Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => Health & Fitness => Topic started by: Wowbagger on 31 March, 2008, 07:37:55 pm
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I put a thread up in t'other place about this some time ago. I'm not doing this because I want sympathy, although of course I never turn any down, but because arthritis makes life interesting.
For almost two years I have been virtually symptom-free. Prior to that, for a six-month period from autumn 2005 to spring 2006, arthritis would attack unpredictably but most often in my hands and wrists. Some days, my hands were like inflated rubber gloves and I could not bend my fingers because of the swelling and the pain. Then, after the specialist prescribed hydroxychloroquin, things improved enormously. I have had the odd day, but mostly I've been pain free.
This last month or so has seen a return of some of the symptoms, but not as previously. My hands and wrists have been in some mild pain, but mostly it has been my knees, feet and ankles, especially my left foot. If I sit still for any length of time, I seize up, and it takes a while for things to get going again.
Having swollen, painful hands completely prevents cycling. If you can't squeeze the brake lever, that's that, really. However, sitting on a bike and pedalling puts a lot less strain on the knees than does walking, in which the entire body weight is supported by each leg in turn. I just don't know how far I would be able to cycle under those circumstances.
An upright riding position is definitely advantageous from the wrists' point of view, so I prefer the Thorn to the Mercian at that point. There is also the issue of looking over the shoulder, and that can be affected by arthritis.
This morning, the biggest problem was unclipping. Twisting my ankle joint was really quite painful, so much so that I was seriously considering ditching the clipless pedals and going back to rat-traps. Then, this afternoon, the symptoms had subsided considerably and everything was OK again.
In spite of what I have posted about time limits, I still want to do the odd audax. But what distance should I choose? I just don't know how far I can go when the arthritis strikes. I DNSed the Stevenage ride on Sunday because I have had a rotten cold, but doing a 200k linear route with no clear bail-out option is much more daunting than, say, a figure-of-8 in which the half-way point is also the arrivée.
As I say, it makes life interesting.
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I wonder if there's any way to adapt the brakes so that you can use them without making your hands worse. I wonder if Remap could help?
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You might not want sympathy but I can sympathise with your predicament. For years my hands and wrists have suffered when its very cold and damp. I've never bothered to get it checked out (far too lazy for that) but perhaps I should. I'm only 40 and so I guess it isn't arthritis but the symptoms are very similar. I recall one day when I simply could not get the fingers on my right hand to bend so that it would let go of the handlebars. I had to come to a stop and 'peel' them back with my left hand!
I suppose all you can do is choose your rides carefully and not get too downhearted when you can't ride. Judging by your Bikejournal miles you don't seem to be doing too bad anyway ;)
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There are lots of different sorts of arthritis and although the most common sort, osteoarthritis, is merely a gradual process of joints wearing out through age, rheumatoid arthritis can strike at any age, although the most common group of sufferers are women in their 50s. There is juvenile arthritis, which obviously affects kids. Mine was diagnosed as "palindromic" arthritis by the specialist, and I think it's quite rare. It's called palindromic because it comes and goes. I wonder whether stress is a contributory factor, because when mine started my mother had recently died and one of my sisters was giving me a whole load of grief about her legacy (I was mum's executor) and looking after my dad, which I was doing. It was a very tough time.
Apart from osteoarthritis, I think that the other sorts are considered to be auto-immune diseases. Certainly in RA, the immune system attacks the cartilage with serious consequences. I am no longer allowed to give blood because in a significant number of cases, PA turns into RA.
If you have any doubts, get it seen to.
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osteoarthritis, is merely a gradual process of joints wearing out through age
Or mechanical damage/malformed joints. It's a bl**dy pain.
Wow, I sympathise with your predicament. My dear lady has one of the AI forms of arthritis, and it is horrible seeing her gradually lose mobility and strength. We have dreamed of going ocean sailing when the kids have left home. At her current rate of deterioration, I think it will never happen, she will be unable to drive a car let alone handle a yacht. I try not to think about it.
Regarding braking, have you investigated other types of brakes? I know they aren't looked on with much favour by road cyclists, but I think highly of roller brakes for riding at sensible speeds. They require very very little force on the brake levers. SA drum brakes were also good.
Your Rolhoff hub - is it a model that can take a disk brake? The better disk brakes also don't require much force.
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Likewise a sufferer - in the back. Hence my own move to the darkside. There is no weight at all on hands or legs on a recumbent and this - with hydraulics - might help.
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I've just brought my appointment forward 2 months. I last saw them in Feb and had been signed off for a year.
Appointment now on 17th April.
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Walking was a real problem this morning. Both knees and ankles were in a bad way and my hands and wrists were not good either.
A miraculous transformation this afternoon as all the pain and stiffness went. If it was the anti-inflammatories (diclofenac) then they were much more effective than the last time I took them, about 2 years ago. It was almost as though a magic wand had been waved.
Hopefully I'll be OK when we are off on our Hampshire jaunt tomorrow.
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Sorry to hear about your troubles Peter - familiar ground to me though in my case it's sciatica - I think ... !
For gawd's sake, if flat pedals/toeclips help, go for them! I know I'm marked down as an anti-clipless person here and I don't deny it: I'll never change to clipless - but honestly, no sense in making a martyr of yourself on the altar of more efficient pedalling...
Anyway, whatever pedals you adopt, hope the ride goes better for you!
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I would also suggest looking at hydraulic/disc brakes. I can apply reasonable braking force with just my little finger on my juicy 5's. Is it also worth considering a recumbent? Then you are not putting weight on hands/wrists.
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Did I read somewhere that cannabis helped a lot of sufferers?
(I seem to remember a sweet old lady who grew weed in her loft then "medicated" a load of chicken, mushroom and 'erb pies then invited her friends round for lunch.)
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Cannabis for muscular spasms/nerve transmission probs. I don't think it will help with arthritis at all (I have a paraplegic friend who uses it to control spasms in her legs).
diclofenac is mega strong. If that doesn't kick the pain into touch, then I don't know what will.
Wow, I think it is also the weather - my hip is playing up, it's bl**dy painful just to walk fast today.
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Hi all,
I could not help noticing the reference to arthritis. I am a fellow sufferer and sympathise. My osteoarthritis matured some years after I was knowcked of my bike and nearly killed in 1996. Its mainly my right ankle which was permanently damaged and gets worse with time despite an operation in 2003 which did not help. I also get it in my fingers which I agree does not help braking. The discs on my MTB are the best. I fell off my bike in the ice before xmas, hurt my back and have been seeing a physio. This morning she recommended ginger as a possible help with arthritis, I will start strait away. Does anyone have any experience of this.
I can confirm diclofenac is dynamite. My son who is a former Nat. Champ at MTB suffers from a Socratic joint problem and the only thing that really hepls is diclofenac. Other anti inflamatory tablets do not seem to help. The only problem is that long term they may be harmful but he finds you have to take them constantly to get benefit and not some days on and off etc.
In regard to other forms of arthritis my middle daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile arthritis at the age of 13. That was very painful and stopped her swimming and marshall arts. She was given the wrong treatment for the wrong diagnosis untill she went to see Dr, Woo at Northwick Park, where she was diagnosed as having Scloratic arthritis which is present in only a small percentage of children with a certain blood group ( if I remmember B35). It can eminate from a family member in the bloodline who has Sclorisis. She was given anti inflamatory drugs and around 18yrs it went into remmission as predicted but can come back. She still suffers from time to time. My inderstanding is that the centre of excellence for arthritis sufferers is now Middlesex hospital in London.
P.S. to Wowbagger. Are you now YACF or ACF also. I am confused about what is happening?
Regards to all. Mike M :thumbsup:
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As far as I can tell "arthritis" is primarily a catch-all term for joint inflammation/pain/swollen nonsense horrible stuff.
Both my brother and I (>50s) suffer from something called psoriatic arthritis, him much worse than me, tho' nobody seems to know whether the psoriasis or the arthritis comes first!
In my case I was diagnosed nearly 15 years ago when I suddenly couldn't walk anywhere without pain, actually I couldn't even sit down without pain in ankles & feet. But oddly there were no bio-chemical indicators.
Which was when I took up audaxing - I could ride OK, just couldn't get off the bike and walk, which made controls a bit of a trial actually ;D
I was getting gradually a bit better, but the breakthrough for me was doing a load of core stability exercises (pilates-type stuff, before pilates was trendy) - seems like they just got my body back into a physical balance and the symptoms just faded away. I'm still not fantastic but so much better than before.
No idea whether this would work for you, but investment in a swiss ball and some core stability exercises is worth thinking about.
But, all round huge sympathy for you, arthritic conditions are just awful.
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Last week I had an appointment with the rheumatoligist. She gave me two options: carry on as we are doing in the hope that the symptoms will subside again, or have a steroid injection in the bum with a view to changing my medication later. I didn't fancy steroids and will avoid them as long as possible, but the past month has given me more frequent and more painful symptoms. Today they are quite bad: both hands and wrists in pain, both knees, both ankles and both feet.
Has anyone had a steroid injection for arthritis and what, if any, were the side effects? I have heard of people having localised steroid injections for specific joints, but not a general one.
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Wowser Mark Porter had a very interesting programme about arthritis on r4 yesterday.You make well get it on listen again.
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mum did, it made a big difference to hers although she did put weight on. She's got osteo - and reuma - and is about six months away from her fourth hip replacement.
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Wow, I am not sure what they mean by 'a general one'. I have had steroid injections into the bottom of my feet (don't ask), wrists, elbows, hips and shoulder to name but a few. The effects lasted between 2-5 weeks. Would I ever have it done again, absolutely not.
I think you should ask the Rheumatologist for further information.
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I had a steroid injection into my shoulder, gave me a warm feeling for while but made made no long term discernible difference to my problem.
Not an arthritic condiion btw. , just IMHO my GP couldn't think of anything else to do so a steroid injection was an easy option
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Very weird this afternoon.
Not good this morning. Had a bike ride which was OK but walking the dog was very slow.
Then around 2 p.m. it was almost as though someone flicked a switch and over a period of less than half an hour almost all the pain had gone. I still had some in my wrists but even they have freed up fairly well.
Not feeling too bad at the moment, but it makes me worry that it's rheumatoid. My understanding is that RA tends to be at its worst in the morning and I suppose that is because the immune system attacks the cartilage most effectively when the patient is asleep. It's these attacks which lead to permanent joint damage.
