Posted: 12/20/2004 6:12:19 PM EDT
|
As I get older this is getting worse and worse. This last week has been absolute murder with the cold. Due to other injuries my body pretty much rejects all pain meds and I prefer to stay away from them anyways. Especially with the whole mess over Celebrex and Vioxxx. So , what do you all do for arthritis? What do you know about it? Mine shows up in every single joint, mostly the ribs and shoulders. Can falls and accidents contribute to arthritis or is it all heriditary? Sgat1r5 |
|
My mom has it and it was brought on by a stress her body went through, giving birth to my little sister. It can be heriditary, but there is a lesser chance of it in males. Make sure u get yourself checked out by a specialist. Make sure you research the drugs they prescribe, because she has had some doctors try and give her something that is "experimental". I dont know how sever this is, hers is to the point of crippling. Hope this helps. Take it easy Sarge Will |
| That really sux Sarge. There is more than one kind of arthritis, some are hereditary and some can be caused by joint trauma. This is a silly question, but have you seen a doc to see what kind you have? I have degenerative arthritis in my neck and there are days when it really hurts a lot. I find that a steaming hot shower, motrin and stretching does as much as anything else I have tried. Good luck and stay warm! |
|
I have psioratic arthritis. It affects most all my joints. I am on a double-shot of embrel a week which without I could not even get out of bed or turn over in bed for that matter. Thank god for the embrel because now I am back to a somewhat normal life. But my feet almost always feel like someone is pushing nails into them if I stay on them for too long or walk more than a couple of minutes without sitting down. Plus it makes me feel tired all the time, so I never really feel fully awake. I remedy this by a pot of coffee in the mornings followed by Coca-cola during the day. |
|
I found this: Tens of millions of Americans experience the nagging pains and physical limitations of the more than 100 forms of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is among the most debilitating of them all, causing joints to ache and throb and eventually become deformed. Sometimes these symptoms make even the simplest activities — such as opening a jar or taking a walk — difficult to manage. Unlike osteoarthritis, which results from wear and tear on your joints, rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition. The exact cause is unknown, but it's believed to be the body's immune system attacking the synovium — the tissue that lines your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 2.1 million Americans. It's two to three times more common in women than in men and generally strikes between the ages of 20 and 50. But rheumatoid arthritis can also affect young children and adults older than age 50. There's no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. But with proper treatment, a strategy for joint protection and changes in lifestyle, you can live a long, productive life with this condition. |
My dad also took alot of asprins everyday, he just put up with. The fucked up part is when he got liver cancer his arthritis pain went away , but that shit killed him 12 months later. My grandmothers arthritis was so bad her fingers got all crooked. Mine gets worse each year. If I sleep on my left elbow, that fucker hurts ALL day. I've got a pretty high tollorance for pain so I don't take anything for it yet, I guess I'm waiting for when it gets real bad, then start eatin asprins like my Dad. Sucks fallin apart don't it. 
|
+1, especially for the Rheumatologist. |
|
+ 1 for Enbrel. Changed everything. Its an injectable, but you hardly feel the needle. New doses are one shot per week, 50mg. I couple this with two Alleve's in the morning and twp at night. I feel pretty good. Caution: Enbrel is EXPENSIVE. Insurance will usually cover it, but only after you have shown little or no improvements with the more practical (read: less expensive) remedies. Thats why you need to see a good arthritis doc; ultimately it will be him/her that petitions the insurance company to get you on the juice. Worth it, IMHO. |
| Sarge, I can empathize with you. I have degenerative disc disease, damage to two vertebraes, and arthritis in my lumbar region. For several years I got by with ibuprofen but as I've aged, I progressed to Mobic (which definitely has helped with the arthritis inflammation) and Lortab (only at night - to reduce the pain so I can sleep.) My surgeon said that a triple fusion is the only thing that could help and that the benefit would only be temporary. And, if I have the surgery (or if my condition gets much worse) that I would have to retire (I'm a LEO/firearms instructor now.) I don't believe that Mobic has been mentioned in the recent news bulletins about Vioxx, etc., and it has reduced my arthritis pain from about 8 on a 10 scale to about a 3. It has made an amazing difference. I don't like taking medications either but it simply reached a point where I didn't have much of a choice. Of course, the benefit of any medication varies with each individual, but I would recommend that you get a sample of Mobic from your doctor and see if it helps. |
