if i go out, even for 3-5 hrs one day, to do Nothing the next.
Fatigue is a huge part of this.  I think migraines, could be, bc of the stress.. which RA brings.
I've had them for years!.. Finally got a nurse practioner and she put me on VERAPAMIL,
Its actually to lower blood pressure, but nothing else worked and this works great!
Really helps prevent them or lessen, for sure!
Just be kind to yourself... honestly thats the best advice I give.
Be thankful for the good days.. and just accept and pamper yourself on the bad.
hugs
Whispered
 
ps: also try armotherapy and lavender really helps w/ headaches, healing gardens spray or put some oil, in a bowl w/ a little water (not on stove!!) :)
 
so yes, I'd just go w/ Acceptance, much easier, still sucks but easierThank you, everyone, for sharing your experiences. This was what I needed to hear, that I don't have to search out answers for every single stinkin bad day I have. I have always been Figure It Out! Walk It Off! Pull Yourself Together! I think we all know how well that works with RA, and then you add in all the drugs involved, changing chemistry so that something that once worked doesn't work any more, or perhaps you need to change your dosage? Or how you take it? Or maybe what room you're in when you take it? It can make you crazy. I have read over and over people's experience with something that works fine for a year, or ten years, then POOF! It doesn't work any more.

So obviously acceptance of my condition is still coming hard to me. After all, up till last September, I was the healthiest person you could ever hope to meet. I'm still clinging to that mind set.

Remember in the movie Moonstruck, where Cher slaps Nicolas Cage a couple times and yells, "Snap out of it!" That's what I've been doing to myself. There's no snapping! Only enduring whatever is happening THIS TIME until it passes.

Lorster, I have been guzzling water like a race horse, but you are right, sometimes I might go a couple hours without drinking any and there seems to be a correlation with the headache and stomach upset. A good thing to remember.

Whispered, thanks for the advice about pampering, it's nothing I have ever done for myself in the past, as I have always been energetic.

Leila, thanks for the offer to blame your teens. I have two sons in their twenties, the older one seems to FINALLY have his life in order but my 21-year-old...sigh...well, let's just say I'm not in need of your help. Groan.

Waddie, thanks for the advice about the ginger, I'm going to give that a try for sure.

Again to everyone who responded, thank you for taking the time. What a great thing for a newbie this discussion board is.


SnowOwl, no need to explain further. I understood exactly what you meant. Fight progression of the disease with every weapon in your arsenal, and accept the aspects of it that are unchangeable. thanks for asking this,  Bluehour...and thanks for the great responses..
 
I know I am in good company
I responded to this post as if I knew how to handle this RA business. I DON'T!! I'm very frustrated today because...Idk...its raining and I hurt. My son told me my hand looked "weird" this morning, because it was swollen. Ugh. My 4th grade daughter had a cow because someone (little sister) left her sweatshirt out in the rain. Because of said cow, everyone was late to school. My left wrist is killing me. I'm in day 3 of this migraine. I have the knees of a 70y/o and I'm not yet 40.
I used to be a runner, an athlete. Not a pro or anything, but certainly fit. Not that long ago either.
I'm like you, bluehour, I'm used to pushing through everything. I once let my eardrum rupture because I was too busy to go to the doctor and get antibiotics for an ear infection. At my last appointment my RD told me it was time for me to pay attention to my body and be more honest about my disease. MY DISEASE! Who said I wanted a disease! I was diagnosed in June and I know that isn't that long ago, but I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around it. Especially since I'm sero negative, I keep thinking that maybe I don't really have RA. Maybe its a mistake.
Sorry for the rant. I feel a little better now. I guess I'm having a lousy day. It seems to be easier for me to advise other people to take it easy than it is to take my own advice.
Hang in there bluehour. You are not alone
LeilaLeila, I am sitting here after reading your note, fighting another bout of nausea, and wishing I was in pain instead. I can take hurting better than this sickness. But I know I can't go off the meds that are making me feel sick because I'll be sorry when my joints are permanently damaged. The first month I was on all this crap, I didn't feel too bad, now all of a sudden three days in a row I feel like s**t.

I tested positive so there's no doubt what I have. From the sounds of it, there's not much doubt in your case either but I don't blame you for still hoping.

I can completely relate to your frustration with going from an active and athletic person to one with painful joints, everything being an effort, and riddled with drugs. I am exactly the same, but fourteen years later than you. Nothing ever got me down. We have to hold onto that strength, now that things are getting hard. It's not fair, but like my husband says, "It is what it is." I've always prided myself on my grasp of reality, and reality doesn't change whether I like it or not.

I feel better too, even though I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. We'd better hang on to our sense of humor. It won't do to take ourselves too seriously, right?    

There's got to be a better quote for this situation than "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." I guess in our case, "the tough take it easy on themselves." Hmm, doesn't have quite the same ring to it!

My RD has no doubt about my dx. I still think I'd be able accept my situation better if I had some numbers to go with it, but who knows...maybe I wouldn't. My RD thinks I will be sero pos at some point. But maybe since I still struggle even though I can SEE the swelling in my hands and wrists, maybe I just would have a hard time swallowing this dx no matter what.
I know what you mean about the nausea, btw. I've had migraines since I was a child and they've always involved nausea and vomiting. When you are in pain, at least you don't worry about barfing in the car, or your child's classroom, or the parking lot of Home Depot... don't ask...
I'm sorry you are feeling so awful. Lets think up a new slogan for people like us who are tough, but don't like embarrassing themselves with public yacking.
How about "When the going gets tough, the tough hit the couch." or "When the going gets tough, the tough stay close to the bathroom."
hugs,
leilaWe can be tough in mind, if not in body. Acceptance is the key.

I have my own business, and every day I go off to work hauling my laptop, a bag with lunch, books, and water, and my purse, which I am also going to have to downsize. My husband says he grits his teeth every time he watches me haul all this crap through the snow, and it's getting harder and harder for me as I grow weaker. Well, I had the worst year ever at my business in 2008 so have resisted buying a computer for the store, but last night I admitted defeat. He was so happy.

I like your slogans! Barfing is tough because people pass judgment on you when you're doing it in public, and I'm sure you try so hard not to when it would feel better to let it fly. Thanks for the encouragement!


[QUOTE=Bluehour]We can be tough in mind, if not in body. Acceptance is the key.

I have my own business, and every day I go off to work hauling my laptop, a bag with lunch, books, and water, and my purse, which I am also going to have to downsize. My husband says he grits his teeth every time he watches me haul all this crap through the snow, and it's getting harder and harder for me as I grow weaker. Well, I had the worst year ever at my business in 2008 so have resisted buying a computer for the store, but last night I admitted defeat. He was so happy.

I like your slogans! Barfing is tough because people pass judgment on you when you're doing it in public, and I'm sure you try so hard not to when it would feel better to let it fly. Thanks for the encouragement!


[/QUOTE]

Perhaps you can use a backpack or a wheeled carrier for your gear?  In my office, a few of my co-workers who have health issues and also have to carry lots of stuff back and forth use a small wheeled carry-on type suitcase to transport their gear.  You can find inexpensive bags for this purpose.
http://www.chronicbabe.com/articles/102/
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com