Troublesome mornings

wildrose, have you ever tried a wax bath for your hands? I know it can be used with osteoarthritis, but I'm not sure about rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia, you'd be best to check with your consultant/GP/physiotherapist if that treatment is contraindicated for those conditions.

I've used one many times, makes my hands feel more comfortable and my joints all feel more 'free-flowing' afterwards too.

www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/complementary-and-alternative-medicines/complementary-therapies/wax-bath-therapy.aspx

Physiotherapists do this, and some beauticians (it's good for the skin too). I bought my own machine, if you google for them there are some very expensive machines out there (marketed as medical treatments) but the cheaper beauty-oriented machines do the job just as well for a fraction of the price (I think I paid £40 for it some years ago). It can be used daily, you can't overdose!

Hi wildrose, I know just how you feel, I have OA, FIBRO and a few other conditions. Including a sacral nerve implant. For a disabled bowel and I've got 2 new knees. I find doing stretches before I get out of bed helps and paceing myself throughout the day.Pain has become my normality and I've had to make friends with it and accept its going nowhere!!! So I take the painkillers ( Zapain) and I do the exercises, I swim once a week and at the moment I'm having physio and acupuncture.Tramadol I couldn't tolerate they made me itchy and tired.If you take amyltriptyline make sure you don't take it too late.Around 7 pm is the best time as it avoids the morning lethargy. Try and take each day as it comes

Chrishappy like me you say you have made your illness your friend I believe that is the best way to deal with it and talking and sharing our experiences also helps so much.

I too suffer with very painful hands and for the last 5 years have worn fingerless knitted gloves all the time, even in bed. The pain is still there but nothing as severe as when I have to remove them. I buy several pairs at a time usually through ebay or sometimes when available at a poundshop. Hope this helps you.

I too empathise with you Wildrose, I had knee replacement 4 years a go which now gets very stiff and painful. That and the hip pain often wake me in the night I can not take anti-inflammatories as they caused an abscess on the bowel which then perforated causing its own problems. Tramadol makes me sick so that's out too.
I do however get Volrarol Emuulgel from my GP use it twice a day and find it helps. I also swim 2-3 a week, yes I am slow but beats the pain of walking.
For my hands I have found knitting helps only knit plain get to end of the ball take it out and start again.

wildrose I feel for you as my DiL has Fibromyalgia & really suffers (she is only 41) particularly in cold/wet weather, on lots of different pain medication.

I have Periferal Neuralgia (feet & fingers, pins & needles, numbness), I take Pregabalin as I cannot take Amyltriptalene as I have Epilepsy & it reduces the effectiveness of my medication, tried Gabapentine but not too successful, Pregabalin helps & has saved need for nerve to be moved in left elbow (had right one done).

Cannot take Tramadol - I'm "away with the fairies" - not good for trying to have a normal life. I do hope you find some relief from your pain as it's so draining to be constantly in pain

Sorry to hear about all your pain, Wildrose, and lack of sleep makes it so much worse.
I agree with all the ideas above, plus things like making sure that the temperature in your bedroom is comfortable right through the night, and you have comfortable bedclothes, not too light or too heavy for the temperature.
I've been placing a hotwater bottle under my left hip lately, as I think it helps with restless leg.

I expect your GP has conducted all the tests wildrose to come to the diagnosis that he has.
However, I would just like to say that a friend was crying with the pains she was experiencing, diagnosed as osteo-arthritis, sciatica, neck and shoulder problems and taking painkillers and anti-inflammatories. She could not sleep, could not walk or get in and out of the car.
After quite some time she was no better and the GP did further blood tests and she was diagnosed with Polymyalgia rheumatica. The treatment is with steroids which she was reluctant to take, however, she did feel much better so the dose was reduced. It returned so she was put on a higher dose again but now they have been stopped altogether and she is fine. She was also prescribed an exercise regime when she got better which she does religiously, physio exercises, swimming, some walking.