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So the good news is that you have had a good day (or afternoon); the bad news is that you don't know why..
and becos you don't know why you have no mechanism to replicate that feeling.
it's a b.st.rd, been there and it's horrid
But I don't believe RA behaves like that - it's just easier in the afternoon, not symptom-free. However there should be chemical indicators showing if you've got RA - have you had blodd tests and stuff? what do they say?
(sorry, this is all very invasive, tell us to mind our own business if you want!)
and there's always Lyme disease to consider, if you really want to let your imagination run riot1
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My blood test, taken a fortnight ago tomorrow, was OK.
I have never been bitten by a tick as far as I know.
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So 6th April you reported a similar symptoms to today - pain in the morning, much better later - any commonality?
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So 6th April you reported a similar symptoms to today - pain in the morning, much better later - any commonality?
Blimey! I'd forgotten that. I'll have a think...
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For years my hands and wrists have suffered when its very cold and damp.
<snip>
I recall one day when I simply could not get the fingers on my right hand to bend so that it would let go of the handlebars. I had to come to a stop and 'peel' them back with my left hand!
<snip>
If this only strikes in the cold and if your fingers look cold / blue / white you might want to consider Reynaud's as a possibility rather than arthritis. TOH suffers with Reynaud's and the 'locked up' grip problem.
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Well, yesterday was probably my worst day ever suffering from arthritis. By bed-time my knees were so bad I had to crawl upstairs.
I've made an appointment for rheumatology for Friday at 9 a.m. I reckon it's steroids for me, but I'll try anything to avoid a repeat of yesterday's pain.
Everything's a lot better today, but my right hand is very swollen, as is my left foot, and I have pain in my neck & elbows.
It's a bugger.
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>:( on your behalf. I think I can imagine your frustration, but I don't know your pain.
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Hope it clears up soon whatever you decide to do.
A silly point, but would wearing arm and leg/knee warmers help?
You probably already do.
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Wowbagger, you have my greatest sympathy. If I foolishly walk more than about a mile, then by late evening my feet are extremenly painfull. By next morning I am reduced to walking down stairs sideways because my feet/toes won't bend (at the joints) and my metatarsels seem fused. Takes a couple of hours to ease. A couple of weekends ago I walked my wife along the Lea Navigation tow path. I knew I would be in pain afterwards but it was something we hadn't done for at least 2 years.
Hope the steroids help you (if you go for them).
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I understand that one of the side effects of steroids is an increase in the amount of body hair.
I don't think I've got enough skin left for that to happen.
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Sorry to hear this Wow. Do you mean oral steroids or a steroid injection? There will not be an increase in hair with a local steroid injection
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I'm going to discuss the treatment on Friday.
Given that there are lots of joints affected (wrists, ankles, feet, hands, elbows, knees, neck) I think that local injections are unlikely. My understanding when I went a fortnight ago was that I would have an injection in the bum and that would give me a month or two relief while they decided on a longer term course of action.
http://www.palindromicrheumatism.org/treatment.shtml seems to be quite a comprehensive account. I've been on a fairly low dose of hydroxichloroquine for just over 2 years.
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Well I have had an intra-buttock injection of Depo-Medrone, aka methylprednisolone acetate.
This is supposed to reduce my inflammation for three to six months while an assessment of my condition is carried out. The pain should subside within 48 hours, the inflammation will take slightly longer - a classic case of "take away the pain, leave the swelling".
The nurse, when about to inject, requested "Show me some meat!" :o
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Growing old does seem to have some downsides, doesn't it?
I hope the steroids start to work, and you're able to move around more easily soon.
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My Dad suffered for years with athritis (something which worries me a bit) he thought steroids were wonderful and would have taken then all the time something which his doctors would not allow,although I never found out why .You have my sympathies ,arthritis id not nice.
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Now this is a git. I had a steroid injection on Friday which was supposed to ease the symptoms for 3 to 6 months, and this morning I have woken up in almost as much pain as before.
Bugger bugger bugger!
Growing old does seem to have some downsides, doesn't it?
I'm 53. That's not old in my book. Both my parents lived into their 90s.
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Didn't you ride an Audax at the weekend? Could that not have been contributory?
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Didn't you ride an Audax at the weekend? Could that not have been contributory?
I did, but I wouldn't expect my fingers to be so badly affected by that. Knees yes, but they aren't too bad. It's the small joints (fingers, ankles & feet) which are giving me the most jip.
And let's face it, if a chap can't have gentle bike ride, what's left?
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Growing old does seem to have some downsides, doesn't it?
I'm 53. That's not old in my book. Both my parents lived into their 90s.
I didn't say you were old, although I'm catching you up. Bear in mind, with improved longevity, you're only just middle aged. :thumbsup:
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Now this is a git. I had a steroid injection on Friday which was supposed to ease the symptoms for 3 to 6 months, and this morning I have woken up in almost as much pain as before.
Bugger bugger bugger!
Growing old does seem to have some downsides, doesn't it?
I'm 53. That's not old in my book. Both my parents lived into their 90s.
I thought one was advised to take things easy for a few days following the jab, exercise may have made things worse temporarily. Allow yourself some time. This drug effects your immune system, riding a bike for several hours may have taken its toll. It often takes several days to have any real effect.
I am surprised that they said the effects would be felt for several months.
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I thought one was advised to take things easy for a few days following the jab, exercise may have made things worse temporarily. Allow yourself some time. This drug effects your immune system, riding a bike for several hours may have taken its toll. It often takes several days to have any real effect.
I am surprised that they said the effects would be felt for several months.
No-one advised me one way or the other, just that I would start to feel the benefit within 48 hours.
I think that there has been some benefit, but it's hard to say how much. I asked for more info and the nurse handed me the slip which comes with the drug - which I brought home and promptly mislaid. I did read some of it, but there was no mention that I could find on taking it easy or refraining from vigourous exercise.
Edit: I've found the leaflet. No mention of taking exercise, operating machinery or the like. However, there was a whole list of stuff I am supposed to tell the doctor about if I get certain symptoms, none of which I've got.
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Bloody hell! Just read this:-
"16. Chickenpox is of serious concern since this normally minor illness may be fatal in immunosuppressed patients. Patients (or parents of children) without a definite history of chickenpox should be advised to avoid close personal contact with chickenpox or herpes zoster and if exposed they should seek urgent medical attention. Passive immunization with varicella/zoster immunoglobin (VZIG) is needed by exposed non-immune patients who are receiving systemic corticosteroids or who have used them within the previous 3 months; this should be given within 10 days of exposure to chickenpox. If a diagnosis of chickenpox is confirmed, the illness warrants specialist care and urgent treatment. Corticosteroids should not be stopped and the dose may need to be increased."
I've never had chicken pox.
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(http://peter.chesspod.com/gallery/d/4256-2/DSC03312.JPG)
Arthritic feet, 12 hours after finishing Dunwich Dynamo.
(http://peter.chesspod.com/gallery/d/4265-2/DSC03314.JPG)
(http://peter.chesspod.com/gallery/d/4262-2/DSC03315.JPG)
Same feet, 30 hours after finishing DD.
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Steroid injection this morning.
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Well, I had a little prick in my bum this morning, but hopefully that will keep me pain free for 6 weeks or more.
I like the rheumatology clinic. This morning's nurse was very kind, gentle and sympathetic, giving my swollen left ankle a gentle squeeze and telling me "It's hot!" in an "Oh you poor thing!" tone of voice. I like that kind of sympathy. :D
She also brought my next appointment forward to November 27th. The drugs I'm on at the moment don't seem to be working as well as they were, and I see no point in taking tablets unless they are having the desired effect. I think it's time to change to something stronger.
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I had arthritis in my feet for several years (at least 20) in the 1st metatarsal joints on both feet. They had become about 90% fused resulting in the ends of my big toes becoming slightly curved upwards. The pain was getting worse so on 2 June this year.
I had a Bilateral 1st metatarsophalangeal joint fusions on both feet. :sick:
Basically, a surgeon removed the arthritic big toe joints in both feet and screwed the
remainder of the toes back together at a slight angle to aid walking. My big toes are
not so big any more. Still waiting for the swelling to go down, the tendons on the
bottom of my feet to stop hurting and the pain from the scar tissue breaking down
to stop. :'( . Apart from that I'm ok. :thumbsup: 8)
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I understand that arthritis can bugger up your sleep patterns.
Last night I was so tired by 10 p.m. that when I woke up in my chair and just couldn't function I went to bed. I slept really soundly until about 3.30 when I was wide awake. Around 5 I got dressed, had breakfast and spent some time on the computer. Around 6.30 I felt quite knackered again, went back to bed and woke around 9.30, still feeling knackered.
Yesterday I had no alcohol or any significant exercise.
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Thread resurrection time. I'd forgotten much of what I'd written here and how bad I'd felt. Quite useful to look back.
Since I last posted on here I've been on 12.5mg methotrexate weekly. I started on these about 2 years ago and they've been very effective. I have noticed some reoccurrence of my arthritis especially when stressed. I had a bad spell in late March / early April after the council invited me to attend the Royal Courts of Justice but have mostly ben pain free.
I'm in the process off having a really bad attack in my left foot and ankle today. It started around 9 a.m. and got worse and worse up to about 2 p.m. and now I think it's easing again. I've got a rheumatology appointment on 9th November. I can't think that I've had any particularly stressful events recently.
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This has been useful (but rather scary) to read. I've been experiencing moderate/severe hip pain since the end of August, worrisome as arthritis runs in the family, mum getting it when she was 22 - and I was 23 a couple of months back.
Pain has died down to virtually nothing through use of naproxen and a pair of crutches over the last few weeks and I even made it out of the house with no sticks today, but I'm not much looking forward to a life of this if it turns out I've inherited the bad gene :-\
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This has been useful (but rather scary) to read. I've been experiencing moderate/severe hip pain since the end of August, worrisome as arthritis runs in the family, mum getting it when she was 22 - and I was 23 a couple of months back.
Pain has died down to virtually nothing through use of naproxen and a pair of crutches over the last few weeks and I even made it out of the house with no sticks today, but I'm not much looking forward to a life of this if it turns out I've inherited the bad gene :-\
Get thee to the rheumatologist.
