Pain...help!

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Suzie - 20 Feb 2005 10:21 GMT

Hi there,
I have not written for a long time. I have had RA for 2.5 years now. I am
30 years old and I am coping with it a lot better than I did in the past.
However, I have been flaring badly now for over a week and I am starting to
feel really depressed. Everything hurts and I know that my flat mood does
not help, but it is so hard to pull myself out of this rut. I just want
some pain relief but nothing seems to help.

I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
Thanks, Suz

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Harvey R. Stone - 20 Feb 2005 13:57 GMT

> Hi there,
> I have not written for a long time. I have had RA for 2.5 years now. I
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
> Thanks, Suz

Hi Suzie,,,, I was just 8 years older than you when RA showed its face with
me. I lived and worked for the next 6-7 years on Naprosyn until my family
doctor threw up his hands and sent me to a Rheumatologist. I was very
lucky that on the first visit to the RD, I was started on a DMARD. It was
gold shots and a stout steroid for nearly a year. It was really good to
feel good again.
I hope you are seeing a RD and are taking one of the medicines that
really do make a difference in how we feel and gives us back again that
feeling of looking forward to today and tomorrow. That was over 25 years
ago for me and I still look forward to what tomorrow will bring and feel
pretty good.

Harv

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Kelly Cobb - 20 Feb 2005 15:21 GMT

> Hi there,
> I have not written for a long time. I have had RA for 2.5 years now. I am
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
> Thanks, Suz

Oh Honey do I understand! I am also flaring right now, just as I seem to do
each and every February for the last 11 years. There seems to be something
about the weather and lack of light that makes even a minor flare worse, and
right now mine is heading toward moderate. I just spent last night feeling
like my whole right side was rebelling against me.

I have no sage advice, except to keep taking your anti-inflams., have some
tylenol later if the doc says you can. Hot baths morning and night, with ice
packs in between if they work for you. Make sure to do something nice for
yourself to help with the mood. I got my hair cut really short yesterday and
later I'm going to dye it a nice bright shade of red. Hubby completely
detailed the interior of my car for me and it's like riding in a new car
again.

It's the little things that make it worse/better. We should all try and do
some little things for ourselves at the end of winter.

Kelly C.;o)

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Nann Bell - 20 Feb 2005 23:11 GMT

> Hi there,
> I have not written for a long time. I have had RA for 2.5 years now. I am
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
> Thanks, Suz

(((((((((((Suz))))))))))))) some weeks are just like that. What meds are
you on? Do you have anything to take for severe pain? If not, I suggest
calling your doc and telling him you need something. Decent sleep is one
essential element in breaking down a flare but the pain generally keeps us
from sleeping well. If you can get some pain medicine at least for night
time so you can sleep better, it should help some overall.

(heehee - I used to get all the Tylox or Tylenol 3 I could for other
conditions (such as abcessed teeth) and save it for times like this. Took me
a while, but I finally got my husband trained to do it too.)

Hang in there, better days are ahead.

Signature

Nann
remove the Gator cheer to email me
Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare

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Bruce - 20 Feb 2005 23:37 GMT

I will be having a re-evaluation of my pain meds with both my Rheumy and
Respirologist as both my Psych and Pharmacist have raised red flags with the
use of Narcotics with two new Psych meds I'm on. There is a strong
theoretical risk in healthy people and in patients with respiratory
illnesses a real risk of respiratory suppression or arrest. If one of the
psych meds goes so does the risk and that may have to be the route taken as
my motto is: endure no pain before it's time.
Bruce

Signature

I believe in the separation of Church and Hate

>> Hi there,
>> I have not written for a long time. I have had RA for 2.5 years now. I
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> Hang in there, better days are ahead.

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Gwen Love - 21 Feb 2005 01:54 GMT

Bruce, your motto is also mine!
Gwen

> I will be having a re-evaluation of my pain meds with both my Rheumy and
> Respirologist as both my Psych and Pharmacist have raised red flags with the
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> >
> > Hang in there, better days are ahead.

