hi all,
as many of you know I have been having many troubles with my joints. Throughout my 20 yrs with CD this has been one of my more common issues more so than my gut. I called my pcp last weekend for the medrol dose pack, I could barely walk and my nana passed away so I had to be able to get around for her services. The first night I took it I felt a difference, I use to be on remicade which I went on when all other meds either didnt work or flared my gut however I have changed my GI since my CD spiral from H*** this year. He prefers I see a rheumy again before he places me back on remi or try humira. With both myself and my Dr office calling the soonest I can get in to see a RA dr is 9/18. It has been 6 yrs since I have seen one in this state, the last one I saw was in CA and I am back living in RI ...have been since 2004. The 4th day on the medrol pack (out of the 6 days you take it) the pain was inching back. Today it is swollen more than it even was prior to the pred pack. I have left over pred from both my surgeries (used all 3 times then off it not long after) and from my pulmonologist for my asthma. I took 20mg today since I have extinguished every other possibility I have available to me at home, I started feeling the pain when I went down to 12 mg (the medrol pills are 4mg rather than increments of 5) so I took 20 mg. I plan on doing the same tomorrow and calling my GI as well as my pcp (my pcp office was the one that got memy RA appt). I plan on informing them of the medrol pack (informing the GI, I have my pcp's personal cell # and I needed it last sunday since the services were last monday and tuesday). I also plan on telling about having to take the 20 of pred since it was unbearable.
I got a little notebook yesterday to write down daily symptoms etc. I tried to recall approx dates from when the joints started to hurt. Prior to the pred pack it was both ankles both knees and my R hip. Out of those my L knee was the worst and that is the only one that has returned but that was the worse one too...and it is more swollen etc. The knee brace I have and wore before helped a little. I put it on today for when I went out and my knee is so swollen that the m/l size was putting a lot of pressure on it causing it to have more pain.
Advil has never bothered me in the past however my new GI wants me to stay away from it just to be safe. Tylenol doesnt do crap for it. I actually tried dilaudid last night and it was of no help. I took an oxycontin 5 hours ago and still in a great deal of pain :(
I also am now trying to write amount of BMs per day and if they are D or loose just to give my GI a better idea when I see him next as to if I need the questran or just increase the metamucil tablets I take. Prior to Sx I was taking 5 a day post Sx was 1 but last night I took 2 instead and have only had 2 BMs today both loose but not D. Yesterday I had 7 BMs 5 were D the other 2 were loose not formed