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Chronic aches and pains- need help and support

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Posted 9/6/2010 2:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hello. I have psoriatic arthritis (like rheumotiod) and

hoshimoto's disease (immune system attacks thyroid).

I have had psor. arthritis for over 5 years and take Enbrel.

For the most part, it has been under control. I was recently

diagnosed with the thyroid disease and started Synthroid.

Lately, I have been experiencing extreme aches and pains.

I went to my rhuemotoligist who said my blood levels were

fine and he did not know what was wrong. So, i went to

my primary and ran a bunch of blood tests. That is when I

Found out about the thyroid disease. Today, i could not take

it anymore and went to a walk-in dr's office. The dr. was

cold and seemed to know very little about my illnesses.

He gave me a shot - a pain killer and sent me home with

pain meds. My fiance is a wonderful guy who - for the most

part - is very patient with me. Lately, I think he has had

enough. I feel very alone and have been depressed lately.

I am calling my dr. on Tuesday to get another apt. I just

want some answers. I have been taking short walks when

I can because I was told it would help loosen my muscles.

They are not working and sometimes cause more pain.

Does anyone have any suggestions???

Posted 9/6/2010 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Emily and welcome to the 'family'!

One thing about joining in this group of friends is that you will never be or feel alone. We do understand what you are going through because between us all we've experienced most everything you can imagine.

The extreme aches and pains are what peeked my interest. I have Fibromyalgia and we do have a forum for that here. It's a disorder where you muscles are very sore and painful much of the time. Along with the pain morning stiffness a hallmark as is fatigue, IBS and several other issues. I'm not saying that you have Fibro but it would pay to talk to your doctors about it and see what their reaction is. Most doctors are good at finding out if this is what you have. But once in a while you will find an uneducated doc who doesn't "believe" in fibro. My belief is that if They had fibro they sure would believe in it. So if you ask and get blown off by the suggestion of fibro I would get to a different doc/specialist and find out for sure. There are other things that can cause that type of pain too. Oh, and the kind of doc who you would normally be sent to if your primary doctor doesn't know about fibro is a rheumatologist! It would pay to find a different one and try again. A good rheumy would have at least check for it, IMHO.

Also, sit down and talk with your love. It's very hard to do because if we ask how they feel and the answer is bad then not knowing would seem like a better option. But getting it out in the open is way better than both remaining silent. Many men have a very hard time talking about their feelings...like that's a news flash!...lol But keeping to yourself will serve to put more distance between you. Also, take him along to doctor appointments. It not only help you out but he will gain knowledge and compassion by being in the room with you. Maybe ask him to look online about this Fibromyalgia and see if he thinks that might be it. Or go to the Fibro forum and do some reading. At least if he gets involved you are not near as alone.

Please let us know how it goes...OK?
Chutz
Posted 9/6/2010 8:00 AM (GMT 0)
Emily, You do need to talk to your fiance. It may very be that he is not fed up with you but that he is fed up with seeing you suffering and not being able to do anything to fix it. In other words it is his own helplessness that he is fed up with and not you.

So talk to him. Let him know how you feel, what you need, and most importantly what he can do for you to make things better, and be realistic about it. Don't say you wish he could take all your pain away and don't generalize. Be as specific as possible about what you need/want from him.
Posted 9/6/2010 9:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Emily---I've had mild rheumatoid arthritis since my early twenties. When I hit my early 50's my arthritis started to flair up on my arms,shoulders and hands.I need to put a lot of weight on those parts because I need short crutches just to be able to shuffle around the house since a botched surgery about 12 years ago. Anyway, my Dr. checked my thyroid and found that I needed to take Synthroid too.It took at least six weeks to get into my system but when it did my arthritis backed off considerably along with most pain, (there anyway).It may take a little while for the proper doses to get figured out for you but I hope it helps you start feeling better soon.Take care and may God Bless You..........Rod
Posted 9/6/2010 10:53 AM (GMT 0)
  Hey Emily , Welcome , its great you found us here , we'll help you in any way we can . It sounds like your doing the right thing by trying to find answers and reaching out . A lot of us come here and we have great spouses but nobody understands like someone who's been thru it . Please try to hang in there and be patient , I don't have your particular ailment but I've expierenced pain and misunderstanding for sure . You'll find support here and more than likely someone who's been thru what your going thru . And we'll all support you as you search for your own answers and go thru what you go thru . Again Welcome !! Mikel 
Posted 9/6/2010 11:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Emily,