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Suzie - 21 Feb 2005 00:30 GMT

Thank you all for your kind words. It did make me feel better to hear from
you all. I am in Australia so feel a long way away from all of you in the
USA. I am on Mtx 20mg, Remicade (8 weekly infusions), Prednisolone 5mg and
Celebrex 400mg. I dont really take anything for pain as nothing seems to
work for me. Nothing really seems to help the pain. Just waiting it out I
guess.

Thanks again. I am couch-ridden again today, but feel a little better
mentally.
suz

> Hi there,
> I have not written for a long time. I have had RA for 2.5 years now. I am
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
> Thanks, Suz

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Kelly - 21 Feb 2005 02:36 GMT

Suz,
I have trouble with pain medication - allergic to morphine and codiene so
that eliminates that and have tried trazadone (think that was it) and it was
awful for me. The side effects outwayed anything. I take the occasional
demeroral to get me through the tough times but am really careful with it -
my doctors all hate it for anything but very very occasional times.

What does work for me are non medicinal things. Resting splints for hands
and finger splints for fingers. Ice, ice and more ice. Heat bags for
relaxation of tense muscle areas. Pacing myself. Meditation (works really
well for me - I schedule at least 2 15 minute periods a day of laying flat
on my bed and total relaxation). Restricting activities during flares for
that joint. Exercise - gentle range or motion during flares - but making
sure that it is every day and not enough to cause pain - sometimes only 1 -
3 repetitions. Aids - build up knives, jar openers, canes, I have a
handicap toilet. Baths - I have a large soaker tub and during tough times
it is used several times a day. Distraction - coffee with friends or a chat
on the phone with someone special.

Hope some of these ideas help. Other times you just have to go with the
flow and understand that it is okay to have a pity party - in fact it is
mandatory sometimes. Just schedule something special to end the party with
so the depression doesn't continue.

Kelly

> Thank you all for your kind words. It did make me feel better to hear
> from
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
>> Thanks, Suz

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Suzie - 21 Feb 2005 03:16 GMT

Kelly,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me. I really do
appreciate you taking the time to write. I havent tried ice, I will do so.
I also love my bath, it does help me. I have just negotiated to work from
home this week, so I am feeling less stressed already, which I know will
help. I am also leaving my job in 3 weeks to start my own company (working
from home), so hopefully this will allow me to balance things better and
rest when i need to without having to cope with the demands of a workplace.

Thanks again - I feel better already
Suzie

> Suz,
> I have trouble with pain medication - allergic to morphine and codiene so
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
> >> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
> >> Thanks, Suz

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Kelly - 21 Feb 2005 04:44 GMT

When you rest Suzie I can't stress enough that it should be in a quiet area,
no animals (much as I love my animals - this is not their time), lying flat
gives you a chance to give gravity a chance to relax the joints etc too. I
put pillow where I need for support, sometimes use music but most of the
time just do the relaxation techniques on my own in my head now. Takes
practice though. Meantime ice - it will cool hot joints and reduce some
inflammation. When my feet are bad I put ice in a bucket of water and dip
them in. Hurts to start but the results are great for me.

Keep a positive attitude - you can do this and the working from home might
help. Unfortunately you have to force yourself to rest sometimes when
there - not do "just a few chores".

Good luck,
Kelly

> Kelly,
> Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me. I really do
[quoted text clipped - 81 lines]
>> >> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
>> >> Thanks, Suz

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Caroline Marold - 21 Feb 2005 01:07 GMT

We all understand and have been there and done that.
Have you called your RD for some intervention. Let
him/her know how you are feeling at the moment. They
may need to see you during the flare to treat you but
that is not a bad thing.
Duckie

> Hi there,
> I have not written for a long time. I have had RA for 2.5 years now. I am
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> I guess I would just love to hear from anyone who understands.
> Thanks, Suz

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Suzie - 21 Feb 2005 01:18 GMT

i am due to see my RD in two days time, but i might see if i can get in
earlier. i am not sure what he can do though - he generally tries to give me
an all over body cortisone injection, but it doesnt do anything to help. i
have just negotiated to work from home this week, so that has taken some of
the stress off - at least i dont have to go into a stuffy office and sit at
a hard desk.
thanks.

> We all understand and have been there and done that.
> Have you called your RD for some intervention. Let
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> _('< "AFLAC!"
> (_<_)

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