I've had RA for a little over a year and since Wednesday, I have been in the most unbearable pain I've ever been in! My hips hurt so bad! I couldn't get in to see my rheumatologist, so I saw my regular doctor. I got a shot of cortisone yesterday, but not a ton of difference. I've tried hot baths, anti-inflammatories, resting and walking. Nothing is helping. It's the kind of pain that you can't concentrate on anything else b/c the pain is so harsh. My regular doc said it could be bursitis, but I'm not sure how to tell the difference between RA pain and hip pain. Anyone got any good pain relief and/or coping techniques till the worst of it is over? Thanks, Juliah (p.s. I've been on methotrexate for 6 or 7 weeks)Juliah, I have been there, in fact this morning. The only thing that helps me is heat and narcotics. I took two percocet this morning and cancelled all appts. Under heated blanket. When it is not relieved with drugs, which has not happened since I started taking percocet, I would go to an immediate care clinic. Hip pain is my worse. I feel for you. It is horrible. Go to a clinic and get out of pain. I also woke up this morning with a real bad pain in my left hip, lower back, left knee and left ankle.... I just have been trying to stretch (which doesn't seem to be working) and now I'm using my heating pad. I have also used ice packs, which help when the bad is so unbearable. Maybe going back and forth between cold and hot, may give you some relief.... other than drugs
My flare-ups usually call for ice, rather than heat.
So, I'll bury myself in cold packs, writhe and moan with pain until I fall sleep, pray when I'm awake again, and wait it out.
I'm not Catholic, but I like to say the Rosary, especially when I'm experiencing episodes of that really bad, can't-think-past-it pain. Prayer really works, especially prayers you memorize. Any rote or repetitious chant, mantra or prayer will help to direct the mind away from the pain; I choose the Rosary because my mother (raised Catholic) taught it to me, so it's kind of a gift from her. Actually, any healing, soothing words or sounds said over and over will work. A young friend of mine (and fellow patient) liked chanting "my puppy loves me" just because he felt calm when he thought of his dog - and it worked! It takes some focus, but you get better and better at it the more you try it.
For all of you in pain, my prayers are for you...feel better! Besides rest, pain killers, and warm baths I try to keep my brain busy with something. Usually I do word searches. I also read a whole lot. I also have some relaxation CD's that I listen to and do some meditation.
Logiatrix - I do something similar. I count. But not only that, I close my eyes and picture the number. I don't know why that works for me. Maybe because that's kind of an OCD thing for me. I count everything. I count when I'm bored too. Heh. I'm weird :([QUOTE=arriscolwell]Logiatrix - I do something similar. I count. But not only that, I close my eyes and picture the number. I don't know why that works for me. Maybe because that's kind of an OCD thing for me. I count everything. I count when I'm bored too. Heh. I'm weird :([/QUOTE]
Katie...counting, huh? Wow, that really is weird...
Tauni waddles away, mumbling: "39 words in Katie's post, yeah. 39 words, 14 starting with vowels, yeah. Gotta count toothpicks now..."
It's not that weird...well yeah...it is...I count street lights, and steps I take, and windows, and cars that pass, and other peoples steps. It all depends on what I'm doing. I'll count how many times a door opens, or how many times a kid says a certian word. But when I'm in pain, I just COUNT. "one, two, three, four, etc" I make it to 100, and then I have to count backwards :/ It really does soothe me. I also do that to calm myself and fall asleep sometimes. I'm a mini rainman...LOL KIDDING!I count stairs when I climb them..... Always. That's weird too!!! Anything to distract you. I rent movies
You really need to see your Rheumy though. You probably need a MRI to really confirm that it is bursitis or fluid and not joint damage.
Our hips have to be protected. (Roxy are you listening. You abuse them worse than anyone.) If those joints detoriate or you break one, you are in BIG trouble.
It may be you are hitting a flare and a prednisone pack will get you through it. But investigate it further. Also, you haven't been on MTX that long. However, they might need to do more for your RA than they currently are doing. Weather changes will also make your hips hurt.
