in pain and am just sad

hi Jovigirl....i do have ra in my thumbs i get shots of cortosone...helps for a couple months...i also deal with chronic pain so i take my regular pain drugs so this helps...have u tried tylenol with codene and advil, that is what i took before my other pain meds. You can try applyiing heat also. i hope u find releif soon...amy

Hi Jovigirl

 it really hurts me each time i see so many other people in same boat in Pain

 i have also pain in hands try opening a soft drink bottle lid or a door handel get a shooting pain and weakness  cant count how many things ive broken by dropping them after pain

 i do feel for you and hope you feel bit better soon

 as for pain killers i use opiates Tramadol and Endone and cortisone injections

 there is a wonderful treatment for hands i found when at rehab some years ago,bit messy but worth it you may need help to do it.

 

 from chemist you buy parifin wax,you'll need enough to fully cover hands so buy enough and in a slow cooker , crock pot or some  low heat device melt it till its hot but not Burning you hot

soak hand take out then re soak to build up a coating repeat this 3-4 times then wrap in plastic wrap and a towel or cloth leave for 10-15 minuts till cold & set then peel off WOW you will feel the differance, you replace the wax in pot so can reuse.you will also have silky smooth hands for next few days

 And try to limit your harm to hands think plan try to not do things you can put off or use helping aids eg tap openers or autmatic can openers etc .

i also find crawling up in a ball and crying also helps     but then you have to get up and go do something you like. 

 

Hi, Jovigirl71,

When my hands flare a lot, I have an insulated compressions glove I wear at night, and it helps quite a bit. I also have a parafin "spa" at home, I can stick my hands in. For pain, I take Tramadol. It also helps quite a bit, and when I do all that and I still hurt, I slap on one of the topical arthritis meds. I also take Celebrex...400 mg a day. Sorry you are having so much pain. Don't give up hope. This, too, shall pass.

V

Having painful hands is one of the most common areas with RA. Even when nothing else hurts my hands ALWAYS do although not like you describe anymore. I don't know how mush is built up tolerance and how much is just that my RA is sleeping for the most part for quite awhile now.

Comression gloves, parrafin baths, running my hands under hot water, wrapping them in heating pads, using icy hot like hand cream....these are all things I used for relief when it was bad. Honestly- prescription pain meds never did anything for me- not sure why. What works best for me is plain old Advil but when I was on MTX I was forbidden from using it.....

I have psoriatic arthritis and it especially likes to attack my hands, knees and feet.    Humira helped me a lot for over three years, had a reaction to remicade and had just started on cimzia when I had to stop because am chest CT found nodules in my lungs mand lymph nodes.   Had the biopsy done Monday and should have the results next Monday.   Can't go back on the cimzia till my incision heals so in the mean time I'm doing 10mg of prednisone in the morning and 5 mg in the evening.   It helps a lot with the pain and swelling in my hands.  How long have you been on the remicade?  Maybe you need a new medication as after awhile none of these drugs seems to work as well.  I can relate to your pain as when my hands are really bad I can't even open them and the pain is excrutiating.   Do check with your rheumy as you shouldn't have to suffer like that.

good luck

Alicat

Thanks Everyone for the replies,

Alicat i've been on the remicade since May so I dont know if the arthritis is getting worse from being on it. Since I had the gout/arthritis foot attack back in 2010 nov. I just havent been the same. If the pain isnt in my toes or feet its in my knee or arms and hands.

I'm seeing my doctor today THANK GOODNESS..... thats me shooting in happiness.

I'll keep you all posted.

Feel better everybody..

wow thanks so much for more replies,

i saw my orthopedic doctor today. i got hand xrays and they showed no arthritis at all. i was shocked. he is now thinking i have a pulled nerve in my neck that is causes the stiffness, hot and joint pain and so on. but why would it only effect my hand and arms in the cold and rainy weather if it were a pulled nerve?

he set me up for an mri for wed. then i have to see a rheumatologist doctor next for my foot that had gout and my knees that do have arthritis and were ever else i'm having joint pain. i'm losing track.

i guess i'm just a big mess and very upset and discouraged. i hope the
rheumatologist finds out what is going on with me. i hope to see him nest week before thanksgiving because i cant take this pain any longer :-(