When I was first told that I might have rheumatoid arthritis, about 5 years ago, it frightened me to death. However, it also changed my life for the better in many ways, getting back into cycling and losing 2 stones being perhaps the best of those. Apart, of course, from finding the forerunner of this forum and meeting some absolutely lovely people who are, without doubt, some of the best friends I've ever made.
There are plenty of things they can do to slow down the onset of the full disease. They probably wouldn't prescribe methotrexate for someone your age because the risk of liver damage would be too great (they figure it doesn't matter so much for an old git like me!) but there's other less noxious things around and it seems that they are discovering new drugs all the time.
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This has been useful (but rather scary) to read. I've been experiencing moderate/severe hip pain since the end of August, worrisome as arthritis runs in the family, mum getting it when she was 22 - and I was 23 a couple of months back.
Pain has died down to virtually nothing through use of naproxen and a pair of crutches over the last few weeks and I even made it out of the house with no sticks today, but I'm not much looking forward to a life of this if it turns out I've inherited the bad gene :-\
Get thee to the rheumatologist.
When I was first told that I might have rheumatoid arthritis, about 5 years ago, it frightened me to death. However, it also changed my life for the better in many ways, getting back into cycling and losing 2 stones being perhaps the best of those. Apart, of course, from finding the forerunner of this forum and meeting some absolutely lovely people who are, without doubt, some of the best friends I've ever made.
There are plenty of things they can do to slow down the onset of the full disease. They probably wouldn't prescribe methotrexate for someone your age because the risk of liver damage would be to great (they figure it doesn't matter so much for an old git like me!) but there's other less noxious things around and it seems that they are discovering new drugs all the time.
Have an appointment on December 10th.
Went to A&E almost crying in pain with a blood pressure of 160/120 on September 11th, that was the earliest appt. they could offer me and it took 'em five weeks to wait for a cancellation or something in order to stay within the three month guideline.
Mum's on methotrexate and lodine at the moment, so I'm expecting those to be what they throw at me eventually, but I'm hoping for physio/hydrotherapy or somesuch in the short term, I've never been fond of sticking pills in my body long term and especially not so now having recently come off antidepressants after four years. Even with the painkillers, I'm only taking one a day when I really need to; not had any today despite risking an evening out without the crutches. (Have come home feeling fine, will have to see how I feel tomorrow to decide whether it was a stupid idea or not, though.)
I was already wanting to get fitter again and stuff, so it's been good motivation because going to the gym (doing low-impact stuff) and swimming makes me feel better in the short-term. I have some wicked muscles starting to form in my upper arms from a month of levering myself around on sticks, too :D
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Suffering again today (and yesterday) which is a right pain (pun intended - my right hand won't work) as I've missed out on what would have been a lovely sunny ride on the warmest November day for many a long year.
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this is a topical thread - Mums RA is really bad at the moment. She had her fourth hip replacement about 5 months ago and is still damn sore and they're talking about doing her fifth (and probably last) one in the new year. she gave in and got an electric buggy which gets her round the village and lets her walk the dog.
My twin sister was starting to get pain in her ankles (we're 39, mum was 41 when she had her first hip done) but has changed her diet completely cutting out everything acidic, so lives on rice and chicken, and it's almost completely better. So I'm thinking of making a similar change to try and avoid the same, seems it's just a matter of time... :-\
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It's probably worth the effort, Mike. I started getting problems about 8 years ago. Saw the doc etc and followed advice (mostly - stop running). There is/was a 50/50 chance I'd need a hip replacement before 45 - I'm 43 and the hip is doing well. Nowhere near needing to consider replacement.
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Hospital appointment this morning. The nurse was concerned that I'm having too many flare-ups.
I've had my methotrexate dose increased to 17.5mg per week.
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Bad pain in left wrist Saturday 20th.
Both hands very painful, hence my current insomnia.
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Routine apptmt this morning. Saw the Top Man. No increase to methotrexate. Blood test from Monday came back OK.
Need another blood test re osteoporosis. Saw my back x-ray and Dr. Dasgupta confirmed that I've got osteoporosis.
"Do you drink?" Excess alcohol intake is probably the most common cause in men, but I don't reckon I drink that much (stop laughing at the back!). I pointed out that my mother had both RA and osteoporosis and I asked if it was hereditary. It is.
Went to the drop-in clinic fora blood test but they were queueing round the block. I've made an appointment for a blood test at another clinic on Tuesday.
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I forgot to mention: Dr. asked if I suffered any sexual dysfunctionality. Apparentlly this is quite common in men whose bone density is down (insert smiley of choice). I told him that my sexual functionality hadn't been tested recently. I think, in the interests of science, Mrs. Wow and I need an early night.
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Sexual dysfunction is multifactorial. Since alcohol causes both osteoporosis and 'brewer's droop' your doc is right to ask.
Cigarettes also do bones and carnal delights no favours.
Enjoy your early night!
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I have been taking my poison like a good boy.
Why, then, is the middle finger of my left hand so utterly useless and pain-racked?
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Cos shit happens!
GWS!
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arthritis is a bastard. Mum had her 5th hip replacement this morning. Elbows and ankles due next then hip number six, all before she's 65.
here's hoping it's not hereditary.
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Why, then, is the middle finger of my left hand so utterly useless and pain-racked?
Overuse? ;D
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It's one of those unknowns.
My mum had rheumatoid arthritis from her late 50s, and osteoporosis. Hers wasn't treated, and compared to your mum was clearly very minor, given that she lived to the age of 93. There was plenty of evidence of spine curvature, lost height and ulna drift as she got older. She was well 'ard, though, and mostly suffered in silence.
I've got osteoporosis and RA as well, but given that (so far as I know) none of my 4 older siblings have, I can't think of a reason for me having osteoporosis other than a hereditary factor, but of course that doesn't seem to have affected anyone else.
Compared to my mum, I'm a dreadful wimp and go running off to the doctor, whereas she couldn't be bothered.
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Why, then, is the middle finger of my left hand so utterly useless and pain-racked?
Overuse? ;D
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-finger004.gif)
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Why, then, is the middle finger of my left hand so utterly useless and pain-racked?
Overuse? ;D
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-finger004.gif)
Told you so! :smug:
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My right wrist, and particularly my thumb-joint, are causing me considerable pain this morning. Bastards!
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Bugger. I've had quite a week of pain. I don't think this is directly associated with the Dunwich Dynamo, but it might be indirectly. I have consumed more alcohol than normal this week, as a result of having had a lot of social engagements, of which the DD was the first. I have noticed a correlation between arthritic pain and alcohol consumption.
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Bugger. I've had quite a week of pain. I don't think this is directly associated with the Dunwich Dynamo, but it might be indirectly. I have consumed more alcohol than normal this week, as a result of having had a lot of social engagements, of which the DD was the first. I have noticed a correlation between arthritic pain and alcohol consumption.
I'm sorry to hear this, Peter. I think I may have heard somewhere else about this correlation, but I'm not certain. As it's the hols., I might do a little experiment - purely in the interests of science, you understand. Something along the lines of "How much alcohol to exacerbate arthritis, how much more to relieve, etc.".
Hope you get relief soon.
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Hope you get relief soon.
What, with my right hand in its current state? :P
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Hope you get relief soon.
What, with my right hand in its current state? :P
Silly me (I'm left-handed).
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I had a conversation with a biochemist friend (who sadly died 2 weeks ago) when I had my original handfail problem cos I couldn't drink at all - even 1 unit gave me the most hideous nerve pain which nothing (short of going on amitriptyline for several weeks) touched.
He reckoned that alcohol can reduce pain in the very short term but cos of the impact it has on neurological wossnames it can cause rebound so that the pain is higher afterwards (I paraphrase heavily here).
I'm not sure what actually causes the pain with arthritis? My current armfail is probably nerve pain but doesn't seem to be exacerbated by alcohol this time - although that might just be I drink so rarely that it's never coincided but....
Completely unhelpful comment I know...
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In rheumatoid arthritis and its friends the pain is caused by the immune system attacking cartilage. My tablets (methotrexate) are designed to suppress my misbehaving immune system.
I'm wondering if alcohol in the system somehow reduces the efficacy of the methotrexate.
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I had an appointment this morning. Everything tickety-boo.
Next appointment 15th November 2012. :thumbsup:
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Well, that's good. :thumbsup:
Had you experimented to see if a reduced alcohol intake improved things?
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Well, I saw that my blood tests showed liver functionality is perfectly OK, as is everything else they test for, including anaemia, cholesterol, sugar level etc. Initially when I was on methotrexate, which is the nasty drug with potentially liver-damaging side-effects, I was extremely parsimonious with my alcohol intake. Fatters nearly died of shock when we went to a very good real ale pub and I imbibed alcohol-free lager.
However, familiarity, contempt and all that: I'm a lot more relaxed about my drinking, but the great thing about methotrexate is that you only take it once a week for my condition. I deliberately take mine on a Monday and steer clear of boozahol until Weds evening at the earliest. I have never been given any indication that this might help, but it doesn't seem to be doing any harm. I don't drink a great deal anyway most of the time. On the rare occasions we go out for a meal I'll knock back more, but that doesn't happen very often. When we went to Alnwick last month we came home on a Tuesday so I delayed taking my methotrexate until then (it says in the instructions you can do this) so we had a good meal, with wine, on the Monday.
But it seems to me that the best remedy is a bike ride.
And thank you for your good wishes! :)
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click here for [ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihOqdfwbCPw)a little of what you fancy does you good. :P
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Great news Wow. So many of my students with arthritis or things like hypermobility are struggling with the changes in temperature now it's becoming colder which affects their joints. Although they're almost all young so it's nastier kinds of condition ;/
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It's months since I had any arthritic pain to speak of and it's kicked off again in the past couple of days. It coincides precisely with us shifting the piano from one room to another a couple of evenings ago and at the moment is only affecting my right wrist and hand.
I'm hoping it will calm down again of its own accord.
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Fourth finger of right hand: why? Git.
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Lots of pain in my right shoulder this morning.
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Not much sleep for me last night. My left shoulder and right wrist and hand are very painful. My shoulder puts me in mind of Frodo Baggins after he was stabbed by the Nazgulian dagger: it feels as though there's some icy metal in the joint (I don't think there is). My right hand feels as though it is being systematically crushed by a great weight.
