Struggling against the pain | Arthritis Information

They are pulling me off the MTX and adding the Folinic Acid. Then, throw in trying to use a normal wheelchair with a shoulder that doesn't work right and a spine and it is all just agony.

Those of you that had to come off all your meds, how did you cope?

I am swollen and flared and so very, very tired.

Deanna My friend, Raising my narcotics gave me the will to start each day with a good attitude. There is no easy want to make these adjustments but honestly, I don't feel like an addict, there are a lot of options out there. Try to get out of pain. With love, Roxanne PS I slept all day. I couln't believe it an the wierdest thing was - no one made me feel bad about it. That was the best

I have no helpful hints. But I'm really, really feeling for both of you.

I guess sometimes all we can do is sit and wait "beside" you here when you go through the really hard, dark parts. It feels like being able to do nothing for you, but maybe it is something.

Hopefully others will have more practical assistance to offer. The rest of us will just keep sitting here with you, and hoping.

You can chill out and be off meds with me.

It sucks to be in this pain. It just really does. There is no other way to put it. At least we have a place to go where people understand. Thank goodness for that or I don't know how I would have coped some days.

I use pain pills, read, pray and am with everyone in heart as my ribs are so bad I can hardly move with the pain meds and forget coughing or nose blowing yoweee.

These diseases are the absolute pits but I do believe make better people out of us.

Boy, in body, we are a sorry lot. But, in spirit, we rock.

Pain is something we seem to share universally. Some days it is tolerable and others, it is not.

Unfortunately, I still have all these appointments to go to and more battles to fight.

I feel for all of you and I feel all that you give to me. Sometimes, I just need a bit of encouragement.

I feel really, really weak and I'm flaring. But my Rheumy thinks my RA is under control. Even knowing the MTX is toxic, I want it so bad because of how much pain I'm in. I guess I was trying to ask if this is temporary as my body gets rid of the MTX or is this what it's going to be like?

Deanna, I am so sorry you are having such a rough time. I'm off the MTX too and wondering if I'll have to go off the enbrel too as I'm either having a bad flare of the Sjogren's or a viral infection. It's so hard to tell. All I can say is to hang in, pray, mentally plan all the scripts you can put to paper when your hands and shoulders aren't flaring, or maybe use the tape recorder. Take the time to read, get a hot bubble bath, eat delicious food you'd normally deprive yourself of, and think. You are one smart, compassionate lady. RA can't take that away. You will get through this. My prayers are with you. Tomorrow I fly 3000 miles to be with my family and dying father at Christmas. My prayers are with you.

Oh Linda, I'm so sorry to hear that your father is dying. That must make Christmas seem awfully hard.

Can't hardly read these days. Something is up with my eyes again. And, I'm hoping it is only Sjogren's. Can't get in and out of the bath tub. Stuck with showers.

I keep trying, but it is getting so hard to do even the simplest of things.

Please take care of yourself on this trip and don't let yourself get to worn out.

Hi Deanna - you are going through a lot at the moment.
This hopefully is all a passing phase (it often is with RA - a longer phase than we would like) but it often does pass. Your body will need a while to adjust to the change in your medication & hopefully when it settles down it will improve. I am going to take affirmative action (say this every New Year) but the books I read on RA recovery are mostly diet related.
Gail Darlington wrote a book a few years back called Diet and Arthritis - she was & maybe still is he rheumatologist at Epsom General Hospital in England.
She researched diet & RA & her conclusions were that 1/3rd of RA is diet related - worth a try I think.
Desparate measures are called for.
It is the middle of the night & I fear I am rambling.
Take care.Thanks Cassie.

Think codiene,

If you don't like all the acetomeaphin (tylonol) mixed with the codeine, do a search for codeine cold filter and you can find a sorta easy way to seperate the codiene from the tylonol. Oh, and take fiber tablets daily to counteract the codiene constipation, works good. When I do codiene I find the smallest amount that makes the day not pain free but livable. Pain free you will sleep all day, and even that is okay when you want.I've taken codiene before just to get a good nights sleep, so what? I deserve all the good I can get, even though I probably deserve all the bad I have.(ha ha)

I am on Vicodine. They've got me taking it every 3 hours until I can see the pain specialist in April. My bones hurt so bad yesterday, not just my joints. I was so weak.

Today is some better, but still very tired. I knew something serious was wrong and it is a relief to be doing something about it. I just can't believe how sick it has made me to go off the MTX. It does feel like my body is at war with itself.