Hello :)

electricbluetears

Hiya, I found you all last night as I was googling amitriptyline as my gp has recommended I give it a go as ODing on codeine every other day isn't really healthy.

Last night I found myself laughing and crying with you all. I've had a hard time accepting the fact that I am crippled. It seems like it happened overnight as well! I have had OA in my knees for a long time but it wasn't too debilitating, just a pain, literally. Then in the past 2 years my hips have just gone. Seriously painful!!!

OA in the hips has completely changed me. I used to be so spontaneous and up for nearly anything and now, every little outing is pleagued with: is there blue badge parking close to the entrance? Will there be a queue? How far will I have to walk? etc and then there is the added pressure that friends don't understand. It's not that I don't WANT to dance, it's that I can't afford to be in bed two weeks dying in pain for ONE dance! ugh! I'm sure I am singing to the choir, but I don't really have anyone around who understands.

I feel bad for my husband as he married a fun outgoing girl 5 years ago and now he is my carer I feel like a burden most of the time, but he reassures me that he loves me and would do anything to help. *sigh*

I'm not a negative person, lol, I just needed to unload a little around people who "get it".

Life is pretty good otherwise and I do have it better than some, so I keep my head up and keep plodding along.

PS- any of you on amitriptyline gain weight or have suicidal thoughts because of it? These are my only concerns about taking it. Thanks!

bubbadog

Hi electric, Firstly welcome to Arthritis care forum Glad you found us! I'm sure we can advise you a little but support you loads! We have all gone from being active enjoying life to be needing meds to just get us out of bed! So we know what your going through.
I'm sure if you ask all our OH's they will say the samething as your OH! We have all adjusted our life to suit our needs now and we all have off days now and again if we didn't I would be worried!
I have gained a llitle weight since increasing my Amitriptyline dose. Welcome again to Arthritis Care forum and I hope you enjoy it and look forward to reading your future posts!

valval

welcome can not help with meds but can get where you are coming from with the planning each trip carefull and opting out from time to time when energy just not there keep posting val

Numptydumpty

Hi and welcome from me too.
You will find the people on this forum very helpful, caring and supportive.
Wishing you well,
Numpty

dachshund

Hello Electricbluetears
welcome to this lovely forum ask any question and i'm sure these lovely kind and helpfull people will know the answer
have you thought of trying a mobility scooter they are very good i have one you can get one that fits in the back of a car.
take care
joan xx

mig

Hello and welcome,I have ra so cannot help,you will find us friendly crowd,have you checks out chit chat yet,now that's good for a laugh.hope that see you posting again.Mig

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's lovely to meet you and I am glad you have found us. I can't help on the meds front too much (I've never taken amytryp), I too have OA but that is a result of the joint damage caused by my auto-immune arthritis. I do empathise with the BB dilemma though - I have recently re-discovered the joys of queueing thanks to my four wheeled rollator, complete with seat: I can take the weight off yet keep up with the queue! I wish you well. DD

pegleg

Hello there , I've just joined too and have had a very warm welcome , I had a knee replacement on 17th July aged 48 after being in terrible pain which quickly became unbearable , I feel a burden too (have had lots of ops on this leg due to a road accident) but my partner and girls always rally round and cope brilliantly , I think its made us all closer . Hope you find some comfort from others on here who understand each other xx

Helenbothknees

Electric, I'm new on here too, and I understand. I've had OA in my knees for years (diagnosis in 1998) and got used to very gradually doing less...and I used to be superfit and very active. Then six months ago things started getting worse, fast!! To cut a long story short, I just had two knee replacements on 8th July, so I have high hopes but at present even more pain and less mobility. I agree, it's not fun. I don't have an answer; I wish I did. I have a wonderfully supportive partner, which is amazing as we've only been together three years, but that helps a lot. But hang in there, and know that there are people here who DO understand...and some of them will hopefully come up with something more useful than this.

knuckleduster

Hello electricbluetears

Hello from me and welcome to the forum. I was low in spirits too when I joined this forum, but have had many laughs since. You will get lots of support and help by using the forum and you soon realise you are not alone.
Friends and family are important too and you must always let them know when you are having a "down" day. Get lots of rest, take your medication and always let your doctor know if it isn't working. I had one of my hips replaced in Dec 2010 and was wondering if replacement surgery has been mentioned to you?

If you want a bit of light relief, join the chit chat forum and have a few more laughs.

Janet x

Helenbothknees

Electric, I just re-read your post, and you're being a bit hard on yourself (though that's OK too). Of course it's not worth two weeks of pain for one dance! Of course you need to know about blue badge parking and how far you have to walk. Your husband is supportive and understands, so trust him and let him help you. And if friends don't understand, get new friends...though actually I found that friends eventually do understand if you spell it out to them. My friends didn't get it as it seemed to them like one week I was doing 20 mile walks and the next complaining at 20 yards; they forgot there had been many years in between and a lot had changed. They were OK when I spelled it out bluntly. Interestingly, they're all being great since the op.

7worlds

Hey There Electric.
Welcome to the forum. I have RA but like all of us on here, totally get where you are coming from. You have come to the right place for support, advice, or a wee moan.

7worlds

electricbluetears

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!!

Ended up going to GP last night and saying ok to meds. Thursday night was a sleepless night for me as in so much pain so I had time on my hands to do more research. It looked good to me except weight gain as I am a lifetime fatty and am sensitive to wg side effects. GP and I have agreed that if more than 10lbs is gained then we will try something else..BUT

OMG. Took my first dose last night and I cannot express how great I feel. Of course the pain killing effects haven't kicked in yet but I got 13 hours deep sleep without even getting up to use the loo. I haven't felt this great in myself in a long time. yay for sleep!!

Will update more in the week but I have a super busy, bbq filled weekend ahead!

frogmorton

Welcome to the forums from me too EBT

Lovely to meet you and am so glad you found us! It doesn't half help

I take amitriptyline 25mg at night. No weight gain, no suicidal thoughts just some relief and a better nights sleep.

Glad you are giving them a go

Love

Toni xxx

Rewter

Welcome. I'm pretty new on here and have found the people on here very friendly and also, very supportive. Welcome onboard

mrsshazbat

Hi and welcome, I'm also a newbie

I'm taking Amitryptilline 10mg although not for my PsA but tension headaches. I haven't experienced any weight gain whilst taking them (I only take them when needed and don't need any help gaining weight ) but I do sleep like a log even on such a low dose, and find it difficult to wake up in a morning (more than usual!).

xx