I'll take some methotrexate in a couple of hours, with my breakfast. Meanwhile I maintain the insomniac's lonely vigil in front of the computer.
More coffee!
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Hello, Wow! Sorry you're feeling rough. Hope the drugs help.
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Thank you m'dear!
I count myself as being quite lucky really: every time I get arthritic pain, I log it on this thread. As you can see, I don't post very often.
Lots of people with rheumatoid arthritis are lots worse off than I am, as is evidenced by the fact that when I turn up for my annual clinic appointment on my bike, I'm surrounded by people with significant mobility problems.
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Hope the drugs are working and you feel better soon. It's a hard balance between OWWWW and "Yeah loads are worse off than me". RA is a nasty beast and I'm glad you as semi-retired have a bit more flexibility than many to manage it carefully as that does seem to be half the contributing factors in managing it, the other half being as you say luck!
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Bad this morning.
It started yesterday evening. Putting my gloves on for cycling back to Woodbridge Station was a painful experience. I had to use both hands to open the fridge. LH worse than right at the moment. I can also feel my feet and ankles playing up, but they, so far, aren't too bad. Lifting the kettle is a two-hand job and I couldn't turn the tap on with my left hand.
I can't think of any specific reason why this should suddenly have decided to flare up again. I've been taking my methotrexate every week. I'm already on a moderately high dose so while there's some scope for an increase, I don't think there's a lot.
Once the lines are open, I'll book a blood test and if this persists I'll make an appointment at the rheumatology clinic.
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This morning the index finger and little finger of my left hand are swollen and painful. The other two fingers are OK.
WTF?
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LH swollen and painful today, sufficiently so that I took a photo of it for future refence. There could be a rheumatlogy apptmt in the near future.
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Very painful wrists. This started about 20 miles into the ride. I don't think I have ever experienced such pain when ridiing. This needs investigating.
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Nasty. Hope you can get that sorted.
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Bugger, hope your docs have some ideas Wow, wrists are important and when they go it's really crippling.
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After the York - Hull ride I was in lots of pain all day Saturday. On the train back to King's Cross I struggled to haul myself out of my seat at times. Things had calmed down a bit by the time I cycled across London and home from Southend Vic. Sunday was dull-ache day (post-flare-up). Jan and I took the tandem out for 10 miles and I managed OK. Since then I can feel slight - very slight - pain in my hand and wrist joints, but nothing likely to keep me off my bike. In fact, I've notched up 24 miles today with no effort.
I have a theory which needs airing. I have read, mostly on the audax board but elsewhere as well, that lots of cycling can have the effect of suppressing the immune system. The question is, how much is lots?
Looking at the number of times I have posted on this board in recent months compared to the previous year or more, there appears to be a correlation between my reduced cycling because of the really cold weather and an increase in my arthritic pain. I have generally felt that, the more I cycle, the less pain I get. During the really cold spell (i.e. February, march an the first fortnight of April, when I had a nasty throat infection) I seem to have been having more pain.
I phoned the rheumatology dept yesterday morning and am awaiting a return call for my appointment. I'm going to present them with my records of flare-ups, as recorded here, and my mileage totals per month since December and see what they say. Hopefully, someone will be interested enough to do some research into it. Well, I suppose, in a sense, I'm already doing some.
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Interesting stuff there Wow. There is also anecdotal correlation at the very least between cold temperatures and increased pain for many people with joint impairments, certainly my studes have been very unhappy this winter and I've not exactly been very happy with my own multiple dislocating joint nonsense.
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I've had some very cold rides with no pain, notably 21st Feb when I did 40-odd miles wiht Jane. The temperature didn't rise about 2°C all day. On the York-Hull ride, I suspect the minimum was around 3°C, although there was a ground frost at dawn.
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I suspect you are more active than most of my disabled students. Although in their defense many are at very early stage of diagnosis or have a relatively severe impairment if they've been unlucky enough to get any of the arthritises, fibromyalgia or other jointy horrors before they're 21 :(
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I've had some very cold rides with no pain, notably 21st Feb when I did 40-odd miles wiht Jane. The temperature didn't rise about 2°C all day. On the York-Hull ride, I suspect the minimum was around 3°C, although there was a ground frost at dawn.
My Garmin read -1.5oC when we were cycling beneath the dykes before the half-way stop.
It also hovered around zero for a long time even after the sun had come up.
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Even so, the pain started long before that. I have ridden in some very frosty conditions without any ill effect. It's quite possible that at the moment of the flare-up happening the cold might exacerbate it, but my hands didn't get especially cold. I don't think the cold instigates attacks. I suspect it might in osteoarthritis, but I don't find it a factor in my version of rheumatoid.
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Have you tried Humira? Or is that the brand name of something you are already using?
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I've never heard of that one but it seems that it is offered along with methotrexate for RA sufferers.
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I have quite severe arthritis in my right ankle and foot - an old motorcycle crash injury that dislocated or crushed every bone south of my right knee! I certainly find that prolonged cold weather makes the resting symptoms worse, but exercise generally improves things, at least for the period of exercise. Weight bearing for long periods - just standing, walking, or - worst of all - digging, leaves me almost incapable of walking within a few hours, and the pain is excruciating. Cycling, on the other hand, gives me no problems either during or afterwards. I guess the lack of impact or full weight bearing, combined with the fairly fluid rotational activity, must be quite therapeutic! Anyway, Wowsa, you have my sympathy. Industrial quantities of ibuprofen are my friend.
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I haven't found a painkiller/anti-inflamatory to have the slightest effect on my pain levels. It's down to the type of arthritis, I suppose.
Meanwhile, it's the left shoulder this morning, the bastard.
The rheumatology dept. phoned back and Mrs. Wow took the call. I am to make a blood test appointment (not yet done) and, a few days later, an appointment with my GP. Early days as we've got a new GP, the old one having just retired after 25 years in the practice, but I'm not quite sure what I think of this new bloke. He seemed OK in the first instance but the last time I was in the waiting room he cracked a "santa claus" joke, which puts him on the same level as oiks who shout stuff at cyclists. There were no other patients in the waiting rom at the time, but that's not the point. Personal remarks about patients' appearances is not part of the job description.
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This is a tad worrying as I have developed a serious pain in the left shoulder.
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Like a silly bugger, once the pain had stopped after the 19th April ride, I allowed things to get in the way and I didn't make a blood test appointment nor did I go to see my GP. Everything has been tickety-boo since until the Tan Hill ride, at the end of which my left wrist was extremely painful. We did a fair few miles of Sleightholme Moor off-road bit, which was quite exhilarating, and that probably didn't help, but why only my left wrist? It was worth it anyway.
When we were at the pub and Jane saw me having to lift the back end of my bike by putting my forearm under the saddle, rather than simply grabbing it and lifting, she was very sympathetic.
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Right hand and wrist now. Kept me awake. Can't grip anything. Bugger.
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Rheumatology appointment in the morning. I shall make a note of the past 10 months or so of this diary.
No change in treatment, I reckon, unless GCHQ have an influence and their hacking of my emails has disqualified me from NHS treatment.
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I showed the consultant (entitled "Rheumatology Registrar") my list of flare-ups over the past year and she was shocked. "That many?" said she. I thought that an average of less than 1 per month was pretty good, especially when six of those took place over a 6-week period when the weather was bitterly cold. I told her about cycling, and the association in my mind with three of the flare-ups with bike rides. She suggested increasing my methotrexate intake in the cold months to 8 tablets a week (I'm currently taking 7, each Monday morning) but I'm not especially keen to do this.
On balance, I'm delighted in the way my disease is being managed. When I was first diagnosed 8 or 9 years ago, and was in constant pain for a period of about 6 months, I'd certainly have settled for a mere 9 attacks within a calendar year. I'm nearly 60 and very overweight. I expect things to hurt and not work properly. The fact that I'm more than likely to get past 5000 miles this year, and that will be my worst year since I resumed cycling, indicates to me that things are really pretty good.
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*nods* I think expectations and what you DO with your life can have a huge impact on how you cope/manage/expect an impairment/condition to behave over time. Interesting that you have the option to increase the methotrexate - what would be the downsides of that? I think docs are getting better at suggesting minor tweaks to meds for specific known trigger causes.
I'm glad things feel manageable for you and that you still have mobility enough for your needs and lots of cycling fu. I think the cold is a major trigger for most arthritic conditions and joint issues as all my students with arthritises have been unhappy since Oct as have I with shoulders and hands.
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I don't know what the maximum does of methotrexate is for arthritis treatment although this site (http://www.nras.org.uk/about_rheumatoid_arthritis/newly_diagnosed/which_drugs_are_used/methotrexate_in_rheumatoid_arthritis.aspx) suggests that 7.5mg to 20mg per week is "normal". I'm already on 17.5mg so at the high end of that value of normal. It's quite nasty stuff with a known potential side effect of liver damage, which is why I have my tablets on a Monday when I am less likely to want to drink beer than I am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The cold hasn't caused me any flare-ups yet this winter because where I live it hasn't been cold. We haven't had a frost yet although I did see a gritting lorry in Kent an hour or so ago.
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*nods* I don't know if your kind of arthritis has permanent damage to your joints during flare ups which is also a possibility to consider I guess - they'd pick up early liver damage early by all those blood tests I suspect you have to have and could back off a bit on dosage but yeah I can see how it's an eternal juggle.
Probably better off avoiding going out in the very cold, or extra warmth/heated gloves or something...
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The last time I was told about my joints there was no permanent damage. My version (palindromic rheumatism) allegedly doesn't lead to permanent damage that can be picked up on an X-ray. Many do. It is possible for my version to turn into one of the more damaging types, apparently. I suspect that there has been some damage. I now have permanent pins-&-needles in the forefinger of my right hand. This could be something totally different though: I also have osteoporosis, which was picked up on a x-ray because my vertebrae have shrunk. There could be a nerve trapped somewhere.
Suffice it to say that palindromic rheumatism is sufficiently rare that when I was examined by the Crapita-employed doctor in the Horseferry Road when I put in for my pension on health grounds, he had never heard of it and had to do a bit of googling. My photographs of hands swollen to the extent that they resembled inflated rubber gloves and the description (on which he congratulated me for its comprehensive nature) of the way my disease prevented me from carrying out duties of the type that I had done when I was last a civil servant persuaded him to support my claim.
