Arthritis?

[Bob Williams]

Years ago I went to a private Physio, it cost me a bomb. Then the guy said he was moving and I would have another one from the practice. Phoned me before he left and advised me that there was nothing else he could do, no point in going again. I would have respected him more if he said that before I spent so much there. But the consultant I was seeing then was a useless oldphart, retired and the next guy told me there was nothing they could do for me. He was a bit gobsmacked when I said thank you for that, but i would rather hear that then go on thinking that they could do something. Some years later I had the op that kept me walking.

What kind of crutch do you have Nolan? I found that the private Mobility places have better than the NHS. I went through 3 NHS elbow crutches, all weak.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

It’s an elbow crutch, not a great one as the physio department isn’t a walking aid center.

I’m exactly in the middle of the ‘notches’ for sizing, so I’m on the lower setting. When I see the consultant I’ve been advised to ask for a ‘note’ to see the physio team at the hospital, apparently they have a much larger range and style of aids which can be fitted properly.

I could feel the difference using the crutch to go back to the car, less pain.

I have to use my leg to weight bare though, I’ve been told if I don’t everything will get worse a lot quicker. So only use the crutch when necessary, in other words, put up with the pain to the point it really starts to get bad.

[oldtimer]

What sort of painkillers are you folk on.

I am just getting over my second major spine op (first one 30 years ago) when the specialist put me on Voltarol (Diclofenac) – 3 a day if I remember.  That kept me in fine fettle until about twelve years ago when without warning they were replaced with something else – I cannot remember what.  The  very next day we were going away for a long weekend and within 24 hours I was limited to about 300 yards walking before I needed to find a wall or a seat or a lamp-post. The day after we got back I went back to Diclofenac but only one per day.  Then my doctor died and I got a new young efficient doctor who insisted I start the “trial and fail” to find one that worked.  None did. Then came the second op and the consultant put me back on Diclofenac.  But it took much begging to get the Doc to give me a repeat prescription and then only one per day.  None of the different drugs had any real effect.

Like I said to the Doc, at my age comfort is more important than longevity so any suggestions that really work, let me know and I can tactfully suggest to the Doc that perhaps I could try one or other.

The difference between the healers and the cutters is unbelievable.  The specialist was focused on relieving my problem even if if risked dying on the table. The Doc is focused on making sure I do not die, even if that means living in agony.

So, suggestions if you will 🙂

Its easy when you know how

[PlaneMan]

No painkillers here, all that have been prescribed have no beneficial effect. Nor do anti-inflammatory meds.

I’m cycling when I can, doing mildly daft stuff on my fat bike causes way less pain than walking and gets the endorphins flowing. So less pain.

It’s a fine line though, one I’m still learning to recognize

 

[The Duke]

Diclofenic pay hell with my stomach. I take, gabapenitn x4 , tramadol x8 and solphadol x8 a day. Been a constant doesage now for about 10 years.

For years I was on codine, but I had a doc that didn’t care and just upped and upped the dosage. When I moved to my current surgery they went mad at my dosage. It took about 2 years to pin a Ballance down, and the key was the gabapenitn.

It’s primarily an epileptic drug , but they found it is good at interfering with the brain and cutting pain out. Also it has zero side effects. You would swear it wasn’t doing anything, untill you run out of them, after about 2 day, no amount of the other 2 I take will mask the pain. It’s good stuff.

Though I’ve never had side effects off the tramadol or solpodol, my BiL once took some of my tramadol for a dog bite (nip), and he lay in the chair saying the walls felt like they was melitng. I’ve never had such a reaction.

Also some say coffee effects them, again only once imy life, have I drank enogjt coffee o felt “gittery” and that was alot of stong coffee on a short sapce of time. I drink normally about 10-15 cups a day. I like coffee.

[Richard]

Not in anyway to conflict with what Steve said I was disappointed with gabapentin which I did not find effective. Mind you I also found tramadol to be ineffective, however this is likely down to the differences between people’s reactions. I currently take naproxen, I was previously on Diclofenic, though I have doubts about how useful the Naproxen is and may stop it for a while to see if anything changes. The main effect of many pain killers was the effect on my stomach, whatever went in developed a desire to stay there for ever more, so I stopped taking them. Since they had not controlled pain it was no loss.

As for crutches, I assume that you referred to the sort that have a hand bar and a wrap around piece rather than the under the shoulder pad which was used in the past. I had some of those years ago and they were grim. I found the tin can on the arm ones were good but I found that the exact adjustment does depend on the way that I walked at any time. I could go up or down a notch and found that one suited slower dawdling while the other was more suited to more aggressive speedy movement. Mind you, at one point I was warned that I would be banned from both the wheelchair and crutches if I did not moderate my speeds.

Speed this weather with icy paths is NOT a good idea. Once mastered the crutches can greatly improve comfort, I do not currently need/use them but I have a pair kept handy

A note about my above comments on drugs; people’s reaction to drugs and families of drugs is greatly affected by their own genetic make up. As this approaches touchy territory and come close to eugenics it is rarely talked about in medical circles with sometimes disastrous effects.  While one person may be greatly impacted by a dose of one thing, someone else will feel no impact at all. I suspect this is why some people get high on tramadol while others wonder what it is supposed to do.

