Re: kinda new and really hurting

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I understand how frustrating and painful it is for you, I get a lot of pain in my hands, some days I can't even hold a magazine to read it. My GP gave be a wrist brace and it helps a bit, but I found a different type on the net, I got one to try and it does help with the pain and inflammation. The warmth it generates is lovely.

It's originated in Australia and is called Thermoskin, I will look up the site for anyone that's interested.

Lynne

[Guest guest]

I suggest you call your doctor's office to see if something else can be prescribed or if you can get in earlier. If you don't get satisfaction there then I suggest that you mare an appointment with another doctor so that you can change in the future if things don't improve. Sometimes it takes a long time for a first appointment but a follow-up appointment should not be so hard to get. You don't say what kind of doctor you are seeing, but it should be a rheumatologist.

For more immediate care you may need to see a GP or your PCP to get some relief. An increase in Prednisone may be necessary, with a doctor's approval if possible but if you can't get that then you might do it on your own. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: H.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 4:27 AM

Subject: kinda new and really hurting

I'm on Plaquinil, prednisone and vioxx. In the mornings, my hands hurt so badly that I want to cry. I can barely type this. It's VERY uncomfortable to do so. My left wrist feels like it's broken when I first wake. I wear the braces on both when I sleep, but those, nor the meds seem to do any good. I was just "officially" diagnosed several months ago and cannot get in to see the doc to save my life. I have an appt for August already scheduled, but it seems like I need to see her when the pain, stiffness and swelling is this bed. Do the rest of you have troubles like these? I need to be more consistent about reading the posts here so I can learn something! I'm glad this board exists or I'd feel VERY alone in this!!! she gave me darvecet for pain, but it does NOTHING.wendy

[Guest guest]

wendy,

the rest of us do indeed have troubles like yours. you're not alone. and

you should do whatever you have to in order to help yourself -- my own hands

are a bit messed up today too and my fingers don't want to stretch, so i'm

ignoring the shift key for now. not too bad a sacrifice.

i have a few random bits of advice as someone who has woken up in tears on

too many mornings to count over the past ten years.

first of all, how much prednisone are you taking? if you give your doctor a

call, even if you can't actually go in to see him\her, the first thing

she'll probably say is to temporarily increase the dosage by a good amount.

as long as you don't take a big dosage for more than a day or two you

shouldn't have trouble stopping it and going back to the normal dose. for

instance i normally take 15 mg per day, every day. but if an awful flare

hits and i'm knocked on my butt, occasionally i'll just take an extra 10 or

20 to get through it on that day, then the next day i'm back to my 15

without any problems.

this is the same principle as going to the hospital for an IV of

solu-medrol, which is essentially hundreds of mgs of prednisone all at once

to control a severe problem. it doesn't leave you dependant on those

hundreds of mgs -- you just go back to your normal dosage the next day. in

any case, call your doctor and ask about taking more prednisone on a

temporary basis. i've been on the soap box here before about how bad that

shi.. stuff is, but even i never noticed irreversible effects until i'd been

taking high doses daily for 5+ years. if you're feeling so badly that you

cry in the mornings and don't want to move, it's worth it to take the pred.

as for the darvocet, that's a fairly low level painkiller. some people

react differently to certain 'killers -- darvocet contains propoxyphene, a

narcotic analgesic similar to codeine, but it is not precisely the same

thing. i've known people who didn't notice anything on darvocet at all but

felt a huge relief when on a similar drug such as tylenol-3, vicodin, or

percocet. and vice versa. you should ask your doctor to switch you to one

of those and see if it works any better.

if you're using those bulky wrist braces that velcro on and are composed of

a hard bar and straps to keep your wrist from moving, you might consider

using an ace bandage instead. wrap it around your wrist and hand so that

your thumb can't separate itself and go waving about independently. this

makes a huge difference for me... particularly if i slather my wrist with a

cream such as icy hot before putting the bandage on. you might also try

resting your hands on a very soft pillow at night. put the pillow on your

stomach and your hands on the pillow. or if you sleep on your side, put the

pillow alongside you and lay your arms down along your sides so that your

hands rest on the pillow.

hot compresses also help a great deal for hands. in a pinch (such as if

you're at work or something and can't exactly go lay down and moan) just go

into the ladies' room and run your hands under hot water for a minute or

two, then wrap loosely in a wet washcloth or paper towels to keep the warm

moisture lasting a little bit longer. if you are at home and don't have a

hot water bottle or heating pad handy, a wet paper towel or cloth placed

inside a ziplock bag and microwaved for 15 or 30 seconds makes an excellent

compress.

so... yeah. take extra prednisone, get yourself a better painkiller,

slather your hands in icy-hot and wrap them in an ace bandage, rest your

wrists on a pillow and apply a hot compress... if none of these dry your

tears, try them all at once... and if it still doesn't help you might think

about shooting yourself. ha! just kidding. we all have crap days. the

most important thing is to get through to your doctor about how much pain

you're in -- don't worry that you sound like a crybaby. you have to put

your foot down and say " i cannot function in my life anymore and it hurts so

much i want to die " and insist that the doctor DO something right now. " wai

t for the <whatever DMARD> to kick in and see if you feel better in a week "

is not an acceptable option. you should not have to live in pain. ever.

jenni

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/10/04 12:23:32 PM, chaospearl@... writes:

you should ask your doctor to switch you to one

of those and see if it works any better.

You are incredibly knowledgeable!

Great advice on the preddy, it sounds like.

Is oxycontin the same as percocet?

Pris

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[Guest guest]

Jenni and others - thank you SO much!!! I purchased some of those heating pad

mittens

at a beauty supply store recently (the kind they use when you get a good

manicure) and

use those between the time my alarm goes off and the time I actually get out of

bed. I

really hate the idea of going up on the Pred, but I guess I'll have to if I

can't function. I'm a

therapist so writing is what I do ALL DAY. I could barely grasp my pen this

past Thursday

and Friday. I'll call the doc about the painkiller switch and use something

like Lynne

recommended (Thermoskin), but add icy-hot underneath. I will also read the

posts here

regularly in order to EDUCATE myself! Thanks again everyone.

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

I am so sorry you are having the pain. I, too, have the pain in my

wrists and ankles so bad upon rising in the morning, when writing,

holding a book to read, or just being on my feet for a bit. The pain

doesn't go away fully at all, but does ease about 1-2 hours after

waking, just to come back with avengence with activity. My ankles

hurt so bad, I can hardly walk and my wrists, hands, and fingers hurt

so bad, I have trouble cooking supper. I have not been officially

diagnosed with RA, I just had my blood tests done last Wednesday and

get the results back on Monday. I want you to know you are in my

thoughts and prayers and I do hope you get some relief very soon.

Anita M.

Do the

> rest of you have troubles like these? I need to be more consistent

about reading the posts

> here so I can learn something! I'm glad this board exists or I'd

feel VERY alone in this!!!

> she gave me darvecet for pain, but it does NOTHING.

> wendy