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Living with Arthritis


PipsMom

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Instead of carrying on with a earlier post I decided to make a new one so other sufferers could add their pain management and ways of coping with the pain of all arthritis's. Feel free to add your notes as it might help someone else thats going through or just starting suffering.

Update 11-18-17

I have religiously been attending physical therapy to exercise the muscles in my affected joints and back to build muscle to support the areas. I am lucky to have a caring woman that modifies standard exercises so I can do them twice daily at home without hurting worse. she's been a angel. My pain medicine was paracedimol plus codeine and it just took the edge off but over months of use became useless as I was taking 2 ever 4 hrs around the clock. The physical therapist quizzed me why I was giving only that when there was more alternatives. Explaining to her that no amount of talking or moaning I did the doctors didn't want to even give me that as it is habit forming and didn't care to do any further. She informed me that she understood that complaint about GP's as she had heard it many times before and I could now be treated and the appropriate  medication could be prescribed through the hospital. She then set up appointment with a pain management doctor their in their department. 

I met the doctor who went over my notes with a fine tooth comb and asked many questions then decided I would benefit from a patch that administers pain medication through the skin like those  nicotine patches do, worn for 7 days straight then change and apply a fresh one. It is non habit forming and little if any side affects,....If my skin tolerates it I will be on this for life.  The aim is to get a strength that allows me to get back involved and active in life and able to walk again and sleep longer than 4 hours every night. The drug is used orginally treat nerve pain but from what I have been reading on those sorts of patches it been given to chronic elderly arthritis sufferers with great success for a while now

There was another medicine but a pill but side affects caused great stomach upset and vomiting it right back up so we choice together the patch. Starting off at the lowest dose and slowly raising it up if it wasn't strong enough would be done through the GP but Did Not have the authority to stop it or alter it without the pain managements approval.

Finally I have found someone to help, listen and work with me as I have been getting steadily worse very year and more immobile. I start the patch next Tuesday and it will take several weeks to get the full benefits felt from it....For the first time I am very hopeful and have something to look forward to.

I will post the name of the patch once I receive it, maybe someone else here already uses it also.

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Summerangel

Posted

Is this the patch I was talking to you about, the one my aunt uses? Or something similar? 

So pleased you are finally getting some help. 

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I did bring up what your aunt was using and he said most probably it was the same one or kind,..... I didn't forget this time to ask but I did the forget the name of what your Aunt was using LOL

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I will post what the name of it is Tuesday when I get it, but yes ask her again and post what hers is called...it may help someone else later on if they read this  

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Oh Crystal, I am so hopeful that this will make a difference!  It could change so much for you.

Fingers crossed!!!

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I'm so hopeful Jo, its hard being in emotional and physical pain at the same time...I just want to be Me again, thats all I ask

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Missysmom

Posted

Oh my Crystal this is exciting news, i’m So very happy that you have found someone who is caring and is helping you. I can’t wait to read and hear more about your experience with this patch, what wonderful news, am praying this will be the answer for you. Hugs:throb:

i have been on meds for arthritis (got rheumatoid arthritis first, and then added several others with age) since I was 19 and I turned 60 this year. My pain is nothing near what you describe and thankfully in the early 90s I found a wonderful rheumatologist who helped me tremendously. She also gave me physical therapy exercises I could do at home which have been a blessing. The one thing she always told me was to walk a mile a day... I can’t tell you how many times I mumbled under my breath ‘You walk a mile and see how you like it’! It’s tremendously hard to walk through the pain but I do try to walk some every day, of course the girls help a lot with meeting that goal! ;) Unfortunately she just retired, of course I knew that was coming as she’s 3 days younger than me! So it will be quite a new experience for me to get a new rheumatologist this year.. not looking forward to that I can tell you..

am thankfully you posted this and will be watching this with great anticipation!

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Had to post post my appointment to the 28th, right in from of my house they digging up the road they replace mains water pipes, only way through is foot traffic all week and I'm not about to stand on the corner in the rain and cold waiting for a taxi LOL . Oh well another week wont kill me

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Nov 28, 2017 Updae

Picked up a months supply of patches this morning. On the third week I revisit the GP to check on how it is affecting my blood pressure since it may cause lower pressures... I am on Losartin to keep it level anyway.

The name of the pain killer is called  Butec, the active ingredient is buprenophine is absorbed through the skin via the patch 24/7 for 7 days then a fresh patch will be applied. Starting off at the lowest dose of 5 micrograms/hour, if needed it can be increased to 10 or 20 over time. One side affect is drowsiness and hoping it will help me get a restful nights sleep that lasts longer than the usual 4 hour broken sleep and waking up exhausted 

Praying this is the answer to long term chronic back pain

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ParadiseTzu

Posted

I sure hope this helps you.  I feel for you as arthritis pain makes it hard to concentrate on anything else.  I don’t have problems with it since I quit riding my horses (they are too old now).  I had a motorcycle accident, when I was 19 and jammed my hip on impact.  I am thankful that doesn’t cause me any problems today as long as I don’t ride.  When I sit on a horse, initially as my hips spread to go around the horse, there is a strong pain which slowly wears off as my hips get used to it.  But after riding, my right hip aches for days.  Was a big problem when I worked and sat in a chair for 8 hours.  Retirement has been nice for many reasons.

I don’t make light of the fact that you have chronic pain and much worse than mine.  Will add this to my Prayer List that the patches help and the strength can be easily regulated!

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Crystal I really hope this will give you the relief you need...nothing worse than being in constant pain...keep us posted.

Vicki, Keep walking! I too have to force myself but you know what they say...use it or lose it!

I too have RA...29 yrs and counting! 

 

 

 

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It's early days but I felt the difference within hours of application and this morning I could get out of bed and actually stand up straight right away. Maybe this is my Christmas miracle come early...at least I am pain free today, Horray

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Yay!

My mother had all sorts of awful spinal issues -- arthritis (rheumatoid and osteo) caused spinal stenosis and it and/or normal aging caused osteoporosis. She used some kind of prescription patches. I've forgotten what they were, but they really helped.

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Day 4. 

Still relative pain free, felt so good today after getting several nights in a row of good restful sleep again that I went on a cleaning spree..... Washed and dried 4 loads of clothes, cleaned and polished two windows, vacuumed and mopped all down stairs. Feeling a few pangs now and again this evening but nothing bad that I cant handle...but I think I do to much at one go as my PT has warned me about and to pace myself....I just felt too good to stop. :bounce:

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