Hi,
These past days guess I'm having what I'v seen described as a "flare". New for me this time is that all my fingers really hurt (and a couple of the toes). My joints are quite painful (but not swollen, and since it's blistering summer here I'd be hard pressed to notice if they are warm).
Usually I just ignore my joint pain or pop a couple of tylenol, but this time that's not cutting it for me.
Any advice?
Please? I'll be ever so thankful for it :)
Do I ever understand what you are going thew. I have had this same joint pain for the past two months, maybe even 2 1/2 months. Mostly it is on my left. I find that my joints that hurt do so without any warning what so ever. At first I thought maybe it was because of some up coming rain, but I started to keep a log of when my joints hurt and what the weather was like. It seems as though they hurt the most when it was so hot and humid out. What I found that worked the best for me was to soak my feet and hands in cool, not cold water. If it is too hot it will cause my joints to hurt all the more. If you hear what the cause is please let us all know.
Nikki
Hot wax baths feel good, you can buy them at a lot of places like Bed, Bath and Beyond. Have you tried the otc arthritis creams like ben gay? I use bio-freeze, I got it from my physical therapists. I find wearing soft, thin cotton gloves to help as well. I sleep in them every night. Along with my pain, I do have a lot of swelling and the light touch of the gloves seems to help some. My hubby bought me these great mittens that have a lavender scented pack in them that you heat in the microwave. The warmth feels good and the scent is soothing. There were days that I could not grasp a toothbrush because the pain and swelling was so bad. Its down to a dull roar with my remicade infusions.
Hi!
My first and worse symptoms have been artritis and before going to a reumathologist I used a simple aspirin to get some relief - aspirin was the most effective medicine among all medicines I could get and used to get about 2.5/3 gr a day (but I had awfully strong flares on both legs and arms and did it under my family doctor's control) - maybe you could try to get 1 or 2 aspirins (generally 1 aspirin is aout 0.5 gr) and see if it helps with your flare.
I had been very sceptical on aspirin before this episode, considering it a very basic medicin, almost a placebo... but it has been the best solution before starting a stronger therapy with my reumathologist.
Also, some ice helped not to feel the flare on my knees and ankles.
Do hope it helps!
Cheers!
My primary had me try something new made at a "compounding pharmacy" ketoprofen 20%. Ketoprofen is an NSAID and can be found in lower percentage creams at regular pharmacies. I used it on my broken ribs as well as sore joints. It worked better than the lidocaine patches, it could be reapplied and I didn't have to swallow another pill. (Though it does come in pill form).
A compounding pharmacy is a modern pharmacy with an old fashioned twist, they mix the products on site. Very beneficial if you are chemically sensitive to odors, colors additives. My doc gave me a prescription to fill like any other medication.
Sombra is another cream many chiropractors carry.
General tip, take your pain med, Aleve, asprin, tylonel, ibuprofen, whatever on a regular scheduled time. Don't wait for the pain to signal to take it. It is fighting a battle to control it at that point. If you can get the upper hand on the inflammation it helps.
Remember anywhere the sarc attacks, is inflamed, if it is debilitating let your doc know you need treatment.
Good luck,
I'll give my thumbs up to Sombra as well - always have some in my home.
Ibuprofen, or any NSAID should work well. Ibuprofen/motrin dosing would be about 600mg four times a day to be taken with food for the best coverage. Aspirin works well, too, but I would be hard pressed to suggest more than the standard 325mg at a time and I find that people taking over a gram a day tend to get stomach bleeds.
Soaking the affected joints in cool water with epsom salts may be helpful.
You didn't mention which joints specifically, and that could be important as well.
Be well
Thank you for all your replies :) I'm especially interested in all the ones that does not include pills (I have a rather sensitive stomach from having to take too many painkillers for a bad back and migraines over a prolonged period of time). I try to take as little painkillers as possible (which still amounts to "quite a bit" I'm afraid).
Also; lots of the pill-less ones souns almost like an evening at a spa! :D
For the creams: any issues about putting them on your fingers and then your finger goes into your eye or your mouth - you know: regular use of hands...
@teacherteacher: Sounds interresting. What is an NSAID? It's a term I'm not familiar with.
Paradox: you asked which joints: Upper joint on all my fingers, middle joint on some of them, and then pain in the lower joints and down to my wrists comes and goes at will. Also the thumb is mostly painful... In the toes: both joints in 3-5 toes.
@Nikki: I think the explanation is simple: stupid systemic inflamatory disease will come and give you inflamation wherever it pleases ;)
Sombra-
A quick search for sombra left me non the wiser. They have very many products... ;) Anyone who can be more spesific as to which one (I'm going to order one online - I'm not even going to try and find out what the Norwegian version of sombra is *lol*)?
I have had joint pain for years. Rheumotoid Sarc is reallly very common. I also tried at first treating with Tylonol but found I would just keep taking more and more. Unfortunately I am alergic to aspirin and other non-steroid anti inflamatories. Years ago my GP started me on Darvocet for pain management but all that does is kill the pain and make you stupid. So I started seeing a Rheumo Doc. She is very current with new Sarc treatments. She put me on a med called Plequenal. This worked great for about 3 years until I developed a muscle myopathy and had to stop taking it. I am now on a med called Arava and it is working great at controlling not only the joints but the Sarc in general. Hope this helps.
Sombra
http://www.painreliever.com/sombra_sombra.html
That's the stuff - the pain relief gel. Once it is on your hands you'll want to put gloves on and still keep those fingers away from your face. You don't want this in your eyes or mouth.
NSAID - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ibuprofen, aleve, naproxen, relafen, etc...) A class of drug that blocks part of the inflammatory protien cascade. Tylenol is a different class.
Sounds like a pretty random distribution of joints, which is more consistent with sarc then rheumatoid or osteoarthritis (rheumatoid tends to get the middle joint of the finger and osteo gets the one right before the finger tip, knuckles and wrists can be almost anything. Gout or pseudogout would be something else to consider but usually would involve swelling and most often the big toe)
Hello,
Although it is a pill, Aleve (even the Equate version) works wonders for me. I experience pain in my ankles, knees, toes, and fingers and Aleve really does help.
Sabrina
Thank you to all for more very good and tried advice.
And especially thanks to Paradox. You are such a well of easy to understand information, I'd have you as my primary doctor any day :)
Thanks Teacher Teacher,
I will be relocating soon and dread the lifting and muscle activity. I'm a little frightened to have to depend on my own strength. I'll try the Ketoprofen, this time.
Regards
DOLL
I find in a pinch Aspercreme (creme with asprin in it) works fairly well
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