Some sedatives do NOT have the required effect on members of my family, one 2~3 year old daughter acted as though she was fighting drunk on one knock out drop, and I have been known to have my moments with another, though I was ‘happy drunk’ not fighting drunk. One antibiotic crippled the other daughter until it was realised what caused her problems – a previous generation relation is now thought to have had a variant of the issue it had triggered. It can be useful to know what others in the family tree have suffered from as it may pin down what current members experience.

Pleasure can be its own pain control drug factory, if you enjoy an activity it can greatly reduce the pain you feel and activity is thought/said to be the key to controlling the pain and progress of arthritis. My wife was told ten or 15 years back she was on the cusp of needing replacement knee joints but to keep active to delay any problems, so far it has worked, though other issues now intrude.

[oldtimer]

Thanks all.  I will make a note and tactfully slip them into the conversation next time I am at the Doc’s for my next begging session.  From what you and others say all the talk about pain management is baloney.  There is very little for nerve pain other than anasthesia. :wacko:

Its easy when you know how

[The Duke]

disk pain is similar, you can manage the situation by having a stonger core, but once it paly’s up there is no managing it .

[Bob Williams]

No painkillers for me. I have an inbuilt hatred of pills from childhood, my abusive mother was subject to a mental problem and would take anything any medical person gave her. Including heavy doses of sleeping pills, which led in later years to confusion and some mistakes in judgement. Twice she flooded the house, another time caused a fire which I managed to kill before more than one room was affected. All caused by the effects of too many doses of wrong or conflicting medication.

I was very fortunate to have a HK Chinese mate who taught me how to meditate and I do that several times a week. If I have the first onset of real pain, I can enter a trance and move it on. I can set my mind to a time limit and come out in 5 or 10 minutes, by which time I have moved the pain. It doesn’t disappear, it is still there, but at a distance. I bless the name and memory of Victor Lim, who taught me as much about Eastern thinking as he did about meditation.

I cannot take anti-inflammatories anyway: my internals are so messed up now that I have to be so careful what I put into them. I do what works for me.

Edited to correct the difference between ‘medicate’ & ‘meditate’ One letter would have changed the whole meaning of the post.

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Saw the consultant again this morning, I have got arthritis in my fingers. Apparently it’s not as clear cut as it usually is but there’s nothing else it can be.  :unsure:

Got 3 different types of meds, one a steroid, can’t remember the others and I’m not home to check. Had to have a chest xray  as apparently one of the meds can cause issues with the lungs. Also have to have bloods done every 2 weeks for 8 weeks.

Also been referred to a surgeon, that might take months to come through.

Progress at last!

[Bob Williams]

Gloves, Nolan. There are others, but I found these to be best for me:    https://tinyurl.com/jln3984

They don’t cure it, nothing can. I am so sick of news items such as the Daily Express – <span style=”font-size: 18pt;”>”New Cure For Arthritis!”</span> – total BS, once the wear is in the joints, rheumatoid or osteo, that’s it. All you can do is alleviate pain and find something that helps limb and hand function. I get out of bed to all kinds of clicks, creaks and groans, meditate for a while, get on with the day.

Works for me, all you can do is find a solution that helps best. Do you have blue veins showing in the finger knuckles? I get little blue lumps (tiny clots) which are really painful, like needles until I can massage them out. Good luck with the meds.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Thanks chief.

When I was seeing the hand therapist she gave me some sport type reusable ‘tape’  (more like flexible velcro) which seems to achieve the same as the gloves you linked to.

It never helped. TBH I think I’m one of those awkward gits where conventional medicine fails.

In fact I know I am.

Meds prescribed today are: Prednisolone, the steroid, reducing the dose by 5mg every 7 days (1 tablet).

Methotrexate, 6*2.5 mg in one day a week for 2 weeks and then 8 in a day for the last week .

Folic acid, 5 mg one a week, any day apart from the days I take the Methotrexate.

I had 12 forms when I came out of the consultants chambers, totally confused. If I didn’t have my family member near by I’d have just gone home and not bothered with the xray and meds.

It’s not the consultants fault, he had a sheet of at least 50 sticky labels which are my NHS identity, print a form, stick a label on, blood test ‘bags’ for 8 weeks, labels on each one and his copy for the records,  labels for every med for the pharmacy, in triplicate. I managed to get a slightly comfier crutch, this was 8 pieces of paper, all with at least 2 stickers on.

I’m very grateful to have the consultant I do, he actually seems to give a s**t. I did some ‘research’ before I met him and he’s been at the hospital for at least 12 years, it shows, knows everyone, pulls strings when they need to be pulled.

 

 

[Bob Williams]

That is one very rare consultant. I have just one like that out of all the <span style=”font-size: 14pt;”>Insultants</span> I have seen over the years. No coincidence that he is quite young, probably mid-thirties by now. Has a great SOH too, gets upset if I don’t have a new joke for him.

