Hi Jo,,,   I can only tell you what I would do with a shoulder bothering me.
I would get a steroid shot in that should joint before I stepped one foot on
that ship.

harv

jo, when bill got his shoulder injection, did his doctor prescribe any
anti-inflammatories to help the shot work better?

my ortho did that, prescribed a course of 1000mg nabumeton for 20 days, and
it made all the difference.  (he also believes that taking the 1000mg at
once, rather than spread out during the day works better too.  and i can't
argue with success.)  my shoulder felt dramatically better within 3 days.
ortho also gave me an open-ended-refillable 'script of the anti-inflam and
advised me to take a dose, just before i started any activity that required
a lot of shoulder motion or shoulder stress (like a lot of forearm
movement).  i have oa in my shoulder, too.

kate

We just spent a week on a cruise to Alaska with my sister Pat and her DH
Bill.  We had a wonderful time.  Catching up and just mostly enjoying each
others company.  Not only are my sister and I great friends as this late
part of our lives, so are out husbands.

Trust my, after observing other family groups on cruise, this isn't always
the case.  Some families really shouldn't  confine themselves to a ship for
a week and expect to remain on good terms.  Especially those who are or have
difficult in-laws, or who's children might be seen by some of the family to
be difficult or badly behaved.

I did see one three year old child who was a delight for the entire week.
Charming at the dinner table.  Happy on deck.  She has a lucky family and
they know it.

Anyway, we would have had a better time if my Bill had been better able to
control the pain from the arthritis in his right shoulder.  He is eighty two
and mostly in pretty great shape.   It started to give him trouble the week
before the cruise and he got a shot before he came, but it bothered him a
lot all week.  I was able to give him some advice physically on how to
protect it.  How to keep his arm close to his body down to the elbow so as
not to irritate it.  He learned that a decent waiter will cut your food for
you and be discrete about it as well.  That it is less embarrassing than
trying unsuccessfully to do it yourself and getting all frustrated.  And
that a good left arm can take the place of a really sore and immobile right
arm,  Also that Napoleon had the right idea for resting an injured shoulder.

But other than sharing some pain meds, I wasn't a whole lot of help in the
pain department.  He has problems with a lot of pain meds such as percoset
and the codeines.  He did very well with a tiny dose of hydromorphone.   But
if there is an alternative to systemic pain medicine he would probably do
well with it.

Aren't there a couple of types of patches that provide pain relief directly
over a really sore joint such as the shoulder?

I told him I'd ask here and forward any ideas to him to discuss with his
doctor when he gets home next week.

Also can we round up a few prayers that the rest of their week in Alaska is
not too painful.  Or at least that they get to see Denali?    And maybe god
willing a few wild animals?

Jo

So Glad you had an enjoyable trip.  Sorry about the shoulder OA stuff.
Haven't got any words of wisdom because I have just found out I also have OA
in both my shoulder joints.  Didn't even know there are two joints in the
shoulder.:>(.  I wonder about joint replacement .  Has anyone had any
success with shoulder replacements?  No help but I can sure emphasize.  It
is really a nuisance.  I have to use my left hand to raise and lower my
right arm.  It is the pits.
Sincerely
Lorrie F

Glad to have you back.

I would think the shot should have helped. Maybe the dr didn't get the shot
in the right position. My dr a few years ago, did a shot and he kept feeling
around till he was sure he had the spot that was causing it all and did that
spot. He told me that you have to be sure  you get the right spot or the
shot doesn't work.

It seems to me I heard somewhere that jofirey wrote in article
<5bohudF2tn3quU1@mid.individual.net>:

[. . .]

Jo, have Bill's doctors ruled out the need and possibility of a
replacement?  I suppose Bill's age might be a factor, depending on the
condition of his bones around the shoulder area as well as on his
general health (ability to withstand the stress of surgery)..

About ten years ago my wife, then in her mid-60s, had a right shoulder
replacement.  Before the surgery she was in constant pain, her range of
motion was limited, and she could hardly reach anything above shoulder
height.  The arthritic pain, as distinguished from the surgical pain,
went away almost immediately and she regained probably 90% of her normal
range of motion.  These days her left shoulder, with much milder AO,
pains her more than her right shoulder does but it hasn't reached the
point of needing replacement.

I think they do far fewer shoulder replacement than hips or knees, so if
Bill does have an option for surgery it may be more important to find a
surgeon who is experienced at doing them - successfully.

I use a fast-acting compound - Ketoprofen 10% PLO - 2 or 3 times durning the
day.

Then around 6 or 7 p.m. I apply a Lidoderm Lidocaine 5% patch (maybe 2 or
3).  They are slow acting and last throughout the night.  As many as 3 can
be applied for a max of 12 hours, then 12 hours off.  Back to the Ketoprofen
in the morning.

When I use 3, I start with 1 at the base of the neck, then 1 on top of the
shoulder, and a 3rd slightly down from the shoulder.
I obtain secondary relief from the stiffness in the fused neck, and fewer
headaches.

Ketoprofen must be obtain from a compounding pharmacy - not your
run-of-the-mill Rx stores.