Author Topic: Sodding arthritis (Read 68141 times)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #100 on:** 27 April, 2013, 09:01:19 am »

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.

Canardly · « **Reply #101 on:** 29 April, 2013, 09:11:51 pm »

This is a tad worrying as I have developed a serious pain in the left shoulder.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #102 on:** 07 July, 2013, 10:13:24 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #103 on:** 10 September, 2013, 07:58:10 am »

Right hand and wrist now. Kept me awake. Can't grip anything. Bugger.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #104 on:** 13 November, 2013, 08:10:25 pm »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #105 on:** 14 November, 2013, 09:12:58 am »

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.

barakta · « **Reply #106 on:** 14 November, 2013, 07:08:37 pm »

*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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #107 on:** 14 November, 2013, 11:12:52 pm »

I don't know what the maximum does of methotrexate is for arthritis treatment although this site 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.

barakta · « **Reply #108 on:** 15 November, 2013, 08:46:57 am »

*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...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #109 on:** 15 November, 2013, 09:22:38 am »

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.

barakta · « **Reply #110 on:** 15 November, 2013, 12:37:40 pm »

*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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #111 on:** 20 November, 2013, 06:29:11 pm »

Left wrist playing up today. Noting the drop in temperature.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #112 on:** 30 November, 2013, 08:54:49 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #113 on:** 13 February, 2014, 10:14:07 pm »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #114 on:** 06 June, 2014, 11:29:17 pm »

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!"

Wowbagger · « **Reply #115 on:** 16 June, 2014, 06:36:40 am »

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.

barakta · « **Reply #116 on:** 16 June, 2014, 08:49:52 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #117 on:** 16 June, 2014, 09:41:58 am »

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.

jane · « **Reply #118 on:** 16 June, 2014, 09:45:07 am »

Sorry to hear this....hope the tablets sort it.

andrewc · « **Reply #119 on:** 16 June, 2014, 09:56:39 am »

Hope you are feeling better soon Wow.

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #120 on:** 16 June, 2014, 10:21:03 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #121 on:** 16 June, 2014, 10:29:56 am »

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.

TimC · « **Reply #122 on:** 16 June, 2014, 11:47:33 am »

Beer. Best anaesthetic known to man. I prescribe a sufficiency.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #123 on:** 16 June, 2014, 11:57:04 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #124 on:** 16 June, 2014, 11:59:43 am »

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.