Pain control ideas??

[_Teddy]

Hey having a bad few months with fluctuating weather and well falling on ice. By temps it goes from -27 to -4 in the same day, thats if its not -30!!! My joints are hurting to the point i got around 4hrs sleep last night??

Tylenol 1# not working and advil and aleve my ibs hates me when i take them.

Im usung a heated blanket and taking hot showers/baths

Im visiting the rheumatologist tomorrow and will ask about stuff for breakthrough pain.

Had my para testing today and that just made my joints angry

Guess i need to vent or lean on someone mostly
Oh icing on the cake is i may have cellulitis in my eyelid starting so feel like ive been punched

Ok back under my covers to cry now…frustrated

[HOOF123]

HI, maybe the dr might give you valium , or the real name diazepam , just a thought , i am not a dr, good luck = hoof …

[tartxcherries]

I take tramadol for my joint issues, which is a synthetic opiate. I’ve also taken hydrocodone for break-through pain in the past. I have a friend with IBS issues that takes hydrocodone on occasion for other issues and he says it also helps his IBS. Good luck!

[Bicoastal]

I have chronic pain thanks to DDD, EDS, couple ruptured discs. My routine med is Savella and Butrans: the latter is a patch that releases pain med so not for break through pain. For break through, I take Nucynta. That is the only break through pain med that doesn’t make me sick.

[SCMSL]

Maybe the best would be to have the joints infiltrated?

I am in a really tough spot as I’m only turning 22 and already have arthritis in my ankle. I’m having it injected about once a year now, but the real life saver has been kinesio tape. My physio guy taught me how to put it and I always use it before rides. Since going so, I’ve been much more comfortable both during rides
but also on my normal life.

He says I have a really weak ankle that doesn’t seem to be able to support all of my weight, plus the added abuse from riding. So the tape helps to stabilize it.

[Adamantane]

Tylenol #1 isn’t very potent with only 8 mg of codeine, and, of course, acetaminophen isn’t an anti-inflammatory. No doubt your rheumatologist will have a better universe of options than any of us can provide, but hopefully some empathy will help. The IBS certainly complicates things.

Hot water or especially a jacuzzi is nice, but my chiro who had been an athletic trainer, too, was very big on ice.

[_Teddy]

Thanks everyone , its very hard to convince my rheumatologist to try something other than the nsaids, she wants to try methotrexate but i have other health issues that it would interfere with.

Im on sulfalozine which is not a strong med, but the others conflict with health issues

[Adamantane]

Perhaps it’s time for you to explore other rheumatologists. SOmetimes the cart gets before the horse, so to speak, and the situation needs to be set right.

[_Teddy]

I agree, I cannot fully function with the break through pain! not to mention that its not helping my anxiety levels!

[GotGait]

I have OxyContin + Nucynta.
Sometimes it even works.

[_Teddy]

GG oxycotin is no longer dispensed/sold up here, due to its addictive nature and the issues were becoming a epidemic, but it did work for me(took for migraine)

[GaMare]

It seems like everyone’s covered the pain meds angle- so here are a few other options. Do you think something like Ambien XR might help? You shouldn’t really take it in combination with strong pain meds but if you’re dealing with the middle of he night ache so you can’t get comfortable & hurts to toss and turn vs. hard core pain, it may help you sleep through more of it.

Another idea, take a look at Orthaheel products. I’ve had back & knee surgeries in the past. Last time, I had back & joint pain, I tried them and they helped a ridiculous amount. If you’d told me beforehand, I wouldn’t have believed it either.

I know you have a heated blanket but you might try a heated mattress pad or the heated gloves and “slippers” you can get in beauty supply places. You know the kind they use for mani/pedis?

Unfortunately, I can completely relate to the anxiety about pain feeding into the pain.
Really random things I’ve found help with the 2am pain/stress combo:
Revisiting books/movies that I loved when I was younger- I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read Little Women, etc. when my back was bothering me.
Scent- Fresh flowers, scented lotion, a couple of cookies baked from the refrigerated dough- anything that feels homey to you.
Massage- Even if it’s just getting someone to rub your hands or rolling a tennis ball under your feet or over a tense muscle, it can help.

Hope I stumbled on something worth trying or inspired another idea. Sorry your having to go through it at all.

[lizathenag]

I am so sorry for you pain.

I try to remember that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.

That sound pretty cheesy but one’s attitude towards pain can change one’s perception.

I get a lot of relief from gentle pilates (with a private instructor) which helps the rest of my body support whatever joint is causing me trouble.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Hi Teddy, I am sorry you are hurting.
I had (note the had) minor osteoarthritis in my hands. I was eating 6-8 aspirin a day. Then I got diagnosed with MS and one of the supplements highly recommended was Evening Primrose Oil.

This oil has the non-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acid Gamma linolenic acid-GLA (most Omega-6 fatty acids cause inflammation.)
I stopped taking it almost 20 years ago and my arthritis has not come back. You can find GLA in Evening Primrose Oil, Borage seed oil, Black current seed oil, and hemp seed oil. It is worth a try. I think Walmart carries the Evening Primrose oil now. I know your arthritis is different than what I had, but inflammation is inflammation and the Evening Primrose Oil REALLY helped.
Good luck in finding something!

[_Teddy]

thanks for the suggestions! I will be starting curves in march to a)lose weight and gain strength its fairly low impact and i could lose a few! I wanna ride small ponies again and for thAT i need to shed 40ish lbs(weigh what i did when i last rode a 12hh pony) that will help me joint wise too(well taking pressure off not helping that they are like to give out!)

waiting for my para dispention- they suggested i now “band” my stirrups cuz i failed the ankle flexion spectacularly! they needed 0-15* mine was -25! so they said for more saftey use jointed and band my feet so i dont get them in a precarios spot. even if they look level im on my toes!

[lucky_dog_farm]

I have joint pain as well. I take Aleve or Advil plus a tylenol. I also take Tramadol which does help a bit but one of my favorite things is a product called Curamin.

      http://www.amazon.com/EuroPharma-Terry-Naturally-Curamin-Capsules/dp/B0016A66Y2 

It contains turmeric, Curcumin, boswella and some natural other stuff. I love it!! I use it in the afternoon or before I ride and it really helps. It’s not going to be like a pain killer or anywhere near as fast but when I am almost in tears because I hurt, man, I take that stuff and in 15-20 mins I feel a heck of a lot better. It’s much healthier than taking more pain meds or more NSAIDS. It’s not going to be your only line of defense but maybe it’s something you might want to add to it. Unfortunately it’s not cheap like Advil or Aleve but I don’t care how much it is, so long as it stops me from hurting for awhile and I’m not taking more pain meds/ nsaids. I have tried other Curcumin/ turmeric products but this is the only one that works for me. I have recommended it to other people and have gotten them hooked on it as well.
The other thing I have used just before I go to bed is a magnesium product called Natural Calm. I find this helps my joints and restless leg syndrome when I am trying to sleep. I take some melatonin at night, as well. I try to figure out ways to get relief without taking more meds
I also use the kinesiology tape on my knees,ankles and feet. That stuff is a lifesaver as well. It’s like a gentle hug that supports whatever joint you are using it on, therefore keeping some pain away as well.
I hope you find whatever works for you because it stinks to be in pain all the time and not being able to sleep.