Pity my SWMBO: 3 times Grimsby have lost her complete file, a truly massive folder which probably has its own shelf. Fortunately she has one of the ‘Golden Oldie’ consultants. He snapped last time and gave several people grief, in person and on the phone. Folder appeared as if by magic. I believe that there are certain minor admin staff in the NHS who are unable to count their fingers and come up with  a correct answer.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

The steroids are definitely working, the swelling on my hands has almost gone, the pain is still there but because some of my fingers are no longer the size of thick sausages I’m not catching them on things anywhere near as much.  Not started the other meds yet, that starts tomorrow.

Sadly the cherry goop has done nothing, I’ll finish the bottle and leave it at that. It was worth £14 just to know if it worked for me or not.

[Bob Williams]

Good news Nolan, hope it continues.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

PlaneMan wrote:

The steroids are definitely working, the swelling on my hands has almost gone, the pain is still there but because some of my fingers are no longer the size of thick sausages I’m not catching them on things anywhere near as much. Not started the other meds yet, that starts tomorrow. Sadly the cherry goop has done nothing, I’ll finish the bottle and leave it at that. It was worth £14 just to know if it worked for me or not.

Keeping in step with those programmes can be a real challenge. I am glad that something is working for you, it is not the first time that I have heard of people gaining from the correct use of targetted. i.e. relevant steroids.

[PlaneMan]

Thanks both.

Started the Methotrexate today, just as well there was nothing I needed to do for a couple of hours!

Felt absolutely knackered almost instantly then started feeling like I’d had a couple of drinks too many.   :wacko:

At least it’s only once a week.

[JayCeeDee]

Save it for the weekend – some people spend a lot of money in pubs ( not just on booze 😉 ) for that effect!! :yahoo:  :wacko:

[Dave Rice]

My Aunty had great results from steroids, the only problem was she wasn’t allowed to stay on them.

[JayCeeDee]

I was speaking to my sister recently and where she has suffered over the years with her knees and neck she has accustomed herself to do things differently – or not at all. This has recently spread to her wrists. Where this has impacted her life dramatically, she started to research the problem and I quote from her email to me about it below.

 

“BORON, ARTHRITIS AND ME…    In June last year, 2016, I was on the waiting list for wrist surgery. I had severe arthritis and had completely ‘lost my grip’. I couldn’t pick anything up with my right hand. Thumb could not meet fingers. I dropped cups and kettles; I couldn’t take notes or cards out of my wallet; driving was becoming a challenge and typing was out of the question. I was in severe pain, night and day. My signature looked like a monkey scrawl. As I had to learn to do more with my left hand, the left wrist also began to trouble me.

 

A friend told me about Rex Newman’s work on boron and arthritis. I did my research on the internet. I was willing to give it a go. Newman was a soil scientist who had noted that the levels of boron in the soil differed around the world. Where there were higher levels of boron in the soil, fewer people suffered from arthritis.

 

Country                                                        Boron Consumption                       Arthritis levels

·         Jamaica                                                less than I mg per day                    70% of the population

·         USA, UK, Australia, NZ, S.Africa     1 to 2 mg per day                          20% of the population

·         Israel                                                     10 mg per day                                   less than 1% of population

 

I also discovered that many of the spas with a reputation for helping arthritis have high levels of boron in the water. The theory is that boron is crucial in metabolising calcium and integrating it into the bone and the cartilage. Since boron occurs naturally and a high intake does no harm to those who live in high boron areas, it would follow that it would be perfectly safe to up my intake and see what happened.

 

I started off in July with a week of one x 3mg tablet a day. I chose Solgar Boron (100 caps – £7.79) from local health food shops. The second week I took two x 3mg tablets a day, one with breakfast and one with my evening meal. Almost immediately I noticed a lessening of the pain and stiffness.

 

In the third week I added in a third tablet. The literature says that some people (not all) may experience a healing crisis at this point, where symptoms actually get worse. I certainly experienced this. I had aches where I had not had any aches before! (Elbows and ankles and particularly my big toes!) For about 7 -10 days my feet were a little tender when I was walking. I can imagine that this is where some people would give up, but I was determined to see it through.

 

I continued to take the three x 3mg tablets each day. The healing crisis quickly faded and it was a real breakthrough moment. The aches faded from the ‘new’ places (elbows, ankles, feet) and the severe pain went (and has stayed gone) from the seriously arthritic knees and wrists and neck.

 

I’d read that those under 55 generally get better in the first month; those under 65 need two months and those older than 65 need three months  of 9 mg per day. Then they can all revert to a maintenance dose of one x 3mg per day. (Also says that it’s good for heart probs /osteoporosis /menopause symptoms & lots more, but I can only speak for the arthritis).

 

Well, it certainly worked for me. I’ve had a few months now on the maintenance dose. I’ve taken myself off the surgery waiting list. After finishing the course I have very good flexibility of my right hand and wrist. I can touch my thumb to each of my fingers, pick up anything, write, type and drive without any problem. General flexibility has improved and I’m doing more exercise. Cost : just under eight pounds per month for 1-3 months and then about £3 per month on maintenance dose.

Please feel free to pass this on to any of your friends, family or colleagues who suffer with arthritis.”

 

I just thought I’d throw it out there for information purposes.

 

 

[Author]

Posts