Can still creep up

daniivca

You'd think after living with my arthritis for most of my life would mean that I'd know when the crescendo of my flare up would be but evidentially no! Que waking up in agony and not been able to go to work, which then will follow the useless trip to the doctors that work will inevitably make me do for me to waste his time telling me things I already know to manage with the pain oh the joys and leave work even more short staffed than we are at the moment and annoy the rest of my team! And people wonder why I sometimes need a good cry

Ladybrown

Snap! And almost inevitably the trip to the doc comes when the flare up has died down and GP looks at me like some kind of hypochondriac :roll: It's not easy managing work, is it?

Hope Arthur gives you a break soon

daniivca

I'm lucky enough that my doctors make appointments on the same day but I can't walk down cause it's down a hill which will make my knee hurt and I can't drive down because of my knee and my OH can't drive so I'm stuck and it really isn't especially when they don't quite understand my condition

Ladybrown

So frustrating! I'm taking today off because I've been struggling through a flare up and just can't face a 9-5 day with only a 30 minute break at 10.30 because I am expected to attend a meeting which starts in my lunch break. I just can't do it, and I'm exhausted. And it keeps happening.... I really should learn not to push through and to say no

daniivca

I'm the same but my job is physically demanding and my joints just can't today and I can hardly move so phone work first and feel ashamed and then maybe go and waste a doctors time! I'll have today off and then I'm off for 2 days anyway and then I'm on a 7 day stint but I'll just have to push through it

Ladybrown

I'm a teacher so it's on my feet all the time in the classroom (the meeting is just a treat in my non-contact part of the week!). One of the things I really struggle with on a flare up is thinking straight and getting the right words out. Students are getting used to it but I get v frustrated...
In the meantime I need to call in, say I'll do my best to be back tomorrow and send in work for my students to do. I always feel like I am letting people down when i do this

stickywicket

Your GP can only prescribe NSAIDS and pain relief. If you are flaring frequently it's the rheumatologist you need to see as the hydroxy is clearly not strong enough.

daniivca

I've run out of some of my stronger painkillers that my previous doctor prescribed so I've got to go see them anyway that's what the receptionist said and I'm due back at the rheumtology clinic this month was supposed to be last month but they are running behind evidentially

dreamdaisy

I agree with Sticky, hydroxy is one of the mildest DMARDs out there and, despite the celebrex, your immune system is still able to flare because it is not properly suppressed. OA-ers like to use the F word but for me my OA does not flare: it worsens if the weather is cold or I've overdone things but it soon settles back to its usual degree of nuisance. An auto-immune flare is a very different beast, lasting for weeks or months and the severe tiredness it causes is dreadful - I've had a few of those so give me the OA 'version' any day.

I am on a triple therapy for my PsA and it is, currently, very well controlled. I think you need to see your rheumatologist soon, your GP can do more than NSAIDs and pain relief. DD

PS I'm not sure why you expect rhyme and reason from your particular beast - arthritis lacks both whatever kind it is!

dreamdaisy

Hello, we're a couple of weeks on, how are things going? DD

daniivca

The main part of my flare up lasted a day so the hydroxy is doing its job, still had a disciplinary but the union rep was with me and they've adjourned any decision until I go to OccH but the union reckon I fall under the equalities act because of the arthritis so he thinks they should go down the no further action route. However I'm still exhausted but that comes in fits and waves like now I feel like I could sleep for days and that I'm wading through mud at work yet yesterday I could have run a marathon but it's slowly on its way out now hopefully. I was just wondering if I'm more prone to things like UTIs because I seem to be getting cystitis a lot recently

dreamdaisy

You are not out of the flare, that's clear. Obviously the hydroxy is not cutting the mustard, although I am on a triple therapy I can still flare when the PsA decides to have a nip. The F word is much mis-used on here, it isn't a matter of hours or days.

Due to the hydroxy you will be more open to infection so you must increase your hand hygiene (and that of those around you). I'll explain why on your other post. DD