It's just a thought and this may not be the problem at all but worth enquiring of your GP perhaps.

I make chicken broth, never thought it smelt 'vile'!
Of course, if you have a product, ie concentrated broth, to advertise, it is a good selling line!

wildrose
You have my sympathy, severe and constant pain is no joke!
I take Tramadol when I really need it, but try to avoid it whenever possible because it gives me very weird dreams, not nightmares exactly, but not far off!
Amitryptyline makes me sleep well, but the next morning is dreadful, I'm so dozey that I can hardly function at all
Can you ask your rheumatologist if there's another medication you can try that might not leave you so tired?
Also, I wear fingerless neoprene gloves in the house when the weather's cooler, they really help with the hand pain. I crochet as often as I can to try and keep my hands supple, and occasionally the yarn gets snagged on the gloves, but a quick swearing session soon fixes that problem
Actually it's been scientifically proven that a person being subjected to pain feels it less if they're swearing at the time, so shut yourself away from innocent ears and have a rant, it might do you the world of good

Hi Wildrose, I've had psoriatic arthritis since my 20's which is similar to RA, fibromyalgia with damage to my knees. It affects my hands, sacroiliac joints, spine, neck etc. I have similar experience of pain in the night and difficulty getting going in the mornings. I to can't tolerate anti inflammatories due to the effects on my stomach and so have difficulty controlling the pain with codydromol and the occasional tramadol. At the moment my disease is active, but I've had periods in remission of up to 5 years. I'm on immune suppressants to control the disease, which work up to a point. But I understand how very hard it is at times to live with day in, day out. Especially with the added chronic fatigue which accompanies the disease. I agree that a good supportive network is vital, and there are some good, supportive arthritis websites online. In my experience it's knowing my limitations and when I need to stop and say no to the numerous pressures on your time and energy. Not always easy, especially with loved ones. I want to start doing Pilates to try to strengthen the muscles around the joints in the hope it might help. The dark days are horrible but I hope the sun comes out for you soon and all those with AI conditions.

Don't know if this would be useful to anyone out there but feel I should share my story. Rheumatoid arthritis has affected so many members of my family (gran was made wheelchair-bound & Dad's hands were really twisted) and I started developing symptoms myself. However, 30+ years ago I made the purely accidental discovery that I was allergic to the preservative sulphur dioxide (check out 'E' numbers). I now know when I have inadvertently eaten/drunk/taken something containing it because I wake with severe aching pain in back of knees (similar to tooth-ache). I've learned to check packaging but have learned that small amounts in fruit juice/wine etc. do not have to be declared. Although vegetarian I'm not a 'health freak' by any stretch of the imagination - just hoped this just might help someone else.

I have recently had a really bad flare of O/A in my knees and I thought R/A in my feet. After discussions with the gp 10 weeks on he went through all my notes and apparently my hands and feet are also O/A although I had been told R\A by a consultant. I know that the pain is dreadful and my grip has gone completely, some days I can't fasten a bra let along open a bottle. What I do is simple stretches to keep the mobility - I have a booklet from Arthritis Care and the rest f the time manage as best I can I would love a bath but can't manage that - showers aren't as good are they/ Hope you can find some way of controlling the pain

You can buy Collagen from Health Food shops which give the same gelatine content as bone broth. You can also make your own version by stewing up Oxtail with vegetables in a pressure cooker and making delicious dumplings to simmer in the top at the end. You can make quite large quantities of this stuff at very low cost and freeze it up in portions. Full of nutrients and very good for you.

The wheatbags are useful, but the best thing I found for my hands is the hand supports, they really help with pain. I had the basal joint surgery on one hand which has improved it a lot, but not completely eradicated the pain, but improved it considerably. I may be driven to have the same surgery on the other hand soon. Try the hand supports, they do help.

Sorry, I don't have any answers, but I do feel for you. I hope you can find something to help you.

