PLEASE, PLEASE HELP! NEED ADVICE WITH PAINFUL ARTHRITIS!

I'll be 7 years post-op this coming August. This year has been a very painful one for me. I've known that we can not take aspirin or nsaids, but I need something so badly for arthritis inflammation. My PCP has wanted to give me Motrin or Ibuprophin and I've not allowed it. However, I'm suffering so much with arthritic pain in my left thumb (and other areas****il I'm about to cave in.

Please tell me, if there are some of you who have been afflicted by this same pain (it comes with age and it's in my family history), what have you used? I need help now!!! Perhaps there is a "natural" product that will be just as affective as the anti-inflammatories. I've used cold packs and that helps only a little bit. I've also taken liquid Tylenol, but that's not a lot of long-term help.

I've always loved this site for such wonderful advice, and I look forward to hearing from you all soon. I will give my wls surgeon a call later today to get his advice as well. He can be very hard to get in touch with sometimes.

Thank you to the best support team ever!

God bless,
Rose

P.S. Please forgive typos. It can be quite difficult to type with a painful thumb!!!

Are you sure you have the correct diagnosis? I have a chronic arthritis condition that is very painful. I used to take a lot of pills, then IV treatments, now I take shots. I would make sure that the OTC stuff is enough for you and that you don't have a more severe arthritis that could be treated with a shot or treatment. I lived with that type of pain for years and I know how bad it can be.

Thank you so much for your response.  I will go in and have other tests run.  Arthritis run in my family history, and I saw my mother suffer for years from it - even with medications.  My job requires that I type - every day, all day.  It is started to really become more painful now.  I don't believe at all that it is carpal tunnel pain.  Like I mentioned earlier, I do have pain in other areas - mostly "jointed" areas.  I'm 57 years old, but several years ago, I did get some cortisone injections occasionally for the pain.  It got better, but now it's raging again.

Thank you so much for your advice.  I will take it to heart. :)

Always,
Rose

About all my doctor could offer me was the advice to keep my hands warm all the time, that gloves with the fingers cut out might help.  Yeah that doesn't seem like much help does it.  I know exactly how you feel every day some one of my finger joints is killing me, I have basically learned to live with it and think of the positive aspects of still having the use of my hands.  I guess it could be worse.  I am waiting until the pain is unbareable for hip replacement.  Yeahhhhhh being old is fun!!

Sorry it sucks!

Hi Heidi,

It's so good to hear from you. :)  Joint pain is just no joke!  As I told the other member *****sponded earlier, I saw my precious mother suffer with this pain for years.  She took meds for it, but many times it just wasn't enough, and only gave her short term relief.  I haven't had it so bad until recently.  Our weather has been quite unstable out here on the West Coast, and I've noticed that when the weather is windy, cold, and rainy, that's when the flare-ups are REALLY bad!  That's what is happening now - in May!  Of course most of the time by now, we are "sweating".  Lol.  Oh well, this too shall pass - SOON I PRAY!  In the meantime, I must find out what to do while I'm going through this.  If I didn't have to use my hands so much (for typing which is my career), then it might not be so bad.  But I can't sit with a hot or cold pack on my hand, when I must be working.  :o(

I hope that your and my pain get better very soon!

Take care my friend, and thanks so much for replying! :o)

Always,
Rose

Rose,

You know what I do all the time, sit on my hands to keep them warm,my hands are always cold and to keep them warm and tuck them between my legs or under my legs.  I find myself doing this all the time, yeah I know its weird but I can't stand the pain of having my hands cold.  I agree about the rainy damp weather, its a killer.

Good Luck
Heidi

That's funny Heidi.  When I'm at home, sitting and watching t.v. or lying down, I do the exact same thing. LOL!  I didn't know why I did it, and it became a habit.  Perhaps it was a subconcious thing - kind of like how the body does a "self protective" thing when it's in trouble - huh?   Oh well, as my dad always says, "whatever works"! =D

Take care,
Rose

Have you had your vitamin D levels checked? Vitamin D deficiency can exacerbate existing joint pain. [edited to remove personal information]

Have you tried heat and cold therapy for your arthritis? Here is an article that might help: http://arthritis.webmd.com/heat-and-cold-therapy-for-arthritis-pain

Oh Kathleen, thank you for mentioning the Vitamin D.  I have had a deficiency in the past, and I have been taking the supplements.  Perhaps I'm still not yet where I should be with the correct levels.  I have to get more lab work done soon, so that should show up if there is still a problem. 

Thank you also for the article.  I am willing to do anything (almost...lol), to get rid of this pain!  :o)  My thumb joint (the bottom of my thumb into the palm area) is also swollen and have been for awhile. 

Well, thank you again for reminding me of the Vitamin D situation.

Always,
Rose

Make sure you take the dry D3 and not the prescription one which is oil based and those of us with a RNY or DS can not absorb the ones in oil. Dry D3 is over the counter, best place to order it from is Vitalady

Do NOT get the oil based prescription or a D3 in gel form, it has to be dry.

Liz