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*nods* And amount of Xray damage doesn't seem to necessarily reflect level of pain or immobility experienced. I suspect while I didn't have visible CT damage in 2003 despite the shoulder being sufficiently fucked to scare an experienced Orthopod that I'm still bloody lucky with how little I need to take for it in the scheme of things...
My plan for ATOS/Crapita/DWP in 2015 for my PIP is to blind them with medical notes of "this is rare and weird as shit, shut up and keep her moniez" so I don't deal with clinical practitioners who don't know what my syndrome or conditions are - cos almost no one does. My good GPs always ask me for the key words so they can go RTFMing.
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Left wrist playing up today. Noting the drop in temperature.
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Very impressive swelling and accompanying pain around the base of my right index finger this morning. My hands got a bit cold on yesterday's pootle along Ribblesdale.
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I decided, and that decision was hailed as a good one by the rheumatology nurse when I spoke to her, to give my methotrexate tablets a miss on Monday. I have been unable to get rid of a very annoying and painful cold/sore throat over quite a long period.
My sore throat is much better than it was yesterday. Also, my wrists are becoming a bit painful. I think my immune system is waking up again.
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Well, this is a git and a half. I have quite a bit of non-arthritic pain in my right arm and shoulder at the moment, which I think is a trapped nerve. Now my right hand is swelling up with an arthritic attack.
I have to keep reminding myself of my late father's little motto: "Getting old is a bugger but the alternative is worse!"
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I have woken up with the most spectacular pain in my left wrist. It really is absolutely agonising - quite the worst I have experienced since the York - Hull ride in April last year, and possibly exceeding that. It is difficult to compare as then I cycled 50 miles whilst in excruciating pain but now I am merely trying to get to sleep. I just had a shower and wielding a bar of soap was difficult, to say the least.
I am due to take methotrexate this morning, and would have done so straight away. What is stopping me is the fact that I am preparing for a fasting blood test at 8.35 this morning and I have been given strict instructions not to consume anything but water after 10pm last night. This test is in preparation fo an NHS health check for which I have an appointment next Friday.
At least the pain from the trapped nerve in my right shoulder has been reduced considerably by the gabapentin.
It is interesting to compare the different qualities of pain. Arthritic pain is a very "clean" pain. It feels as though someone has driven an icy blade into the affected joint (think Frodo Baggins and the Nazgul knife in his shoulder) and it can often be largely relieved by resting the affected joint in a certain position. However, the slightest movement can cause the knife to twist and the agony is very acute. I can't, for example, support the weight of this Ipad in my left hand. It is just too painful. When I had the shower just now the controls (a twisting knob for water flow and a lever for temperature control) are in such a position to make the knob almost totally inaccessible to my right hand. To turn the shower on requires that all the force came from my fingers of my left whilst I held my wrist as still as possible.
The pain from a trapped nerve is completely different. It is not nearly so keen as arthritic pain, which in that sense makes it far more tolerable. However, it is very unpredictable. This at once makes it almost impossible to alleviate by changing your posture and, since it is referred pain, it can turn up in any one of a number of areas in the affected region. It feels different as well. Pain from a trapped nerve has something in common with a nettle rash but is deep inside, so it can't be alleviated by scratching or rubbing. Arthritic pain can't either: and pressure on my wrist at the moment is excruciating. Trapped nerve pain is more nagging.
Anyway, I shall attempt some sleep before the alarm goes off at 7.30.
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Ouch! Hope the blood test is soon over so you can eat and nom up the methotrexate. Do you have anything to nobble arthritis pain like codeine or whatever?
Also for future is it worth looking into tap turners for the shower http://www.completecareshop.co.uk/bathing-aids/bath-tap-turners/ (see lower downish). You may find it's worth asking if you can get an OT referral for such things in your area as several friends have found they can self refer to OT who will make recommendations of equipment which might help.
Your description of arthritis pain vs neurological pain is very apt. The pain I get in my right arm is very often neurological and very resistant to drugs in the short term and I'm as yet unwilling to use amitriptyline/gabapenting/pregabalin while I don't know what exactly is setting it off. The pain my shoulder is a mixture, probably mostly "cos there's hardly any joint so it's falling apart" caused and usually responds quite well to codeine and may respond better to muscle relaxant.
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Well, I had my blood test and have now had some cereal and orange juice. The tea is brewing and I will find some tablets. This wrist really is bloody awful.
To cap it all the filling I had done last Friday week hasn't worked properly and that tooth aches every time I chew with it. I shall phone the dentist next.
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Sorry to hear this....hope the tablets sort it.
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Hope you are feeling better soon Wow.
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Ditto.
Last year I went to the doctor because my left thumb joint was very painful. About 10 seconds into the consultation I was told it was arthritis and that was that, nothing could be done.
Afterwards i went cycling in the Alps and it just got better as i went on.
It still gives me a bit of pain but I lost no function and it seems to be on the mend despite being used for heavy work daily.
So am a bit doubtful the doctor's diagnosis was correct. I don't remember either parent having arthritis.
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I've had methotrexate now so they can, hopefully, start to do their worst. That's the first time I can remember being unable to raise my left hand to my mouth and keep it horizontal. Had to take the tablets with my right hand.
Thanks for your good wishes, one and all. I have a rear wheel puncture to mend on the Thorn, but I'm not going to tackle it until the pain has subsided.
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Beer. Best anaesthetic known to man. I prescribe a sufficiency.
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My wife swears by cider vinegar as something that reduces her arthritis.
I found that a couple of bottles of Westons super old strong vintage had a similar effect on my arthritic finger.
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Sadly the effect of ethyl alcohol has a tendency to lessen the effect of the methotrexate. In addition, methotrexate is known to bugger up your liver, so an overindulgence in booze is not to be recommended, tempting though it is.
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Bugger.
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Apart from the usual aftermath in which the organ in question merely feels bruised, my arthritic pain has gone today.
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Excellent news re pain going away today. I know exactly what you mean by the "aftermath" feeling. Methotrexate sounds like magic - evil magic, but magic!
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It's remarkable stuff. Mind you, it's in the nature of the weird sort of arthritis I've got (palindromic rheumatism) that it disappears. Palindromic because it comes & goes... TBH I shouldn't complain too much about this arthritis because it got me back cycling again and got me my pension early on health grounds. For most of the first year I was in a lot of pain but since then it's mostly been under control through drugs and, apart from being a fat git, I am generally in pretty good health for my age.
Yesterday I had a puncture to mend but it would have been impossible with a left hand that was non-functional through pain. I wouldn't have got the tyre back on. This morning the job took less than 20 minutes from start to finish.
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Medicine sometimes works really well. I'm glad it works for you cos it has to work for some people :)
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My sympathies WOW. I have arthritis in both knees, ankles and feet which swell up like you stated. I have tried methotrexate but then switched to Percam-20, a locally made version of a popular arthritic drug. I also use Volteren tablets and Emulgel for the pain and swelling. So far so good. These do not stop the flare-ups but seem to be controlling the arthritis better. On one occasion early on the pain in one foot was excruciating and I couldn't walk at all unaided. I was always taught that a kidney stone pain was the worse one could experience but now I know that that is not true.
I was also very concerned about the methotrexate side effects to continue risking them.
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I'm prepared to accept that childbirth is very high up on the list of painful events but I'm not qualified to give a first-hand opinion. I'm not qualified to comment on kidney stones either.
I'm glad you have found some medication that works for you.
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Thanks. I have had surgery for kidney stones and the associated pain of the stones many times. My stock of the kidney pain killers did absolutely nothing for my newly acquired arthritis pain, hence I looked for a new approach. My local Chemist recommended the new tablets and earlier I was introduced to the Volteren Gel and pain killers. They do seem to work as the latest flare-up and pain has certainly lessened. I am of course married to a Veterinary doctor which helps.
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Yesterday was a big Pain Day. Today has started off the same way. Not all of it is arthritis, but some of it is.
Earlier in the week I had arthritic pain in my right shoulder, particularly associated with my clavicle. That wasn't too bad. Yesterday and this morning my wrists, mostly the right, have been hurting. I can't see any obvious swelling. There's the pain associated with tearing a calf muscle, which is improving daily. However, I am also suffering some lower back pain and sciatica, probably associated with my posture being utterly dreadful because of my calf.
Yesterday I took some co-codamol. Today the side-effects are making their presence felt. I am multi-tasking.
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Sympathy. Today was a 30mg of codeine with my morning tea day. It may also be a 30mg of codeine before bed day. Side effects will get me tomorrow no doubt.
Annoying how one bit of body sets the other bits off innit!
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I'm very glad I started this thread. It's like a comfort blanket and I come here in moments of stress.
Little sleep for me tonight. Frodo's shoulder, right side. I cannot get comfortable and have contemplated getting dressed. The problem with that is that I am lovely and warm in bed and I wouldn't be if I got up. It's a cool, windy night and I would have to turn the heating on.
It's a timely reminder to look in here as it seems that I have had far fewer attacks this year than last and I have a rheumatology appointment on Monday. I would think that there is a correlation with me cutting out the booze for much of the year. Sadly, my will power has gone to pot lately, in part down to my calf injury in August. Initially I did well, and was maintaining my plan to keep my weight constant even though I was getting no exercise. It all went wrong with three consecutive weekends away, with B&B breakfasts and evening beer. I must have put on about half a stone in the last 7 or 8 weeks. Not good. This has involved beer at home as Waitrose had an offer on for several weeks that I found irresistable.
On the other hand I have been sticking with either 5 or 6 tablets a week so I seem to have had a mostly good year on fewer tablets. There's a clear lesson here: must kick the booze again, stop buying cake (I forgot to mention the cake) and when my calf is properly recovered, get out on the bike again.
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Good grief! It is a testament to something or other that 17 months have passed without me visiting this thread! In that time I have had the odd twinge, but nothing nearly debilitating enough for me to have thought it noteworthy.
That has changed this morning. Massive pain in my left wrist. It is very easy to forget how debilitating such pain can be. I really struggled to get dressed this morning. No other joints affected, just my left wrist. Unfortunately the weather isn't yet warm enough for me not to have bothered.