Wildrose, have you tried epsom salts baths? Epsom salts can be bought in bulk: you need about a mugful, then soak for at least 20 minutes. Don't use soap till after the soak but you can put a few drops of lavender oil in it. Magnesium can be absorbed this way and magnesium in any form is good.

I would guess you may not be able to get in and out of a bath easily? I have some issues, which I solved by buying an in-bath seat. I can sit on the seat, which gets me half way down, then manouvre off into the bath, for the rest of the way. I then reach behind me and carefully lift the seat and hang it on the edge. I reverse the process when I get out.

If it is osteo in your hands, you could try Flexiseq gel. Don't get it from Boots - try Amazon which is miles cheaper. It is likely to provide some relieve in about 2 weeks. There are lots of natural products and pills, but some will clash with your meds, and also be expensive.

Regarding Tramadol, it is one of those evil drugs that BigPharma lied about. It is unbelievably addictive. It could increase your fatigue, but I would not attempt to stop it until you have built up your resources. It also acts as an antidepressant, so from that point of view it may help.

It's quite important that you do something about your situation, no matter if you can hardly do ANYthing. It helps you not to feel a helpless victim when you take some kind of action yourself.

Have you seen a Rheumatologist wild rose? I have inflammatory arthritis and other auto immune conditions so I do understand the impact of persistent pain and the exhaustion that goes with it. I was finally diagnosed in my mid 40's when the rheumatologist took a medical history and concluded mine was triggered by an auto immune disease in my mid 20's. Like one of the previous posters, I was initially prescribed methotrexate. I feared taking it, the list of possible side effects scared me but within 4 weeks I could do a two mile walk, something that I'd not managed for a few years. I'm now prescribed other, more expensive medication, without which my mobility would be severely restricted. If you haven't seen a Rheumatologist, ask your GP for a referral. If you have, ask to be reviewed as your situation has changed. Best of luck. It's so debilitating isn't it

I made the best tomato soup ever yesterday. Had some today. It contained: beef bone stock (lots a gelatin; awesome stuff), some leftover mince and veg, some leftover egg noodles, a can of chopped tomatoes, and a hefty squirt of tomato purée. DeeeeeLISH!

It does sound delicious but I am wondering if tomatoes are giving me sharp little pains in my joints?
I should keep a food diary

Especially since we have a glut of tomatoes at the moment

Oo-er, I hope not, jal. They are pretty acidic though. Is it acidic foods that affect your joints?

Iam64 I'm glad to hear that metharexate worked well for you also.
When I read the list of possible side effects I was very worried but it's been a god send also forgot to mention I also have embrol with my Methatrexate

A physio who used to treat me and who had psoriatic arthritis, told me that she had used a diet that precluded tomatoes and (I think) cheese, among other things. She said it had worked wonders for her

Mary59nana,
I was terrified when I read the list of possible side effects for patients taking methotrexate. I spent 4 months worrying, researching, talking to my GP before I asked him what he'd do in my situation, he said without hesitation that he'd take the drug. I've had no side effects in over 20 years, liver function is fine and the monthly blood tests keep an eye on everything.
I'm also now on enbrel, which was a life safer frankly.

annodomini, I had discussions with my GP s and rheumatologist about diet. Their advice was that there is no evidence that taking/dropping certain foods affect the disease but, they stressed that it's so individual. They suggested that if I found certain foods (acidic and dairy for example) made my joints, other symptoms worse, to take notice of that and make dietary changes. I'm careful about red meat and avoid red wine. I eat in Chinese restaurants or take aways and never use ready made sauces if I'm making a stir fry because something in the ingredients make me feel rotten, into the following day.

I agree about how useful the hand supports are. I've been using the Imak arthritis gloves for years and they're brilliant. They give gentle compression without being heavy and combasome like splints so you can get on and do things with them on and wear ordinary gloves on top in the cold. The same company also does ones for feet/ankles. They're available on the Internet so worth checking out.