Osteoarthritis

Sarah69

Hi, I have 1 hip replacement (2 years ago this coming May), arthritis in my other hip and now in both my shoulders. I'm 45 years old. Can anyone tell me what pain medication your on please? What in realistic terms can I expect in the future, is a fast or slow progression?

ouchpotato

Hi Sarah, I have OA in my spine, knees, hands and shoulders and am having another MRI on Tuesday to decide if I also have an inflammatory arthritis. I am on cocodamol 30/500, and amitriptyline at night for nerve pain and to help me sleep. I can't take NSAIDs because they caused gastritis, so it's as above, plus hot water bottles/heat spray/heat rub for me. I can't really answer how fast the progression will be as I think everyone is different but for me I have gone quite far downhill in the past 2 years (I was only diagnosed properly last month). I'm 45.
Hope that helps.
x

barbara12

Hello Sarah
And welcome to the forum
I have had on hip replaced and waiting to have the other done, my back and shoulders have joined in...must say shoulders are so blinking painful
I take gabapentin for my back..cocodamols for other pain..and to help me sleep Amitriptyline......I dont always take the dosesi have been told to it depends on the day...must say the one thing that is working for my shoulder is ice...I did use heat and still do on my neck...but the ice calms the inflamation down
Have you been referedto a pain clnic they can be very helpful

hileena111

Hi Sarah
I've got OA in hips, lower spine, ankle and neck.
I'm 3 weeks post op THR {the 2nd one}
It's difficult to talk about progression......everyone is different.
As for medicines.....the same applies.....we aren't docs we can only tell you what helps us. :?
I take naproxen and paracetamol.
I find heat best for me {some people find cold better}
I also use gels.
I also get acupuncture under the NHS for a while. I find that helps. It eases the pain although doesn't take it away but for me that's a result.
What about physiotherapy?
Like I say different meds help different people. You just have to think of ways of managing your arthritis and coping with it.
Sorry that might not have been much help but just my experience
Love
Hileena

elnafinn

Hi Sarah

I am sorry to hear about your OA. I am sure mine started late 30s/early 40's. I am now 63. I have OA in my thumbs which has burned itself out practically and just looks unsightly. I have had two TKRs, had an upper spine op, am having a shoulder arthroscopy next month and may well have three more ops lined up before too long. These are spinal operations and may be a leg one first, as I have one leg 3.5cms longer than the other which is not helping my scoliosis/back problems. I have been diagnosed with Osteoporosis as well but the scoliosis surgeon says I do not have it but it is the arthritis in my wonky spine making me lose height at an alarming rate. He added it is good I am on an OP drug though for my bones.

Anyway, as to meds, I take two anti-inflammatory pills daily for years which I have tried to come off but quickly go back on them as they help me so much. I do not bother with any pain meds now. I do not find they make any difference. I have a stash of cocodomol (prescribed) in case I wish to take them.

I exercise daily and have done for years and feel that this has and does help me the most in every way. I have just joined a tai chi class and really enjoy that too.

Hileena mentions physiotherapy. I had had lots of that over the years, sometimes it helps, other times not. Definitely worth a try.

You ask if OA is a fast or slow progression. Unfortunately I cannot answer that question. We are all different. There is no set rule I am afraid.
Keeping positive helps and laughing. It has and does help me anyway. :-D

Elna

Sarah69

Thanks for the reply's. I went to a pain clinic in 2010 when I had chronic pain in my hip, ive tried lots of pain medication and went up to Methadone for pain relief but nothing helped. Does anyone take omega 3 fish oil and do you think it helps? My doctor has said to try either yoga of Pilates does anyone do these classes?

elnafinn

I have not done pilates but yoga I did for years and years. I really enjoyed it. With my symptoms now I think yoga and pilates would not be for me unless I knew the instructor was knowledgeable about arthritis, spinal problems and osteoporosis.

I have always found heat to be of great benefit to me. A wheat bag heated up in the microwave and an electric blanket. Bliss. :-D

I take fish oil daily. Perhaps I would have been worse if I had not taken them for what seems like forever. Actually I take cod liver oil capsules now.

Elna

dreamdaisy

Any form of arthritis is both degenerative and progressive but the rate is as individual as we are. I have two kinds of arthritis, an auto-immune plus OA and the one thing I've learned is that nothing tackles the pain as we would like. I prefer to keep the relief to the absolute minimum for two reasons.

1. I prefer to be alert rather than doped up by the strong pain dullers; the stronger they are the more I am removed from the pain and not vice-versa. I manage on up to four 30/500 cocos per day.

2. I have stronger ones available for when my auto-immune flares or other stuff happens: I currently have a broken left arm but managed it by increasing my usual 30/500 cocos to eight per day, I am now back to four.

Pain levels are individual, one man's agony is another's mild niggle. We have to do what we have to do but pain is a fact of our lives. I wish you well. DD

Boomer13

Gosh, I don't know what say after reading you've tried methadone, I had thought that was one of the best for severe pain. A GP with interest in chronic pain used to prescribe me several things at once. He said that hitting the pain with several meds that work different ways was often better than taking just one type. It was one time that I thought he was right

I take Gabapentin for nerve pain, codeine, tramadol, acetaminaphen and a muscle relaxant. Exercise makes me worse, so a yoga instructor told me you only need to do a few exercises for about 10 mins to get the endorphin release that offers some pain relief.

I've found any pain med taken in time-release form works better with fewer dips in pain control. I'm uncomfortable aiming for pain-free, so I always expect to have some pain. It took awhile for this to feel normal. I have PsA and OA.

Best wishes,
Anna