What can have caused it? Multiple factors, I think. I suspect that suffering very cold hands on yesterday's bike ride was a major contributory factor. I suspect that having missed taking methotrexate in 3 weeks of the past two months is also a factor. My immune system woke up while I was asleep, otherwise it would have hutr last night.
Oh bugger, but at least it will probably wear off during the day.
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Ouch, hope it clears up soonest. Arm pain is evil.
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After my wrist started hurting, I found that I couldn't make a fist. My entire hand was swollen an painful.
As the day progressed, so the pain receded. The following day there was nothing wrong at all and I had a perfectly enjoyable bike ride.
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And today it is my right hand and wrist. It started yesterday. I think it is slowly getting better - in fact, I am certain it is. When I had my breakfast I found it exceedingly difficult to manipulate a spoon. A short while later I buttered some crackers for Phyllis's breakfast. Still can't make a fist, but it's easing.
I will be mightily pissed off if this interferes with tomorrow's Dunwich Dynamo. Kate otp and I will be tandemming it.
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Since the middle of July I have had a number of painful attacks, all of them in my hands. This is worrying. When I go for my appointment in November the consultant always expresses concern if I have any attacks. They seem to think that methotrexate should be 100% effective. I am already on a high dose - 17.5mg a week. I don't think they dish out more than 20mg.
I don't want to be switched to a different drug, Really, methotrexate has worked so well for me for something like 8 years - or probably a bit more - that I don't want a step into the unknown. When I first contracted this disease in 2005 it took about a year before any of the prescribed medication made any difference at all, and that was quinine. After a couple of years the efficacy of that wore off. During that summer I had a series of steroid injections (3 in all IIRC) and I was put on methotrexate, and have been relatively symptom-free ever since.
I wonder if I am reacting to something. I had a suspicion some time ago that too much dairy might have been a factor. I will say that there has been a lot of ice cream since the weather warmed up - and that was about the middle of July! OK - no ice cream for the next couple of weeks to see what happens.
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More attacks in the past week, again in my wrists and hands. My left forefinger's knuckle this morning:
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t35.0-12/14572484_1687239711595231_1091343028_o.jpg?oh=6308f1d23d73a24409ed386b50989dd1&oe=57F729D9)
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t35.0-12/14536872_1687239714928564_1587274380_o.jpg?oh=b55400a4a9e7132f6b951d81dafc463d&oe=57F77C8F)
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Crap, sorry to hear that Wow. How did the dairy reduction go? I know a few arthritis types who find it works but am not sure if it scales to everyone.
I have a young student with Rheumatoid and she says the drugs aren't effective forever cos auto immune nonsense and she has a bad case I think so they have to keep tweaking her drugs...
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Ow. Sympathy Peter :-*
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Sadly, my dairy reduction was overtaken by ice-cream induced amnesia.
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Sorry I cannot see your fingers as photos not coming through.
if you are getting attacks why have they not offered you antiTNF with a biological agent?
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Don't know. Annual appointment next month. I will ask about such things. Mostly, I haven't been getting attacks, but during the past two or three months they have become more frequent.
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Sorry I cannot see your fingers as photos not coming through.
if you are getting attacks why have they not offered you antiTNF with a biological agent?
Weird! I could see the pictures yesterday but can't see them today...
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If you're into elimination diets, try No Sugar, No Grains - for a month. It's not long, and if it doesn't work, then you can go back to trying other things.
NSNG is as it sounds. No sugar from any source, no wheat products, no rice, pasta, potato, bread, beer, or any form of sugar.
Just for a month. It's really not long. If it makes a difference, then you can decide whether to suffer the condition for the sake of the food, or otherwise. If it makes no difference, then at least you tried, and you can go on looking for other solutions.
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(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14470670_1688550764797459_1323760050361134582_n.jpg?oh=dd310135f3de70417cd0b4335e4394aa&oe=58A773B3)
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14570313_1688550801464122_6276875391637833492_n.jpg?oh=6e7875c0c95f2fcf43783f8d55e37551&oe=58A7B406)
These are the images I posted. They were on an FB message so presumably the address must have changed. Hopefully this will show them OK.
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I am fortunate to work in an area where the. Illogical agents for RA, rituximab eta except etc are routinely used. Our local senior rheumatologist lead the NIHCE TEAM who wrote the guidelines.
My understanding is that when methotrexate stops producing disease control then an alternative or combination DMARD should be offered.
I think that many hospitals and CCGS are effectively limiting supply of the biological due to cost. Some older rheumatologists also I think do not really trust them.
My personal view from talking to patients is that the response is like. Igbo and day for many patients who talk about feeling normal.
Do remember stoicism in the NHS is not one of the virtues. Complaining of your swelling, pain and loss of function is a virtue.
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That was the worst night's pain since starting on methotrexate - at least 8 years. My left shoulder is giving me massive jip and I couldn't get comfortable no matter how I lay. Putting my shirt on was very difficult as I can't lift my arm.
I still haven't heard when my annual appointment is. It is supposed to be this month, so I will be phoning the hospital as soon as the I think I'm likely to get the day staff.
Bugger!
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And now it's my right shoulder's turn! At least the left shoulder had the good grace mostly to stop hurting.
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Bloody hell, I've been going through the mill this week. Both shoulders, one after the other, both hands, again separately, and occasional other twinges. I'm looking forward to my appointment on 29th so that I can be prescribed another drug to quash the symptoms.
As luck would have it I bumped into an acquaintance, whose name I have completely forgotten, in the stupormarket yesterday. We exchanged pleasantries and in the conversation I mentioned I was having trouble with the old RA. He told me about a meeting yesterday evening of the NRAS (yes, unfortunate first three letters to that acronym). I went along and it was extremely interesting. Quite a few of the senior medics from the hospital were there, and the Top Man, Prof. Dasgupta, spoke to us. There have evidently been quite a few developments since I last had a long conversation with anyone about the options available, and it seems that there are quite a few of these. Ultrasound is now routinely used to have a look at the state of patients' cartilage.
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Ultrasound will look at cartilage but more importantly it is a very effective method of looking at the blood flow in the synovitis to assess disease activity. they can therefore say that you are still having active disease as a cause of your pain (increase meds) or that your cartilage is knackered (think surgery).
Good luck on 29th
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I am a silly bugger! It has only just dawned on me that my latest flare-up, the worst for years, started 4 days after my flu jab. Could they be connected? Quite possibly. Other sufferers have reported bad arthritic attacks after flu jabs. Something to talk about at my appointment on 29th.
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Bloody hell, this is a strange condition. I have been pretty much OK all day and, for no obvious reason, in the past 2 or 3 hours my right knee has gone from total freedom from pain and of movement to excruciating pain when I walk. Luckily we still have a crutch available from when I tore my calf muscle a couple of years ago and I am hobbling around with that. It's unusual as normally it is small jonts that are affected. Getting undressed was something of an ordeal. I am in bed now but I am not anticipating a comfortable night.
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You have an autoimmune version - so it will be affected by flu jabs and will also act in an illogical manner.
I get straightforward osteo arthritis in one hip joint, if I overdo things it is moderately painful and stiff for a few days (also in cold weather), ditto several finger joints since January's accident.
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Last night was not my finest hour. The pain was utterly excruciating when in bed. It didn't matter how I placed my knee, there was tension in it and every few seconds it was racked with pain. I think the muscles may have gone into spasm as well, because everything was very tight, although there was no visible (to me at least) sign of swelling. Sometime around 1.30 I was dressed and downstairs, with my duvet, sitting in a chair. That was less painful to the extent that I did manage a little sleep. I'm afraid I said some very unkind things to Mrs. Wow, who was doing her best to help, and I have since apologised. We are still married and living together.
That pain lasted all morning. Then, some time after lunch, it began to subside. It was almost as though someone had pulled the plug out of a bath and as the water level receded, so did the pain. Within a couple of hours I was walking normally again, although at one point I nodded off in a chair and as my knee relaxed to the right, a huge bolt of pain shot down the ligament on the outside and I woke up crying out in agony. There is still some marginal pain in my right knee, but some 18 hours after it had started, so it stopped.
But, that knot of pain wasn't finished yet. During the later part of yesterday evening it settled in my left shoulder, which is where it now resides. It's impossible to get comfortable in bed, so here I am, dosed with codeine/paracetamol and sitting at my computer with my duvet over my knees. At least I didn't wake Jan up this time, although to be fair I didn't wake her up yesterday as she hadn't yet gone to bed when I decided that there was no possibility of either of us getting any sleep if I was constantly yelling with pain, so she had the bed to herself.
I'm supposed to be teaching later today. That will depend upon whether I can drive, with my left arm as debilitated as it is, or whether I should drive, on the back of two nights with very limited sleep. I shall make that decision nearer the time.
My appointment can't come soon enough. Seven more sleeps - if I'm lucky!
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Bleh, that sounds very unpleasant Wow. Hope the shoulder clears up soonest and the rheumo dudes have some ideas next week!
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Well, the appointment came and went. Blood pressure fine (143/80). I don't qualify for more drugs. My "flare ups" haven't lasted long enough. But then it's in the nature of this silly disease that they "come & go" in fairly short order.
I have the direct dial number for the rheumatology dept now and have been invited to ask for an emergency appointment if things get bad again. At the moment they are OKish.
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And when they flare up, you probably won't be in a state to drive to an appointment . . .
Dez better be on call with his volt-mobile ready.
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It's OK. I can cycle or walk! It's only a mile down the road.
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I guess that is good news of sorts, my understanding of Rheumatoid is that they only shift drugs regimes if they have to cos the settling in period is shitty and they can eventually 'run out' of suitable drugs. But still annoying that flare ups are happening at all, hope the other things you can do will keep them to a minimum.
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I have, more or less, been sticking to the self-imposed diet which lacks refined sugar or dairy. Whether it is that, or the length of time since my flu jab, I don't know, but my arthritic pain has receded greatly. I am suffering from sciatica, but that's a totally different sort of pain. It feels different, is in different parts of the body (left buttock and back of thigh) and it is relieved by walking. Arthritic pain is invariably exacerbated - initially at least - by using the joint concerned. Once you are over the worst of the initial pain, I think using the joints does free them up. At least, that is my experience of the weird version of RA that I have got. I suspect that isn't the case in osteo or the more serious versions of RA.
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I think keeping joints mobile is good in many circs even with RA and similar (once the original inflammation nonsense is jibbled).
