New Member

robo5245

Hi everyone, my name is Maurice and I was diagnosed yesterday with arthritis don't know which one, they took x rays of my knee and should find out what the real problem is in a few weeks.
Problem is I am/was an active 66yr old, Gym, cycling, gardening and my main hobby Scuba Diving.
Pain killing tablets Paracetamol and Ibuprofen don't seem to be walking I limp when I walk, problem is this damn pain got bad suddenly.
Question is "what other tablets are there to ease the pain"
Does anything else help I will try anything.
Anyway thanks for reading my story and I hope I can help in any way
Sweet
Robo

dreamdaisy

Hi robo and welcome to the forums - I am sorry you have had to find us. Regarding pain killers (such a misnomer) I think it depends on what sort of arthritis you have and whether you can tolerate certain forms of pain relief. I have PA (psoriatic arthritis) and have had for nearly 14 years. I take some fairly heavy-duty pain relief, but I can manage (on my better days) on co-codamol, a mixture of paracetamol and codeine. If you have been very active throughout your life I suspect you may now be reaping the reward known as osteo-arthritis. (That's what the docs and the government don't tell you about keeping active - it can bu**er up one's joints - ). Xrays will show any OA damage, hopefully quite clearly - once it is known what you are facing then 'treatment' can begin. I am sorry about the quotes but it is a fact that arthritis is not generally curable: new joints and/or surgery can make a great deal of difference but they are rare in the early stages. If it is OA then your GP will be your first point of contact and you could discuss with him the use of anti-inflammatories as well as better pain control. I think get diagnosed first, then see what the options are. It's usually better to cross bridges when one reaches them! I hope you have a good evening, I wish you a good 2011 and do keep in touch. DD