|
Sarge, I feel your pain. Well, only a little. I have osteoarthritis which is way less severe than rheumotoid. That shit just sucks. Too bad it isn't a desease that only some spat upon minoritty gets or the .gov would spend millions to find a cure. I was on Arthrotec for mine, but ddidn't really need it every day. And Celebrex. Now, I only take Alleve. Oops. Guess what, Vioxx, Celebrex and ALLEVE are all now in the same boat. Watch the news. In any case, I don't know if it works for rheumetoid arthritis but look into Glucosomine/Condroitin. For osteoA it does work. Best. PS - maybe this explains why sometimes you are a bit grumpy 
|
|
I have rhuematoid arthritis and have been on sulfasalazine for a few years and it really has made a difference in mine along with a mild sleep enhancer. Both are very inexpensive and a bit less toll inducing than some other medications for RA. Make sure to get to a rheumatologist and not just a practitioner. I was undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for a couple years because my physician wasn't up to speed on RA. I had no idea until recently but my family has a long history of RA and I just happen to be the one it hit worst. Off hand Aspirin worked pretty well for me for a couple years. I was told by my Doctor to take it until my ears start ringing (sounds funny I know but it worked pretty well for a time). |
|
Tried everything but Bextra seems to work the best for me. But, But my doctor tells me that bextra is next on the hit list and said to buy Moultrin over the counter and take enough pills to equal 6-800mg. You might ask why I take this shit? I shattered my knee and am looking at a knee replacement in the future so I'm tring to buy as much time as I can before going under the blade again. |
|
Another sufferer here. Degenerative arthiritis in my right knee. What a motherfucker.  I'm trying real hard to not only get back into shape and lose weight, but I'm also prepping for a X-C skiing/snow camping adventure with my brother in February (I finally found a sucker to do this with me  )I walk anywhere from a half a mile to a mile every day with a 32# pack. That's not TOO bad, but recently I started walking the bleachers at the local high school and that is FUCKING TEARING ME UP. So far using only Advil dulls the ache, but I've been working on getting the legs back into shape since October and everything except my right knee is co-operating. Sometimes I still get that "Icepick jab inside the knee" feeling. Getting old SUCKS (45), but I wouldn't do life any differently if I could do it all over again. I feel for ya, Sarge, but if ya can't tolerate the meds, good luck. 
|
No you can't...and why this is all happening to my body so early I don't know...but I have an idea... Sgat1r5 |
|
Ok, I'm not an MD, nor do I play one on TV. But I do have arthritis and bursitis. Sometimes it is crippling...right now I'm doing ok. Thank you, Jesus! Keep in mind there are *many* forms of arthritis. See your MD about a referral to a rheumatologist, if appproprate, please! Check out www.arthritis.org for interesting links. Oh...and beware of quackery! I will say though, one of my friends had "arthritis-like" symptoms, caused by an allergy (?) to certain foods (solanum family). What the heck--I tried not eating potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and others for 6 months and no improvement...but it is something to consider. Went on a binge of those foods, and symptoms did not worsen :) Please see the recent news reports about Naproxen/Aleve. Read all the info and make your decision. TMI: I cannot take Naproxen because it makes me *wheeze* plus it did not consistently help the arthritis pain/inflammation. Also explore glucosamine hcl and chondrotin, either alone or as a combination. I daily take glucosamine hcl, ginger, bromelain, ginger and green tea in pill form...it seemed to help after approximately 2 weeks. Sort of funny "now", but not "then" : At one point, the bursitis and arthritis was so painful I was sleep deprived. Unable to drive, barely able to work. Dr Rx codeine...which gave me screaming nightmares. I was yelling so loudly in my sleep, the police was called...neighbors thought I was being killed. Gwen 
|
|
Sarge- Try Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplements. 2000mg of Glucosamine and 1600mg of chondroitin daily. Also, check these books out 1. The Arthritis Cure and 2. Maximizing The Arthritis Cure both by Dr. Jason Theodosakis The Books |
