Author Topic: Sodding arthritis (Read 68993 times)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #75 on:** 09 November, 2011, 11:49:08 am »

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!

Adam · « **Reply #76 on:** 09 November, 2011, 11:55:24 am »

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihOqdfwbCPw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ihOqdfwbCPw&rel=1</a>a little of what you fancy does you good.

barakta · « **Reply #77 on:** 09 November, 2011, 01:06:18 pm »

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 ;/

Wowbagger · « **Reply #78 on:** 11 October, 2012, 09:11:02 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #79 on:** 12 December, 2012, 10:46:09 am »

Fourth finger of right hand: why? Git.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #80 on:** 31 January, 2013, 08:58:41 am »

Lots of pain in my right shoulder this morning.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #81 on:** 11 March, 2013, 05:23:34 am »

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!

jane · « **Reply #82 on:** 11 March, 2013, 05:39:45 am »

Hello, Wow! Sorry you're feeling rough. Hope the drugs help.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #83 on:** 11 March, 2013, 05:53:33 am »

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.

barakta · « **Reply #84 on:** 11 March, 2013, 04:45:16 pm »

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!

Wowbagger · « **Reply #85 on:** 15 March, 2013, 09:27:14 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #86 on:** 21 March, 2013, 11:53:00 am »

This morning the index finger and little finger of my left hand are swollen and painful. The other two fingers are OK.

WTF?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #87 on:** 02 April, 2013, 10:36:11 am »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #88 on:** 20 April, 2013, 02:31:11 pm »

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.

clarion · « **Reply #89 on:** 20 April, 2013, 03:09:32 pm »

Nasty. Hope you can get that sorted.

barakta · « **Reply #90 on:** 20 April, 2013, 04:14:07 pm »

Bugger, hope your docs have some ideas Wow, wrists are important and when they go it's really crippling.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #91 on:** 23 April, 2013, 09:47:17 pm »

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.

barakta · « **Reply #92 on:** 23 April, 2013, 11:48:31 pm »

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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #93 on:** 24 April, 2013, 12:31:07 am »

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.

barakta · « **Reply #94 on:** 24 April, 2013, 12:47:50 am »

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

Andrew Br · « **Reply #95 on:** 24 April, 2013, 05:24:01 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 24 April, 2013, 12:31:07 am

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 -1.5^oC 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.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #96 on:** 24 April, 2013, 05:37:04 pm »

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.

harvee · « **Reply #97 on:** 24 April, 2013, 06:02:10 pm »

Have you tried Humira? Or is that the brand name of something you are already using?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #98 on:** 24 April, 2013, 11:08:07 pm »

I've never heard of that one but it seems that it is offered along with methotrexate for RA sufferers.

TimC · « **Reply #99 on:** 25 April, 2013, 09:04:05 am »

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.

Author Topic: Sodding arthritis (Read 68993 times)

harvee