I walk with a cane and it really does help. It is also useful for tripping people in Freak Mart when they are impatient with you and trip you up. But I would NEVER do thatDeanna, Some day I will get brand new hips that don't hurt me
Good luck! I hope you are feeling better soon!!! You will be in my prayers!Katie,
I like your robotic legs idea. How much do those cost in the
matrix?Hahah who knows! Have you seen Grandma's Boy? (warning-EXCESSIVE use of the f-word and waaaayyy too many scenes with pot smoking, but still a very funny movie) In the movie, the computer geek kid says almost that exact line, as he's trying to impress a girl. Haha It's a constant joke to us now!Yeah I got your reference with the robotic legs. My husband
and I watch that movie all the time. It is hilarious! We watch it all
the time....and quote it. My roommates are going to get me a
radio so I can talk to other car beds.Sounds like your RA isn't under control. You haven't been on MTX long enough for it to work, but have patience. I think I went from March until July in agony. Then we added Arava & finally Celebrex, and that combination worked. It takes so long for the meds to ramp up in your system and then for you to find out whether or not they work. You will get there. Try the remedies everyone has mentioned - they're short term solutions - and remember - there is nothing that works for everyone all the time.
Just wanted to add that when I started MTX it took 4 months to kick in and start working...then it worked quite well for the last two years...so hang in there!Music seems to help me the most to help get my mind off the pain. Sometimes just getting up and doing a small project, even though it hurts, helps take your mind off your pain. Best wishes.Distraction is the best way to deal with pain for me. If I can talk to someone on the phone, or get into a really good movie, I am amazed at how much time goes by without my consciously thinking about pain. My focus needs to be pulled away, because if I'm just laying there thinking about how much I hurt, it starts to hurt more and more and becomes all consuming. Remaining as relaxed as possible is important also. Tensing up magnifies the pain, so I try to make a conscious effort to think about each muscle and relax it if I can. Heat and emu oil help with that also. It always helps to think that tomorrow will be a better day, because it usually is.
My hips and back are always painful, but like everyone else, there are days that are 10's on the pain scale. Climbing stairs can take what was turning out to be a good and flip the switch to bad day. I have not resorted to using a cane, probably a pride thing - which is really dumb, because I look pretty foolish dragging my body around everywhere. I grab a shopping cart in the parking lot of any store I go to and use it to rest my worst leg on the cart and lean on the cart with as much of my weight as possible. I'm trying to hang on as long as I can before I have my hip replacement, since I know I will probably have to have it done twice, based on my age and the "life expectancy" of a replacement hip. I am trying to just resign myself to accept this as my way of life and do the best I can with what I've got, in this and all other aspects of my life.
I hope you can get some help for your pain from all of the suggestions folks have posted. Good luck to you!
Karen
I hope diversion and concentration can help, but pain is not going to be manupulated by this tricks! You better hold on and obey the pain, if you disturb the tender part, you are going to get punish further.
If pain killer can't work, but my herbal formula works effectively. It converts the toxics into wastes like gases, farts, urines and stools.
Wild lingzhi is the main ingrediant. The herbal formula is an intelligent property.
Karen~
I will have to have my knee replaced twice based on my age (38) and life expectancy of the hardware but I am going to do it anyways. I'm getting tired of the screaming knee. I was going to wait til after the first of the year but read some other posts that recovery isn't as long or as bad as I thought it would be.
As far as the cane thing goes. Use it. It's wonderful. People usually just think you have been in an accident or have broken something and recovering from that. I also decorate my cane (please no martha stewart jokes lol) to match seasons or holidays. If you have kids, they can help and you get to have some fun quality time with your kids.
Heh....martha stewart...... Hey Martha,Thank you so much for the advice. I really only go out with hubby since he does most of the driving. If any embarrassing slip ups happen, I can just walk away and people will think it is him. I guess I could pick up some Bean-O so there will be no gas later and I can go out in public more.
Anyone have any intellectual property stocks they want traded?
I have hip bursitis and OMG is it painful! I had an mri done last summer, before my ra dx and recent x-rays don't show any bones changes in my hips, hands and feet and knees, yes but not my hips.
I've done several rounds of pt, only minimal help there. The first 2-3 cortisone shots helped for several months each but now they don't help at all. I'm a heat girl, LOVE my heating pads but with my hips, only ice helps.
Its really awful, I know. It hurts to sit, it hurts to lay, it hurts to stay still and it hurts to move. It just plain HURTS! The best position is one my back with a big wedge shaped pillow under my knees. I got it at my pt place but even a stack of pillows would help. If it starts to hurt your lower back, put a heating pad under your back and ice on your hips!
I have noticed an improvement with it since starting steroids but as we all know, steroids should be a last resort but a week pack might help get some of the inflammation down. Stretching is really good, if you can manage. Sit on the floor with both legs out front, take one leg and cross it over, like you were going to sit indian style. Pull that foot up towards the ceiling, letting your knee sort of fall outward. It really stretching the hip but its very hard to get back off the floor!
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