Interestingly my mum has sciatica and her physio thinks it is hoiking heavy grandchildren as she has lots of clients with similar issues who do quite a lot of childcare and bodies aren't designed in your 60s to hoik toddlers... (or make like a toddler like my mum likes to do)...
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I have, more or less, been sticking to the self-imposed diet which lacks refined sugar or dairy. Whether it is that, or the length of time since my flu jab, I don't know, but my arthritic pain has receded greatly. I am suffering from sciatica, but that's a totally different sort of pain. It feels different, is in different parts of the body (left buttock and back of thigh) and it is relieved by walking. Arthritic pain is invariably exacerbated - initially at least - by using the joint concerned. Once you are over the worst of the initial pain, I think using the joints does free them up. At least, that is my experience of the weird version of RA that I have got. I suspect that isn't the case in osteo or the more serious versions of RA.
ISTR my ex's RA being like yours. He would 'set' like clay, then have to move to get himself mobile again.
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I now suffer from arthritis in both wrists, both elbows, and knuckle on left thumb. Been getting worse last 4 - 5 years.
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I think keeping joints mobile is good in many circs even with RA and similar (once the original inflammation nonsense is jibbled).
Interestingly my mum has sciatica and her physio thinks it is hoiking heavy grandchildren as she has lots of clients with similar issues who do quite a lot of childcare and bodies aren't designed in your 60s to hoik toddlers... (or make like a toddler like my mum likes to do)...
That's an interesting point. After a day's hard childcare we do tend to need a day to recover. My brother finds the same: he and his wife do a fair bit if looking after their gcs - t'other gps aren't able to because of Parkinson's disease. My brother is in his early 70s, but pretty fit, and he finds his grandson quite a handful.
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My mum is 65. She does a lot of putting children into carseats and pushchairs as well as in/out of the bath and the cot. She has each of the grandchildren for a different 4 days a month + random visits so that's 8-10 days out of 30 each month. It adds up.
Biggles is 71 but he isn't doing much childcare in the form of hoiking children around or slumming it on the floor, he tends to look and talk down to the children benevolently from his office chair or the sofa and teach them archaic manners in a kindly old grandfather kinda way...
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Last night my shoulder pain returned: not as bad as it was two or three weeks ago, but I definitely knew about it as I turned over in bed.
This evening my hands and wrists are painful. The pain started earlier this evening and it was sufficiently acute that I couldn't take the cork out of the port bottle!
On Christmas Day I started a "diet holiday" since when I have indulged in Banned Substances in the form of mince pies, Christmas pud with cream, Stilton, Brie and a slice of cake.
Back on the wagon now for me. Dairy and refined sugar are the two nasties my mentor has warned me about. I have managed without either for about 7 weeks, so I know it's no great hardship.
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That's not bad - >7 months since my last entry here.
But soddit my right wrist and hand have been giving me jip for a couple of days now. It started within an hour or so of arriving home after a 45 mile bike ride, but I doubt that that was the cause since I had no ill effects after the Dunwich Dynamo, which was almost 3 times as far.
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I gave up trying to guess what was causing my flare ups with AS, which is related to RA. I just put it down to too much of anything. Too hot, too cold, too much movement, too little movement etc etc
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That's not bad - >7 months since my last entry here.
But soddit my right wrist and hand have been giving me jip for a couple of days now. It started within an hour or so of arriving home after a 45 mile bike ride, but I doubt that that was the cause since I had no ill effects after the Dunwich Dynamo, which was almost 3 times as far.
Did you have any success with the elimination diet (dairy/wheat free - can't remember what you tried)?
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In the end I think I decided that the flare-ups in November were a direct result of having a flu jab. I lost a bit of weight quite quickly, most of which has found its way back on, but I can't say with any certainty that the dairy or lack of it make a lot of difference
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Left wrist very bad this morning. I don't think this is anything to do with playing the piano, although I did have a bash at a Brahms rhapsody last night.
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Awww. Hope it feels better soon Peter :-*
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Left thumb this morning. This is a >40 year old rugby injury which has never properly recovered. Took 20 minutes this morning to put my socks on
Awww. Hope it feels better soon Peter :-*
Thanks. :-*
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Sodding left shoulder. I got dressed because I couldn't get comfortable in bed. Bollocks.
At least the latter are not arthritic.
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Report on Mrs T's knees from radiologist yesterday uses nasty words such as gonarthrosis and dysplasia. :(
In winter we bring our firewood across from the barn and stack a week's worth in the cellar, then haul it up by the basketload as needed. It gets her knees, my ankles and both lots of vertebrae. Heigh ho.
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Sodding left shoulder. I got dressed because I couldn't get comfortable in bed. Bollocks.
At least the latter are not arthritic.
The former is a very familiar issue, I'm planning to throw drugs at my shoulder this evening, it's being somewhat shit atm. I don't own a pair of the latter, fortunately, I think ;)
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Report on Mrs T's knees from radiologist yesterday uses nasty words such as gonarthrosis and dysplasia. :(
In winter we bring our firewood across from the barn and stack a week's worth in the cellar, then haul it up by the basketload as needed. It gets her knees, my ankles and both lots of vertebrae. Heigh ho.
I know a song about that...
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Bloody right hand again. It's interesting, actually: making a fist is very painful, but I can move my fingers around OK for typing and piano playing. It's just as well I don't want to punch anyone (Michael Gove, Boris Johnson & Jacob Rees-Mogg excepted).
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You need to cock your wrist back to make a fist, but keep it straightish for typing and piano...
Hope pain improves soon!
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Great pain in right wrist again, and also into the palm. Enough to stop me from paying the piano.
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Didn't realise your Blüthner was coin-operated! ;) ;D
GWS!
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I have just had my annual rheumatology appointment. I saw the Top Man, Professor Dasgupta.
I no longer have to take alendronic acid and I have been reduced to 2-yearly appointments. Very happy about this.
I mentioned to him that I thought that playing the piano had had a considerable beneficial effect on my arthritis. He agreed that it probably had. He told me that he learned the piano as an adult and got as far as Grade 6, which I said was impressive. He then told me he decided to give up because it was taking up too much time. He also said he would recommend that his patients learn the piano. I said "Point them in my direction for lessons!" :D
Anyway, WHOOPEE!
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Good to hear :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: thumbsup:
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The elapsed time between my last post and now is illustrative of the fact that my Sodding Arthritis hasn't really bothered me much for quite along time.
In March, because of that, I decided to stop taking methotrexate as, it being an immunosuppressant, I didn't really want my immune system to be suppressed should Covid strike. So I stopped.
Mostly I have had little pain - the odd twinge here and there. But today I have a wonderful swelling between the knuckles of my index and middle finger of my left hand, and it bloody well hurts. A lot. I hope it's not indicative of a nasty flare-up. The weather has taken a decided turn for the autumnal today, so that may be a contributory factor, but I've not previously noticed any association between weather and pain.
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Folklore is all about the connection between weather and pain.
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(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3feoNUoYiHiSiYCIyGYJkfvRguM4727g44_KbdR7xi0H4ecdpAYa_ZR161iKS-Yuc6Beb8-iVfnwI_eh2emRdPXusxJcfQ1zH3DS9LJZzSdLOVJpUibWbNRWfxkJMprDSpY0jWug7eDGCJ4ui8cDL2lCw=w1187-h890-no?authuser=0)
How my knuckle looked the other day.
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I haven't waded through the whole thread but this may be of use to you and not mentioned earlier.
A fellow sufferer of arthritis here. Nothing catastrophic, sport related and particularly on damp days.
Thumbs/fingers in particular (rugby)
Shoulder (various operations)
Neck (rugby)
knee (mileage)
I recently switched to a low carb diet and guess what......pretty much gone. Hallelujah.
Lack of inflammation I would assume.
Of course this requires giving up cake so its a heck of a trade off.
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Your sounds very like osteo-arthritis - wear and tear. Mine's an autoimmune disease - my immune system attacks my cartilage, hence my 12-year use of immunosuppressants.
I very rarely eat cake, and my carbs are limited to one or two slices of wholemeal bread per day, porridge or a brekkie cereal in the morning, and taters/rice/pasta at dinner time. I've also cut out almost all booze.
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I'm not speaking to my sodding hands. I think the left one is going arthritic (osteo, wear and tear from atypical joints and usage) on me, I shoulda got them to xray it 18 months ago when they diagnosed the elbows and right wrist. Shoe/pain fits, wear it.
Heat bag seems to have nobbled the hand today, but I am hoping to get off the celecoxib after the shoulder is nerve nobbled and worry that I need it for more than shoulders...
I'm only 40 ffs.
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Your sounds very like osteo-arthritis - wear and tear. Mine's an autoimmune disease - my immune system attacks my cartilage, hence my 12-year use of immunosuppressants.
I very rarely eat cake, and my carbs are limited to one or two slices of wholemeal bread per day, porridge or a brekkie cereal in the morning, and taters/rice/pasta at dinner time. I've also cut out almost all booze.
Ahh yes. Well if you ever get osteo as well!
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I've been for my annual(ish) rheumatology appointment. Everything tickety-boo.
No flare-ups of any note to report (I'd have logged them here if there were).
I'm not on medication for arthritis.
They will phone me in 6 months to see how it's going, and make another face-to-face appointment in another year or so.
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Those of a gouty tendency are warned against crash-dieting in January…
… or any other time!
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First report of pain this year! And guess what - twice this week (Monday & Wednesday) I’ve had a breakfast cereal with cow’s milk instead of my usual porridge (jumbo oats with hazelnut milk). Now I have a very painful right wrist and thumb joint. I suppose that it could also be the processed grains in the cereal, but I eat a fair bit of home-made bread with top quality flour, so I doubt that.
I have a telephone appointment on 16th August so at least I’ve got something to tell them.
It only seems to be fresh milk that causes the problem as I eat butter most days and good cheddar cheese two or three times a week.
Edit: it’s worth noting that my feet are a bit swollen as well, but since they are not painful I’m putting that down to the heat.
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Interesting. Another difference between fresh milk and butter/cheese is amount of lactose.
I am lactose intolerant (but like most lactose intolerant people, not 100%). I can't have regular milk, cream, yoghurt, but I can have regular harder cheeses (and brie) and butter which have minimal lactose in them.
