pain management

[momwags]

I finally went to the derm after two years of avoiding any MD. Waiting to start enbril and am hoping for good results. I have been reading alot of postings about pain management and am curious how everyone copes with their pain. I am constantly looking for something to relieve my pain I am currently up to 1800-2400mg of Ibuprofen a day with still breakthrough pain. Is there any nonnarcotic pain relievers that help aside from the nsaids. My pain is mainly in my feet and ankles with some joint pain in my one knee andhip. I can barely walk in the morning . any ideas? I've tried warm and cold compresses and icy/hot too.

[jdgarwood]

Hi M,

I'm also waiting to start Enbrel...this week. Trying to stay hopeful that it's going to be the "one" that works. I was on MTX for about 6 months and it didn't do much other than make me feel sick and tired. As for pain, the only thing that seems to work for me is Arthrotec and Vicodin. I'm not crazy about taking V on a regular basis, but haven't found anything else that makes the pain tolerable. I spent most of the summer on Prednisone to calm several flares, but I'm glad to be finally off it. Good luck with the E...let me know how it works out for you. I'll do the same.

Joel

[SandraJean]

Hi,

I'm on oxycodene for the pain. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'm also on Humira and that has helped alot of my joints. I have other conditions beside p and pa ( such as osteo and fibromaygia) so the pain could come from a number of conditions.

Hope things work out for you

Sandy

[docmks]

Hi,

I am so sorry that you are also having to deal with the pain of PA. It can be unrelenting at times. I'm with the others here. I alternate between hydrocondone and its close relative oxycodone, both with acetaminophen (tylenol). The oxycodone I take has more narcotic in it 7.5mg as opposed to the 5 mg in the hydrocodone. You can get different dosages like this. I alternate pain relievers (a trick I learned from my experience with migraines) and I am careful about taking them, as I am sure everyone who is posting here is. People with real pain problems and PA aren't taking oxycodone for "fun." Do find a doctor who will support you getting pain relief. Some docs can be overly and needlessly cautious about this, so keep looking around until you find someone who is knowledgeable and takes your pain seriously. I have a great internist and derm and we have regular talks about pain management.

Good luck to you,
mk

[rozeofgold]

I had another thread where I lamented over the fact that I finally had to ask for stronger (i.e. not OTC) pain meds. The doctor started me off with Darvocet which is pretty much just a narcotic step above Tylenol. This definitely helps to ease the worst of the pain and I only take 1 a day at bedtime to help with the pain that keeps me awake.

He also gave me a stronger, Vicodin-like pain reliever that I can take during the day because it contains caffeine. I've had samples and a prescription for a month and I've taken exactly 1 pill. It definitely does the job but I try to use these things only when I absolutely must have it. I can deal with some pain!

I'm cognizant of the fact that I don't want to get addicted to pain medication but I also know that most people who take the medication for true pain like we have, probably won't. If you go that route, just use it wisely and know the risks.

BTW, Ibuprofen always helped me just as well as anything. I'm on MTX now but my doctor said I could still take up to 600 mg of ibuprofen a day, which for me is basically one dose a day. He was more concerned about what it will do to my stomach as opposed to my liver. MTX is working for me. I've been lucky that I haven't experienced the nausea and fatigue that a lot of people get from it. I tried Enbrel for a bit, but I have a needle-phobia apparently. I was always able to deal with others using needles on me, but when it came down to injecting myself...anxiety attacks. It just wasn't for me. Different things work for different people. Hopefully you'll find what works for you. Good luck!

[rozeofgold]

Oh also, forgot to mention that a while ago I was having particular problems with my left hip and shoulder. I had cortisone shots in each, and I haven't had a whole lot of problems since with those areas. My ankles, feet, and back still hurt a lot and that's what I take pain meds for.

[foder]

There are a couple things that have helped my pain. The first one was taking enbrel 50mg 2x's week. That helped for awhile. There was breakthrough pain but I look at it as my body telling me its limits. I have had p since I was 10 years old and pa for around 5 years. The funny thing about me is that I am allergic to every pain killer. Even the Dr's are surprised the meds I react to. I have been in the med field for awhile now so I have had the opportunity to try different things. I am now going for nerve blocking in my mid and lower back. I have already had this in my neck. Don't fight your body but listen to it because the more you struggle the louder it yells.

[boundaryseeker]

I agree with what has been said...the more you struggle the worse it gets.

Emotional pain increases the physical pain - I can say that for me at least.
It can be very difficult to deal with or process a lot of feelings and emotions especially when newly diagnosed or when going through a change in condition like a flare. I've had to learn that it's okay to grieve, and to admit to others that I am hurting - physically and emotionally.

It can also be difficult to cope with others around you who are struggling to cope with you. This also increases the stress levels.

I ask myself...Where is the struggle? Within me, or between others.

I'm still on the learning curve....