Having the worst pain I've ever had....

I have AS and last night I was ready to just give up. I hurt everywhere. My ankles. My knees really, really bad. I could hardly walk, bend them at all. They felt like they were on fire and something was jabbing them. My hips hurt so I couldn't lay on either side and to top it all off, my back hurt on the right side middle. All I could do was cry. I've taken Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex, Methotrexate, Sulfasalazine, ibuprofen, tylenol, and aspirin. The only thing I'm currently on is the aspirin. The sulfa gave me mouth sores and I took folic acid and the standard formula to swish with. The methotrexate I'd taken before and had no problems with it but it wasn't giving me much relief. So after we discovered I was allergic to the sulfa I went back on the methotrexate. This time around it gave me mouth sores, so I quit taking it. The aspirin isn't working, celebrex doesn't work etc. AAARRRRRGGGGGG!!!!! I can't afford to take Enbrel, Humira or Remicade. My co-pay, just the co-pay  mind you is $700 fricking dollars for each dosage. So out the window goes that. I don't qualify for the drug assistance program that Montel is an advocate for. We have health insurance, for which I'm grateful. I just don't know what else to do. I cancelled my appointment with my rheumy because I'm tired of being a laboratory. Any one out there had luck with something else? If so, I'll remake an appt with the doc and talk to him about it. As it is, my hubby is going to have to take me to the urgent care I think. This just sucks and isn't worth it anymore. I don't know how my Grandma did it. She had RA so bad, so bad. Yet I never heard her complain and she was always stretching and trying to move her joints around. She said it was helping to keep them from freezing in place. She had such a strong spirit. I miss her and would love to be like her. But I'm not. Instead, I'm a whiner.  

Do you have a Pain MGmt Doc? You really should get a referral to one. I don't think I'd have made it this far without the wonderful help that I've gotten from mine. He has been wonderful at addressing my pain and muscle spasms.

I feel for you cause I can remember times that I could not afford to get my meds so I know where you are comeing from. When I was put on Humira I was in bad shap to the point I could no longer walk and there for I winded up in a wheel chaire. I told my Rheumatolagist that I could not afford Humira because even thoe I had insurance my co-pay was $150.00for one shot so that was $300.00 so with that and all of my other co-pays it was impossible to do.So my Rheumatolagist told me that she had some Humira that she could give me and the first time she suplyed me was three months worth and what it was when people would come in and get there first shot and winded up not being able to take It. they have to do something with it because they did not want back and the Pharmacutial co would not take it back either, so they tried to help people that needed but could not afford it.So you may want to ask your Rheumy if they could help you out,you may be surprised.I also agree with Keah,if you are not seeing a Pain MGM you may want to do so.They can help you get your pain under control and that is what they are there for is to get you on pain meds that will help you have some what of a normal life.For me I'm on Oxycotin and fentanyl pain patches I'm currently on the 50's in the pain patch.I do hope that you get some relief soon. Oh and i thought I would tell you that if you don't all ready have a heating mattress cover you may want to get one.I turn my on low and it helps ease my joints and for me it is better that a heating blanket.

((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))

Thanks to all of you and for your advise. I'm going to make an appt. with my rheumy tomorrow and hope I can get in soon. I'll talk to him about all the options and see what he says. I'm just not dealing well with the AS flare and my bipolar is on the rampage too. So I'm a mixed up heap of I don't know what. I'm trying to tread water until help comes!