Arthritis: Feeling really miserable

I’m loathe to see a doctor because when I was really bad years ago they were useless. It was an osteopath that helped me. When I finally got to see a consultant after months of struggling to walk, when I mentioned that I’d seen an osteopath he got up, left the room and didn’t return. When the arthritis in my hand first got bad I went on a one day course at the hospital but all they did was show me how to adapt my life. I don’t actually know how to make an appointment to see a doctor these days. I don’t think you can even go to a surgery to make one.

I find arthritis so frustrating. It wasn't many years ago I was able to hike in the hills for a few hours but now I make myself walk for an hour or so but it can be painful.
My physio has told me I still have a little space between my hip bones so not bone on bone just yet but can deteriorate quickly.
I know it is getting worse.

NotSpaghetti

I'm not sure why so many of you aren't getting help via a hospital clinic?
I have been seen pretty regularly.

I'd go back to my GP and keep repeating that you need specialist support. If they don't help you I'd go away and research a specialist team according to what you think you need so that next time you can tell your GP that you believe they could help you. If they say no, ask where the GP thinks the referral should go?

I hate taking drugs but did take some over a number of months when I was at my worst and they were amazing! Game changing actually.

Good luck.

I did see a consultant Rheumatologist, was very disappointed, he simply told me in order to manage pain I need firstly to accept I will live in pain, then suggested I start meditation and yoga.

Our pain clinic at local hospital are less than useless, after a 12 month wait, I received two phone calls, advice on exercise and my pain patches removed!

teabagwoman

It is B awful. I can’t suggest any fixes other than pacing yourself very carefully. For me it’s 20 minutes on my feet and then 20 minutes sat down. It can be very frustrating but it keeps me going and jobs get done eventually.

Such sensible advice. I recently went to an Escape Pain clinic at my local hospital. I have extensive osteo-arthritis but my knees are by far the worst affected. The physios there stressed how important pacing is in the management of arthritis. I am having to learn that this is how things are going to be for me now and it isn't any good wasting energy on frustration and stress. Forcing ourselves to keep going is counter-productive.

I was told that my back pain was osteo arthritis, but I didn't quite believe it. After about five years I finally persuaded the doctor to investigate it further and so had x-rays and a dexa scan. The results show that I have crumbling vertebrae and collapsing discs and scoliosis.
But whatever the cause, the pain is very difficult to live with, day after day. So I sympathise with all of you.
If you ever find some marvellous new pain reliever I would be delighted to hear about it.

Thank you so much for your replies, sorry to hear so many people in the same boat

I have scoliosis and osteoarthritis.
I was on on naproxen for years but GP took me off it recently as indigestion is getting worse, I'm already on stomach protector.

Anyway yesterday I only took Paracetamol, had an early night, got up at 7am to see DH off to work and have after sensible breakfast, have been cleaning. Just gonna mop floors, then have a shower, then I'll probably rest for a while

I sometimes think the painkillers make me feel lethargic and they don't really kill the pain.
I do need to lose weight, working on that.

So thank you again, I definitely feel more positive today ☺️

Well, I feel like a new person today after seeing my osteopath. Over a period of time I’d been moving less and less; stopped doing my exercises because they didn’t seem to be helping and I thought maybe rest and sleep would be the answer. I feel as if my joints had rusted up and he’d put WD40 ( other lubricants are available !) on them. This is what happened when I saw him years ago, too. He seemed to work on the muscles around the knees and my back, easing them and releasing the tension. Even my mind feels clearer. I’m going to see him every couple of weeks for a while. I wish I’d continued to see him after he’d helped me years ago but I did join a gym soon after that and that had helped me enormously.

He did say I should try to do squats ( which is an exercise I struggle with). My friend who can’t have a TKR because of other health issues says her physio gives her exercises that strengthen her thigh muscles, so I’m going to try to do the same.

Squats? I wish 😆

I've had OA for years. Now a proud owner of x2 new Hips and x1 knee (so far) I still have trouble with my hands. But no painkillers/drugs work.

The best thing I did and still do is go to the gym. I don't overdo the Cardio but use the weighted machines, to keep the muscles around my joints flexible.
You also need to keep your weight down.

It's horrible, we just need a big jump in successful Research. There are millions of suffering folk, nothing has happened to have any major impact for years.

I don't think arthritis is taken seriously. It's just regarded as an inevitable result of ageing. When I see the difference in me compared to my partner who doesn't suffer from arthritis the difference it makes to our lives is huge.

Have you tried Gabapentin My husband can have pain in his back, even after lumbar decompression surgery, Gabapentin lessens his pain. Sitting still, which is not his favourite at all, helps as well.

Isn’t Gabapentin more for neurological problems?

If you have all-over body pain and it’s not osteoarthritis, then it could be polymyalgia rheumatica ( PMR). There is no definitive blood test for it. It’s diagnosed by exclusion. Usually by taking steroid tablets. If the pain stops after a week on steroids then it’s PMR. Discuss with your GP

I've got spondylosis/osteoarthritis, Sjogrens (an autoimmune condition like RA and lupus) fibromyalgia & Ehlers Danloss hyper mobility. I take turmeric with piperine, glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin. I'm on low dose pregabalin, medical marijuana and looking into LDN (low dose naltrexone). Exercise helps OA as do many other suggestions on here.

Hello Ziggy.
So sorry to hear about your problems.
My husband had similar problems to you 6 months ago and was diagnosed without a blood test by his GP with polymyalgia rhematica. He is still taking prescribed medication and feels better and is more active than he has been for 20 years. Hope this is helpful.

NotSpaghetti

Mine is worst when I'm heavy.
🙄

It's a Catch 22 situation!

So true Allira
☹️

I find that doing the nighttime fasting diet helps if I’m not getting any exercise. I don’t stick to 16:8 but go for as long as I can. Sometimes I really fancy a snack but if I stop myself when I get the urge it passes. I drink a lot of hot water, which is good for my tum, too.

Ziggy62

Squats? I wish 😆

I could squat down but getting back up again????

I’m trying to squat as much as I can, which isn’t very much. But the exercise where you just clench your buttocks ( what a horrible phrase!) really does strengthen your thigh muscles.Something else I resolve to do and then forget about.

It is worth looking at what foods aggravate symptoms. There is a lot of information on YouTube.

Yesterday a GP who has a particular interest in OA suggested I use voltarol gel applied to my painful OA joints in my hands. I haven’t tried it yet. He said the X-ray of my knees shows OA there too. Even though they’re not painful … yet!
My BMI is just into obese. Of course, he also suggested losing some weight 😬

I used Betty Hills Arthritis diet book and found it helped.

MayBee70

Isn’t Gabapentin more for neurological problems?

Gapapentin is a nerve blocker and is used for both RA and OA it is strong and sends me to sleep even on the lowest doze. I can’t drive when I take it so absolutely good for. Yet my friend has RA and takes 400mg a day and is totally painless with the constitution of an one at the age of 86.