Can't say I have issues with arthritic issues being worse when I use lactosefree milk but mine is osteo and I have no rheumatoid which is all auto immune bollocks.
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I have just had the rheumatology consultation. Nothing much to report, other than that I should probably have had a blood test prior to the event. I'm going to receive a form through the post. The nurse/practitioner asked me if I had any allergies, to which my reply was "Conservatives". I think her first language was something other than English, but after a pause she laughed and replied "I know what you mean!"
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Blood forms in the post?
How quaint!
Queen Square write 'virtual' requests, I book phlebotomy appointment online, pick a number off the reel, go to blood test room, tell them my hospital number, they take my blood, enter it on their computer & send it to the labs without any paper forms...
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I have not filled in a paper form now for several years except for histology in theatre.
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I had a routine blood test last week - paper form sent by email. Haven't heard anything so I'm assuming all's well.
In other news, bloody FB sent me a reminder this morning, of a post I made 5 years ago. In it, I mentioned that my consultant had taken me off alendronic acid. I probably recorded that here as well but a reminder is always handy.
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I had a routine blood test last week - paper form sent by email. Haven't heard anything so I'm assuming all's well.
In other news, bloody FB sent me a reminder this morning, of a post I made 5 years ago. In it, I mentioned that my consultant had taken me off alendronic acid. I probably recorded that here as well but a reminder is always handy.
IIRC the 'window' when you can eat, or drink milky things, with this sort of medication is very narrow.
Which makes it a pain.
I think I was on something similar, ages ago. The constraints were so awful, they are best forgotten.
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My recollection of the instructions is that I was required to take the tablets with a large glass of water and then sit still for 30 minutes before eating anything.
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Routine rheumatology appointment this morning. I cycled there and the half-drunk cup of tea I left at home before I went out was still warm when I came back, but it did need 30 seconds in the microwave.
Mild pain only, with some swelling. My left hand is still a bit jippy, but I haven't had anything I have felt is worth reporting on here for a long time. Perhaps I could have mentioned the pain I was in after 60 miles or so of Dun Run, as that was very unpleasant, but that was more down to cycling than RA.
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Glad to hear you've at least had some relief from the symptoms, Wowsa. I'm tackling mine (secondary arthritis from injury, not RA) by trying to lose a significant amount of weight. Among the measures to achieve that, I've given up alcohol for the moment. After a month off the booze I've lost 6Kg and seem already to have fewer really bad days where walking is Not A Good Plan. Onwards!
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My arthritis is also OA rather than RA.
Had a conversation the other day regarding the next joint replacement. I'd been told I could delay and manage the pain with drugs. "Surely they only do that with chronic pain conditions" said No1Daughter.
Er, yes, that's what this amounts to. Some of the affected joints are post-injury (hip) but some (knees and spine) are just worn out. Luck of the genetic draw not helped by the excess mass. Unfortunately stopping drinking alcohol makes zero difference to that mass for me, and stopping eating is not encouraged.
Mr Smith has been recommended the alendronic acid mentioned above as the Dexa scan post 'low impact trauma' has shown him to be osteopenic. Apparently as an ex smoker it's not recommended so further discussions are ongoing.
I hadn't really appreciated till I experienced it myself just how much getting old means breaking down and or wearing out.
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I have not filled in a paper form now for several years except for histology in theatre.
It delights me to see the pathology forms that I designed and commissioned at least 15 years ago still in occasional use.
Computerisation seems to be very slow hereabouts.
Sent from my moto g22 using Tapatalk
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Suffering a bout of gout atm for the first time, which I understand is a form of arthritis. Excruciatingly painful at its peak, so much so, that could not stand having a bedding sheet lying on my foot. Hugely debilitating and I would not wish on my worst enemy. Thankfully is beginning to ease after two weeks and following on line advice re vitamin C, no booze, fizzy drinks etc. May also explain my persistent knee pain of recent months in the same leg. So time for a bit of a radical lifestyle change thinks. Really surprised to see stock cubes are to be avoided which is a bit of a bummer given the approach of winter. Need to get out on the bike asap.
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I've been getting seriously painful fingers, occasionally locking up, over the last 4 months. I know it's 4 months because it seemed to start when my antidepressants changed.
Nothings would touch the pain, so I trotted along to the doctor.
He did some tests to confirm blood flow, I've now had the xrays, and it's phlebotomy next week.
It's both hands, but doesn't really fit any of Dr Google's criteria - I'm really, really hoping it's OA rather than RA.
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avoid sugar and grains
https://drberry.com/is-your-diet-worsening-your-arthritis/
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I think this time of year when it's colder but also damp is the worst for my arthritis (OA from dodgy joint wear and tear even tho I'm only in my early 40s). Whinge!
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avoid sugar and grains
https://drberry.com/is-your-diet-worsening-your-arthritis/
Avoid any USAnian (or other) quackery that starts its page with "Hey folks!"
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Yes quite.
Like the people who say my congenital ENT issues will be resolved by giving up dairy when there's zero evidence base for that whatsoever.
I'm more inclined to trust my many excellent medics, including Prof of arm/wrist surgery who knew my original condition, explained why my anatomy developed and is at-risk in certain ways and that interfering surgically would cause more harm than good. He was very generous with his time and knowledge and clearly understood age related wear and tear for people with congenital impairments and didn't just clam up cos "he can't help" as a surgeon, but asked what else he could do after knowledge sharing. I loved this and at my request the excellent Prof documented his findings, impacts and lifelong expectations so I can get disability benefits and support via lifestyle management through work as needed. Basically said "listen to this person, she knows what she needs".
I'd like not to have autumn please, my pain levels are massively increased at the moment - the damp and cold always does this. My students often report similarly - especially if the poor sods are from a proper hot country.
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I believe, but I have no scientific evidence to back this up, that my rheumatoid arthritis has become less since I have mostly given up dairy. I also noticed a very much stronger correlation with excessive dairy and pompholyx. I used to suffer badly from pompholyx, and now I just don't. It was like flicking a switch. I'm convinced it's dairy that causes that. I said this to a woman on the Slimming World group I joined a few years ago, who also suffered badly from pompholyx (my diagnosis based on the symptoms she described) and she'd never heard of the condition. She gave up dairy and within a month she told me hers had disappeared as well.
I'm a member of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society. They have occasional meetings. I once cycled to one, about 5 miles away. I felt very guilty, like a fraud. There were people who were much worse off than I am, including one woman, at least 10 years younger than I am, whose diagnosis was only about a year previously, and she was already confined to a wheelchair. How can I swan in there, looking as though there's nothing wrong with me (I still get occasional symptoms, but nothing like as bad as they were when this first manifested itself) and tell then all that they would all be OK if they just gave up $food? I only went once.
Pompholyx is a form of eczema that results in large, massively itchy blisters on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. I used to drive a needle into them to remove the fluid. Then they would dry up and the blister would form a scale and drop off. Lovely condition.
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I generally consider Rheumatoid Arthritis under the umbrella of "autoimmune bollocks" and more likely to correlate to inflammatory issues and potentially diet so that does make sense. Sounds like pompholyx may well be related to RA and general immuney weirdness.
For what it's worth, with extensive experience of disability communities; I find people with more severe levels of impairment or impact from conditions rarely resent those less affected or at an earlier stage of the same condition as long as you're not smug bastards going round claiming you're better than them for whatever reason or that if they'd only done X or Y they'd not be unlucky.. Most people know impairment impact is variable and random, some people get shit more badly than others. You got lucky with meds and lifestyle management (including medical retirement) but you still have RA. And while I don't want to scare anyone, RA can change at times. Some people just get the shittest type sooner.
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The xrays and blood test results tend to confirm that it's OA.
The GP is ringing me on Wednesday to discuss the results - and I'm going to sound him out for knee xrays because I'm not sure they are quite how they should be!
A chance discussion with the orthopedic surgeon who was looking at my daughter has led me to try Tiger Balm on my fingers. (Ibuprofen gel does nothing, zilch).
Massaging the Tiger Balm into my finger joints seems marginally better than placebo - it seems to be cooling rather than warming - and it makes the house smell like a Goan bordello (never been in one, but you know....)
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Two or three days ago my right thumb was remarkably painful. I actually believe that to be OA because I have a strong recollection of catching it on someone's head in a rugby match almost 50 years ago, and it hurting like hell at the time. I think I probably damaged the cartilage in the joint at the bast of my thumb.
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Right thumb being very jippy again today. Also, my left ankle is painful, but I think that might be a slight strain rather than arthritis.
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Any cycling actions involved with the right hand thumb area? Just a thought.
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Suffering a bout of gout atm for the first time, which I understand is a form of arthritis. Excruciatingly painful at its peak, so much so, that could not stand having a bedding sheet lying on my foot. Hugely debilitating and I would not wish on my worst enemy. Thankfully is beginning to ease after two weeks and following on line advice re vitamin C, no booze, fizzy drinks etc. May also explain my persistent knee pain of recent months in the same leg. So time for a bit of a radical lifestyle change thinks. Really surprised to see stock cubes are to be avoided which is a bit of a bummer given the approach of winter. Need to get out on the bike asap.
Just seen this. Don't get dehydrated. Also, have a look at what foods are higher in purines. What I have found is that there isn't a standard set of avoids - what triggers some people has no effect on others. Get yourself a stock of industrial painkillers, kept on standby for twinges. Naproxen or similar.
Some (foods) you will be best to avoid. Gout is crystalline uric acid in a joint. Crystalline uric acid is, effectively, needles.
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GP has suggested codeine (cocodamol) on prescription for my hands and fingers.
This was after liberal application of ibuprofen gel, then Diclofenac gel disproved any placebo effect.
I'm doubtful about taking codeine regularly, but I'm prepared to give it a go - on an as required basis - if it prevents me from continuing to drop breakable stuff like plates.
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OA of hands is a real problem as there are just so many joints to treat. A colleague of mine has started using low dose radiotherapy which is not a completely stupid idea.
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Struggling with pain in my left little/ring fingers especially if the outside temp is below 3C, even in a well heated room and with gloves. Think I need active heat to ease it off at all.
I suspect they're going arthritic. Those fingers are the most functional on the hand and due to my atypical shoulder and arm anatomy are the ones I use most. Not sure there's much anyone can do.
What does radiotherapy do to arthritis? *goes to Google*