I just wanted to welcome you, and I understand about the doctor being cold, ALOT of walk-in doctors and ED doctors can be very cold, espeicially when it comes to chronic conditions, and sometimes finding answers can take many years, even some of us seem to never get any answers. But finding treatment can get frustrating sometimes also, so keep your chin up and don't give up, sometimes it takes many, many doctors to find one that will treat your pain or even find answers, and sometimes one will find the answers but not treat enough. Your lucky to find someone in your life that's there or you, some of us don't get that, and some of us start with someone who seems understanding but after a while gets frustrated, thats where counceling can come in, bringing them to doctor appointments, do research together, having them be a part of your treatment plan can help alot.

And of course we're here to listen to you rant and vent your problems. We all are in the same boat together, someone always seems to be in the same place as you here. I love to come here at times when I feel like I'm the only person on earth that have problems that come along with chronic pain, it can get depressing and lonely, so I come here to remind myself that there is someone else out there that knows and is feeling the exact way I am. So keep us posted, and if you have any questions, we may not be doctors but we can always give you our insight on things!!!

-kitty
Posted 9/6/2010 12:19 PM (GMT 0)
Emily,

Welcome to the forums, and I do understand your pain. Although I've been diagnosed with Arthritis (and not the specific type, testing was done through Lidocaine injections to test for pain relief factor), its believed to be Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). I won't say I definately have this type until testing is performed to confirm it, but the symptoms of early middle progression of the disease fits like a glove. AS is a form of RA, with joint inflamation being the common linkage factor.

Remaining active is key to RA. Ofcourse you never want to over do it, because that could make the inflamation worse. On the same token, to much sitting still can make the pain and inflamation worse as well, so you are definately on key by taking the short walks. Sitting is incredibly painful for me, so if I don't take a few shorts walks daily, my pain level increases. It's important not only for the muscles (as it not only loosens them but muscles offer support, so it helps to keep them from becoming to weak to support the regions), but walking increases bloodflow to the inflamed area as well and can help to reduce the overall inflamation.

Remember that pain medicine is a very important part of treatment, so though your doctor was cold, atleast he did attend to a portion of your pain needs. At the same time, you are right that he needs to give you the answers. Pain medication alone is never enough, and your doctor should have provided you with a comprehensive plan, or reffered you directly to a specialist that can answer your questions.

As for things that help me, massages. This helps to loosen the area and increases bloodflow directly to the affected area. Very warm epsom salt baths can help for general aches but becareful not to overdo the epsom salt baths.

-James
Posted 9/7/2010 4:00 PM (GMT 0)

  Dear Emily,

     Good morning. My name is Dani. I would also like to welcome you to the chronic pain community. As you can see we are a great group of supportive friends here. I do hope you find this to be the case with you.

     I am so sorry that you have had thyroid problems added. When where you diagnosed and how long ago were you put on medication? More importantly, are your seeing an endocrinologist? Many of the symptoms you describe (including the depression) are all symptoms of thyroid disorder. We do have a great thyroid forum as well. You might want to pop over there and introduce yourself. I too have "thyroid" problems. I have Low parathyroid absorption and inherited Hypoparathyroidism. I wish thyroid propels were easy to "fix" but often they take a very long time to get under control. Monitoring has to be done frequently to keep up with the highs and lows of thyroid disorders.

   

  • Fatigue and sluggishness
  • Increased sensitivity to cold
  • Constipation
  • Pale, dry skin
  • A puffy face
  • Hoarse voice
  • An elevated blood cholesterol level
  • Unexplained weight gain - occurring infrequently and rarely more than 10 to 20 pounds, most of which is fluid
  • Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness, especially in your shoulders and hips
  • Pain and stiffness in your joints and swelling in your knees or the small joints in your hands and feet
  • Muscle weakness, especially in your lower extremities
  • Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)
  • Depression

 ~~~> http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567/DSECTION=symptoms

 

     Most of all I wanted to welcome you to the community. I do look forward to knowing you better as time goes by. Hang in there and let us know how your appointment goes.

 

*hugg*

  dani

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