Re: Elbow Pain-Help

July 29, 2008

She might be referreing to taking the pressure off the nerve. I have

a nerve entrapment in my elbow, and sometimes it makes my wrist hurt,

so I wrap it in an ace bandage, to take the pressure off the nerve,

and it helps.

Don't you hate when doctors don't explain things! I have had doctors

like that - hate it! My doctor explains things, but I can't

understand him because of his heavy accent. I have to go back to my

PCP, and get him to interpret the notes and explain it to me, and

since he is not a Rhematologist, sometimes he doesn't get it.

Being in the dark sucks. Try getting a copy of your dr's notes. Call

the nurse and have it faxed. Hopefully you can read the handwritting.

I always get a copy of the notes. Helps a little, when I can read

them (my old rheumy dictated them, and the staff typed them out -

that was awesome!). Maybe yours does too.

Hope you get help with this.

-

>

> Hi everyone!

> Today I made the long roundtrip of 6.5 hours in the car to see the

rheumatologist in the high heat and humidity. My visit wasn't as

long or as thorough as most. She checked my knees just from the

chair I was sitting in. I've a new problem for over the past week.

My elbow is extremely sore with sharp radiating pain, near the bone,

if I touch it the bone hurts. She checked my arm all the way down

and whenever she asked if it hurt where she touched, it did. She

said she could give me a cortisone shot if it prevails or even today

could have given me one. She suggested I get a brace for the forearm

to take the pressure off of it. She thought this might help. I'm

not sure what is wrong as it wasn't explained to me? Take the

pressure off of what exactly? Has anyone had any experience with this?

>

> She stopped my plaquenil last visit and now said that at the next

visit if I am doing ok we will be reducing my Sulfasalazine. I used

to take 1500mgs a day, but had a bad flare and was upped to the

maximum dose of 3000mgs. Does this sound normal? I'm so frustrated

with not ever knowing what is wrong, and all of the labs being ok

except for the SED and CRP and WESTEGREN. Today she did a urinalysis

although I have no idea why, also ordered my normal CBC with

differentials to monitor the sulfasalazine and also did a metabolic

panel.

>

> Thank you all for any advice! Hope you all are hanging in there:)

> Gentle Hugs to you all

>

July 29, 2008

Hi !

I know I sooo hate when they don't explain things! She did ask me if I have any

numbness going down the arm so I wonder if she was checking for a nerve too. I

told her that the actual bone hurts. That their is radiating pain like when my

knees are inflammed with the inflammatory arthritis. I thought it was going to

get blamed on the Fibromyalgia because there is a trigger point near there, but

it wasn't that which was a good thing...U of M always types my notes on a

computer and sends them to my PCP. I think I am going to fill out a form to get

my records from a little over the past year. They are talking about decreasing

my Sulfasalazine and that is the only dmard I am on! So I am hoping that means

taking me down to the minimum dose (that is if I stay doing ok) on 1500 mgs

instead of the maximum 3000mgs. She did offer to give a steroid or cortisone

shot in the elbow..I'm thinking today I probably should have gotten it then:)

From: laurenrosepeters <laurenrosepeters@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: Elbow Pain-Help

Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 2:22 PM