Hi Everyone!

coughcake

I am new here and having a really down day. I have had aches, pains and various other symptoms, including longstanding depression (which is well maintained on a low dose of Citalopram) for many years. My journey towards Rheumatology only began at Christmas time when I was diagnosed with iritis in both eyes and it flared up within 2 weeks of resolving.

I first saw a Rheumatologist last week, who is almost certain I have fibromyalgia but is also investigating me for Lupus and Ankylosing Spondylitis. I had an IM steroid injection last Monday and was started on Amitriptylline (which has made an amazing difference to my sleep pattern already) but on Wednesday night my back siezed up completely and I'm still in agony with it. On top of all my other pain medication, I'm therefore now also taking diazepam- if I wasn't so miserable I would be in stitches at the amount of time I'm spending with various doctors getting various pills!

To add insult to injury, I am trying very hard to keep working and ironically I am a physiotherapist!

I am so miserable being unable to work at my usual pace or fulfill my usual role in my family and just wanted to have a sound-off to other people who might understand.

Hope no-one minds me having such a moan during my first post to the forum.
Thanks xx

barbara12

Hello coughcake
I'm so sorry to hear your are struggling like this, I do thank myself lucky I am retired,,bless of course we don't mind you having a moan ..it is well deserved and by my standing that is more a little winge..I am glad you have joined us it will give you somewhere to ask question and get support ...sorry I cant offer any advice..I have OA ..but you stay with us and hopefully someone will be along to offer some help..but we are good listeners..x

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you have had to find us. I have psoriatic arthritis, which in turn has led to OA and fibro. The good news is that you have seen a rheumatologist and investigations are under way but, as many of us on here know, diagnosis can be a very slow process: there are around 200 forms of auto-immune arthritis.

I started my little business about eighteen months before the arthritis began: seventeen long years later I stopped because it was taking too much out of me and I had no resources on which to fall back. I too take a small daily dose of citalopram on the recommendation of my rheumatologist, her reasoning being that if I was feeling stronger mentally I would cope better physically. I appreciate the theory but the reality is a little grim.

I prefer to keep pain relief to the minimum because none of it does what I would wish and it leaves me an escape route when things go mammaries-up (which they do from time to time). I am 55 and reliant on walking aids 'cos every joint from the waist-down is affected. I too have had a rough day today - I empathise. DD

toady

coughcake wrote:

I am so miserable being unable to work at my usual pace or fulfill my usual role in my family and just wanted to have a sound-off to other people who might understand

This is the area that hits hard for most of us here, or those that have had to cut back significantly in these areas, so you certainly are among people who understand. I slid into unwellness in two stages, sort of; cutting down my activity a lot compared to what it was, but more again in recent years, so I have never had quite the shock of losing my 'normal' level of functioning. Even so it's the toughest part of being ill for me, the simple fact of not being able to just get on with things. However you are in the very early stages of being investigated & the best treatment for you tried, having only just seen a rheumatologist at all, so don't be too downheartened if you can, as I certainly know people personally who function at a much better level thanks to the right medication & lifestyle for them. Must be very tough for you as a physio & I do sympathise.

Settler

We all need someone to listen, and they do on here, because we are all in the same boat ,not being able to do simple stuff is very frustrating, I always say unless you go through it yourself you can't totally understand, and it's true xx

bubbadog

Coughcake, firstly can I say I love your username!! And welcome to the forum. This is why I love this site we are all supportive of each other through the good and the bad times. The hardest part for me was realising I couldn't do my job anymore and the company I worked for sacked me by letter with the reason I was taking absences from work to much!! And also finding I couldn't do simple things like cook a meal or do some housework without pain taking over. Now my OH has to do the day to day house stuff as well as go out to work. My life as I originally wanted it to be has had to change dramatically all due to Arthritis! But it doesn't mean you have to lose out on everything you want to do I've done things I have loved with a little tweaking to suit the Arthritic me!!

coughcake

Thanks everyone it's lovely to speak to other people who understand where I am coming from. I am in the fortunate position at the moment of having a wonderful boss and supportive family but am scared of what the future holds since I'm only at the beginning of my journey. I've just received my return appointment for Rheumatology- 10th April- so we'll see what comes of that.

Thanks for your support.

Nicola xx