Constant shoulder pain

So my mother's on steroids and methotrexate and biologic. the problem is that they don't seem to be working anymore. she's having constant shoulder pain which gets worse in the night. her rheumatologist is out of country and will return next month. she had frozen shoulder before this and it caused her terrible ordeal. so is there a home remedy anyone tried for this kind of pain? any other recommendations? it really sucks. she has to put up with it whole night.

Heat like tater said is what I always use for my shoulders and collar bones when they are flared up and it helps. Also, hot baths with mineral salts are a help as well but getting in and out of the tub can be a real challenge. This really helps me because I can lay in the tub and the water helps to take some of the weight off the shoulder and I can relax a little.

Isn't there an on call Doctor in the absence of hers that is covering their patients?

For massage, Carol does what she calls light touch. What this is is a massage using a very light and gentle motion over the inflamed area. I don't know what it does but it really really feels good. Almost like you are tickling using very light pressure. I can't handle any amount of pressure when I am flared up. The muscles surrounding the joint (in my shoulders) are usually rock hard and spasming but I don't know if others have that reaction as well.

One thing is certain, shoulder/collar bone pain from RA is one of the worst places I have ever had it. The pain levels are very high and I am not able to sleep at all because of it even sleeping in my EZ chair it wakes me up in agony all through the night.

I Hope that she finds relief soon. -Don

So sorry to hear this voice. Yeah, the pain from it is almost unbearable and exactly as you described with the weight of the arm making it worse. Have her try laying in the tub if she is able and load it up with some epsom salts. This always helps me and sometimes I will take more than one at night when the pain is too much.

Does she have some break through pain medications? Sleeping aids? Sometimes I have to do this to be able to get any sleep like this.

Hang in there, sending gentle hugs hers and your way. It is very loving of you to care for her as you do. I hope she realizes how fortunate she is to have you. -Don

Hi Voice Hope your Mother is feeling a little better
the others have offered some very good advice all I can offer is to rest the arm on a pillow and use a heat pad or hot wheat sack ,
i'd suggest going to the local hospital or her local Doctor perhaps they can offer steroid injection or even an increased course of prednisone to get her over the bump.
it can be hard when someone is grouchy when in pain I tend to curl up alone (lucky I'm not grouchy because I'm in a constant Flare of Pain ) But Hubby is the Grouchy sort if he has a cold or in pain and it is Very hard to be nice so I just leave medication or cups of tea for him sort of like leaving food for a grizzly bear

So even after the injection nothing got better. I don't know why her pain is so bad and so prolonged this time. It's been so many days and no medication is helping her. DOn't know what to do.

LanieG, you might be right. She has it now in both shoulders and hips and the injection they gave didn't help at all.

Hi voice

I had pain in my shoulders last summer and yes it was the most excruciating pain i have ever had. Nothing worked - the only small relief I got was from a heating pad. Then my rheumatologist scheduled rituxan infusions at the hospital. You are there for awhile (about 5 hrs) the first time. You go back again in 2 weeks and then not again for a couple of months if I remember correctly. They were a life saver. I only did the 2 infusions because they are very expensive so if you consider them, I hope your insurance covers it. Knock on wood, my shoulders are fine its just every other part of my body thats in pain now. lol i hope your mother finds relief.

This is so frustrating for both of you. The medication changes hopefully will help and she can begin to experience some relief soon hopefully.

I have had to change medications several times over the years because due to the nature of RA and its involvement with the immune system many times your body will adapt to the way that a RX is fighting the disease and the RX will become ineffective.

For me this meant that a medication like Enbrel began to have less and less effectiveness until eventually I was having extreme flares again and was placed on another RX. All of these drugs use different mechanisms to fight the disease so many times it is a matter of finding the one that will work.

You are doing everything you can so try to take care of yourself and get some rest! If that means earplugs for a few hours each night then do it. You will be no good to her if you too are fatigued to the point of a mental break down.