(No Subject)

Hi my name is nancy. I've never done this before. I'm having a hard time right now. Hurting so bad I'm beside myself. I son have Health insurance so the local clinic put me on 5 mg predisone nothing is helping. I can't take the pain does anyone have any ideas to help me get through the day. My friends are sick on hearing me complain. Don't care anymore. I can't get them to inderstand what I'm dealing with thank you for your time.

Hi Nandubb028,

Remember, this is only temporary. It will pass and you need to do whatever it takes today to get you through the day. Trust me, we all know what you are going through. I have been dealing with a bad flare and allergies to meds for the last few months. It has been a roller coaster. Remember, you are not hopeless and there are some things that we can do to get through these times that will make it much more bearable for us as well as our loved ones who care for us greatly and want to see us well.

Many days I have to have a bath to get moving in the mornings. This takes forever and it is hard to get into and out of the tub but for me it is well worth the effort. I soak for a good 45 minutes and try to relax my mind and let the pain go. It doesn't go away by a long shot but it helps me to let my body relax as much as possible and not hold the pain in.

As well, I would encourage you to seek out spiritual guidance. I do this through prayer and meditation and involvement at a local church. I start my day with it and let it all hang out. I get a lot of peace from this especially when I am in the worst of it. It works. This as well helps me to have an attitude of patience and hope. I tend to stress out really bad in the midst of a flare up and it worsens when I hold onto the pain and dwell on my situation. I also share my experiences with others as much as I can. I have met some wonderful people by sharing what I am going through and in turn met many who are dealing with similar problems in their lives.

How long have you been on the 5mg of Prednisone? Steroids do take a while to build up in your system but I know that for myself 5mg would not touch a flare up in my case. I am currently on 20mg a day down from 60 due to side effects and trying to ween further still. I have had a lot of pain while doing this and have had to rely on pain medications sometimes to get me through the worst of it. I hope that they also prescribed you something for pain, if not maybe they will help you out without having to schedule another appointment.

I am very sorry to hear that you are going through a tough time, I hope and pray that you feel better and that you mind, body and spirit are renewed. There are many people here that are a wonderful help when I am having a hard time. I get a lot of relief knowing that there are others who have experienced what I have and are keeping their chins up and looking for the good in life even with RA. Hang in there! -Don

5 mg of Prednisone is not very much. I think that I would go back and ask for a larger dose. Tell the doctor this isn't cutting it. I take 20mg a day. It took about 3 days to get some relief with that. What about a pain management clinic? Do you have access to one of these? Agree with DadDay...you should seek out a rheumatologist, if you have not already.

County hospitals (in the US) have to treat anyone who walks in the door, regardless of ability to pay. If you cannot get a medication increase, then I would go to the ER and request some sort of pain medication. As Don mentioned above, Prednisone is likely to be the most beneficial if this pain is due to inflammatory arthritis. I find that narcotics don't work too well, but it can take the edge off at least. So it doesn't hurt to ask for some in case you need it.

Heat helps a little. I use a parafin wax bath for my feet and hands. Messy...but it does help me get going. If you put aluminum foil down under the heater, it doesn't make as big a mess. You can get them on ebay for not too much money. I have a million heating pads as well. Water therapy helps a little, too. Takes some of the pressure off sore joints.

Good luck. I hope you find something that helps.