More Effin Tablets

sugarbuttie

I am suffering with really bad pain in both feet. Been going on for almost 2 weeks. Struggled to work for nearly a fortnight & looked after 2 kids afterwards only to flop on settee in tears of pain & frustration every night. House getting messier & dirtier by the day. Kids wearing creased (but clean!) clothes. Hubby works long hours & doing his best.

GP prescribed tramadol today which has lead me to purchase a Pre Payment Certificate online tonight as I am spending my wages on drugs! I also take lansoprazole, arcoxia, hydroxychloroquine, sulphasalazine, ranitadine, co-codamol. I only started with these probs in Feb 2010 & I am shocked at a) the pain/state I am in b) the amount of sh1t I am taking already. Really worried for my future & would appreciate any help / support / wise words from those more experienced with than me. I am 38 with a 4 year old & 6 year old so anyone in a similar situation with advice would be very appreciated.

Thank you kind bunch xx

theresa4

My kids are nearly all grown my youngest is 15 but I know what you mean about how quick this progresses mine started mildly in 2006 just sore hand wrist joints then within the year progressed to feet toes and knees. I too went on to strong pain relief very quickly things improve withg depo steroids for a few weeks and inbetween flares. hopefully they can find a treatment that workd for you quicker than they are finding for me.

Poppyg1rl

Hi Sugarbuttie,
I'm in a bit of grief myself to tonight, thanks to Fatima Whitbread throwing a javelin through my elbow....(I had an elbow aspiration :???: )
I can really sympathise with trying to keep the house clean with children, mine are a lot older than yours 13,15 and 17 but all boys and SO messy! Im in permanent flare thanks to PA at the moment, everything is swelling and sore im 39 and was diagnosed march 2010, I'm only on steroids 25mg as had a reaction to anti TNF Humira and had to come off sulfasalazine, methotrexate, celebrex and the Humira, hopefully I'll start on a new drug enbrel (if my lung has recovered) on 10th June. Sugarbuttie i really think you need to get your pain under control and then things will become a lot easier, sorry if I've got this wrong, you've just been given tramadol yes? I'm on it and it took a bit of getting used to but now it's very efficient at taking the edge off, I really hope they work for you.
Thinking of you and sending huge hugs and love xxx

stickywicket

You do seem to be having a hard time of it right now, Sugarbuttie. If it's any help, kids and arthritis are not an impossible combination but they are a difficult one. Mine are 37 & 40 now but it was very tough when they were young and, yes, like you I quickly jettisoned non-essential activities like ironing and quite a lot of the housework I'd previously regarded as necessary.

I hope you'll find some meds that suit you soon. You seem to be on a heady cocktail there.

sugarbuttie

Yes been given tramadol 50mg today. Have got cocodamol 30/500 also but not to take together obviously.

It's being a rubbish mum that is getting to me most. I get them ready for school, go to work, hubby picks them up. By 6pm I am in tears with pain & frustration (& in dressing gown). Put brave face on all day but it crumbles as soon as I get in car / arrive home. I try to be 'fun' for them & take them places at weekend. It's getting to be more effort than fun though.

I am not the person I was - that's what's getting to me. My job is to prevent homelessness. I come across people & situations every day that make me thankful that I have arthritis 'in my own home'. Imagine being in a hostel or on the street with arthritis... When I go to bed at night, I thank my lucky stars that I have my own bed/home. Can you imagine how bad it would be to be kipping on a mate's settee, no meds, no GP etc.

I keep looking on the bright side....even if it's a bit dim!

stickywicket

Don't worry, Sugarbuttie. With that attitude you'll do OK. I don't believe for one moment that you're a rubbish Mum and I don't believe your kids do.

This is a really hard disease to live with & we all cope in our own ways. I got mine at 15 & there was no chance of me working after the lads arrived so I felt guilty cos they couldn't have half the stuff their friends had. Whatever we do to try to make the situation better I think we'll always question it. That's OK as long as we don't dwell too long on the 'What ifs' and 'If onlys'.

For you its a lot of changes very quickly and that's hard in itself. Frustration, eh? Oh yes. I'm not sure that one ever goes.

Please keep talking to us. We mightnot be able to help but we do understand.

suzygirl

Hi Sugarbuttie, I felt compelled to reply as I am in a similar situation. I am 39 and have amongst other things inflammatory artritis. I am on steroids, sulfa and plaquenil and a truck load of other things. I have gone from being a sporty active person in 5 years to a sofa bound, pj wearing mess.

Thankfully my boys are older, 18 and 13 now. If you are worrying about being a good mom, then you are an excellent one, trust me. Its the ones who don't care that are the problem. Personally, I think one of the greatest gifts you can give your child are love and TIME. Just sitting and chatting with them, reading to them, listening to them. Play a game, supervise them making cakes etc, it can all still by done, in pjs on the sofa in comfort.

It sounds as though you need greater disease control. Maybe another DMARD?
When is your next rheumy appt?? Hang in there, it won't always be this bad, good days are just around the corner.

Stay off your feet as much as you can to rest them, silly thing to say to a young mum I know. Just do the essentials. Ironing was the first thing I had to stop doing. Get the kids to run the duster round etc, they love it. Save your energy for the most important things.

Sending you big (((hugs)))

stickywicket

suzygirl wrote:

Personally, I think one of the greatest gifts you can give your child are love and TIME. Just sitting and chatting with them, reading to them, listening to them.

Couldn't agree more, Suzygirl. Mine brought all the neighbourhood kids round during school holidays & I'd score for them at table tennis or snooker. One of my proudest moments was when I heard one teenage lad say to my eldest "I like your Mum. She talks to us."

carola

Hello

I was 38yrs when all this arthritis and SLE (a form of Lupus) hit me. I had to give up my career in March 2010. I will be 40yrs in June and my symptoms have vastly improved.

Just wanted to tell you this so you can see that given time there IS hope.

Meds wise I am currently on Hydroxi too and also Prednisolone. The Pred I am decreasing slowly and down to 4mg daily. I was on Methotrexate until this week as it was having adverse effects on my liver. I was on Tramadol too which you are just starting to take. I took x2 at bedtime and they were a lifesaver for me as they made me feel a wee bit trippy which meant that although I woke up during the night with pain they allowed me to mostly get back to sleep again.

I am so much better now that from having to have my boyfriend take me to the loo, dress me, me in tears all the time, I am now walking my new puppy bulldog and attending yoga classes.

Just want you to know that this time last year I was totally down and bewildered and had a huge feeling of hopelessness and that now I am nearer to 'normal' than not.

It is important to acknowledge that the tat way things are just now are for just now and that it can get much much better.

I don't have children therefore cannot begin to imagine the mess the emotions are having to your head however with determination and a wee bit of luck you can find yourself better and better.

With positive and healing thoughts, Carol x

chrissycl

just wondering if it could be the lanzporazole tablets as this happened to me, i was told that it was a little know side effect that it caused muscle and joint pain, I'm much better now I've changed medicines

frogmorton

Oh you are NOT a rubbish Mum!!!!

I promise you you are not :sad:

The children will grow up and be able to help a little, you will find medication which works for you and be able to do more.

Have you put in for DLA at all?

Only reason l say so is that one or two use some of theirs to employ a cleaner or ironer to help out at home.

I can totally empathise though l was single parent to two kids 5 and 8 when l had back surgery :???:

Love

Toni xx