Difficult Mornings - Ways to ease getting out of bed ?

cakegirl

Just wondering if any of you have any tips for getting out of bed.

I am so, so sore in the mornings, the stiffness is horrendous. At the moment I'm finding if I wake up half an hour earlier and take a 30mg codeine with 2 paracetamol it makes it a bit easier getting up and takes the edge off things.

Once I'm up and moving around it wears off, about an hour and a half later.

Any advice greatly appreciated as it's really hard with two kids xxxx

traluvie

I know that feeling..
Like you i have to take my tablets before i can get out of bed, sometimes gentle exercises can help ease stiffness, someone else may come up with some ideas for you..x

jillyb1

I get helped up by my hubby , and straight into the shower . I find the hot water on the joints first thing is wonderful . The shower is also my " cope with another day " me time ! Get my head together and face the world with a smile . Jillyb

sciqueen

Hi

I also use to have to get up an hour early and take 2 cocodomols before I could even venture into the bathroom and start getting ready for work.
Some mornings I could not even get up after an hour, and on those mornings when I was really stiff and could hardly move, I had to phone in sick and just sleep it of. I usually then get up about 11ish and then most of the working day is gone, so I never attempted to try and get in.

Some morning hubby would help and have to dress me before he left for work. I would then lie down partially dressed until it was time to finish getting ready and then leave.

Not been as stiff as that for amout 6wks now, as my meds have started to work. I am of sick at moment and I am returning back to work next wk. Oh I have ra.
I hated that time as I was also in a lot of pain and ra was out of control - das score then was 6.6.

I think alot of us get up earlier and have to take pain relief before we can get moving.

Good luck and I hope your morning stiff eases some what

Good luck for 2012

Sci x

LolaCrayola

I start with my physio in bed. When I am really sore getting up is the worst bit. I would try to get on my side and push myself up on my hands. Many times I have flopped out on all fours and do not recommend that. I used to clock watch to take first drugs. An electric heat pad helps. Your physio can advise on how to get up on bad days.

suncatcher

I used to get up 2 hours early before work as it took that long to feel less stiff and function mentally . It was horrendous and i took cocodamal when i awoke and did a few exercises slapping clapping the hands arms legs feet to get some feeling in them. They were so numb and the pain.
A good hot bath helped so much still does with a favourite scent is a treat also. Treat self to the softest blankets pillows as this helps.
thank you for sharing your tips as it does help others who suffer with this. from joanne

frogmorton

Cakegirl

you are doing the right thing there by taking your meds before trying to do too much.

When you are working it can feel as though you are 'living to work' because your days and weeks can revolve around getting yourself able to work x:roll:

Doing a few very gentle exercises in bed is a good idea too.

Just take it steady

Love

Toni xx

kevinwittering

My arthritis ( Doctor now prefers to call it fibromyalgia as no tests have ever shown me to have arthritis of any kind, not sure whether it is better to have arthritis or lots of pain but they don't know what it is ) started in early Feb 1988 and by the end of the month could only get out of bed by rolling onto all fours on the floor and pushing myself up. It's better now but still have to lie on my side facing the edge of the bed and pull my legs up towards my chest, put my lower legs out over the side and use my legs as a pendulum whilst pushing up with my hands.

My shower in the morning is what gets me going and eases everything off, come back on a little when I get out but nowhere as bad as when I wake up. If only I could walk around all day with the heat of the shower without the wet I would be great ( probably a bit sweaty but hey, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs ).

bubbles

I am a bit like the Princess and the pea. I have two mattress' on my bed, which makes it easier for me to get in and then wallow, sorry, roll, into place. :roll: It also helps with getting out, as long as I get my legs against the wardrobe. With the bed being high, I would slip onto the floor without propping myself. The OT did say I should try a grab handle that goes under the mattress, but as yet, I have not asked for one. I do try and do some physio exercises before I launch myself.
Falling straight back onto the bed is a common event, sending the cats flying. Oh the joys.
Then it is a shed load of pills and take at least one to two hours to come round a bit.

dreamdaisy

You are doing the right things so far, cakegirl, I find that when things are not so good for me having my crutches by the bed also helps. The routine then is pills, stretch a bit, swear a bit, stretch a bit more, swear a little more then get into sitting position, swear, swing legs over the side, pick up the sticks, swear, stand then get the sticks properly in position. Start walking, swear with some feeling, hoof up and down the landing a few times before tackling the stairs, swear, throw the crutches down the stairs then revel in the crunch and grind of bone on bone as I gingerly descend like a toddler. Once this eagle has landed on the ground floor the reward of tea is not that far away, plus the reward of sitting down whilst I make it. The swearing is definitely the most helpful thing in the whole process but I appreciate that with young children around words like 'shift' and 'duck' may not adequately cut the mustard but 'piglets' (the word of choice when I am teaching) is quite good. DD

tillytop

Hello Cakegirl

Like the others I am very familiar with the problems you are having (not so much now thankfully but been there many times in the past). When I was first diagnosed, help and advice was very thin on the ground (ie non-existent) but I found a book about RA in the library which suggested top to toe "range of movement" exercises before trying to get out of bed. They were all pretty simple stretchiing type exercises (eg turning head from side to side, shrugging shoulders, opening and closing fingers as far as possible, bending and straightening knees). It used to take me a good 20 mins to do them and it was extremely painful and difficult but it definitely helped me when I came to get out of bed. I would then follow up with a hot bath (when I could get in) or long hot shower. And gradually, gradually as I moved around, I would start to un-seize. I did need to allow at least 2 hours in the morning to get up and dressed in those days but by taking it slowly, I could do things at my own pace. You have the advantage of having painkillers to take when you wake up and I reckon that if you take them and then spend time doing these type of exercises, they will hopefully have started to kick in by the time you are able to get out of bed.

I know that stretching etc is absolutely the last thing you feel you can do first thing, but my experience is that it really does make a difference.

Thinking of you.

Tillyxxx

stickywicket

I agree with the others - paindullers, stretching exercises and a few choice swear words. The swear words of choice, when delicate ears are around, I nicked from the van of a local tradesman who specialises in Gutterings, Fascias and Soffits. It works for me.

bubbadog

Hi Cakegirl, I have assistance from my OH to get into sitting position then take things on step at a time, shuffle legs round to side of bed then take a minute then when OH have brought walking crutches over get helped into standing postion and I'm off!
1st things in the morning are the hardest after being asleep for several hours, I do become stiff and sore. And it takes a good hour to get going in the morning! Hope you have found some useful tips in the answers you have got.

julie47

Hi cakegirl

You are already doing the best thing, taking the dullers before attempting to get up,

Hope you are ok today
Juliepf x

skezier

Hi Cakegirl,

I have huge problems getting in and out of bed and the back and neck are all but shot now but... I raised the bed to hip high.... makes it easier to get in to but to get out gravity brings me feet down if I can get them out. Once done I am all but standing as the bed is so high if that makes sense?

I know you can get proper things to raise beds with but I just used 6" block cus I had some kicking around and its worked so well.

To get going... I wake feeling cut in half most days and just about stumble to the kettle to make a drink before taking a ton of tablets. Once they start to work i can get moving but for me the longer I spend laid down the worse the pain and uselessness is so I tend to not be in bed too long now a days.

OT might be able to help, they gave me a bed turner.... the jury is still out on if that helps for me but they also are on about some other stuff as well as making me some kind of neck and back brace that will take the weight off certain vertebrae so they are worth getting a referral to if you can. Cris x