Struggling Today

Inflexible

Today's been my worst day for a few months, really struggled to get moving this morning and my hands are painful and inflexible, I hate this illness. I'm on week 8 of Methotrexate - it hasn't started to work yet - the effects of the steroid shot I got [8 weeks ago] has worn off, am on a reducing dose of prednisolone with strict instructions to stop (3mg today) and have been taking 1200mg day ibuprofen for the past 10 days but that stopped yesterday and I've just started on Naproxen. To make this situation just that little bit worse, I had a wisdom tooth out on Monday and the residual pain is .... well, what you would expect.

I don't think the Naproxen has began to work yet - can anyone tell me if it's OK to take paracetamol on top of it?

dreamdaisy

I too am feeling the strain - it ain't fun but neither is arthritis. When I was on Naproxen I took pain relief (30/500 cocodamol) too, as I have with any NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), DMARD and anti-TNF. As I am, however, only a patient and not a doc I think it best to check with your rheumatology unit to make sure they are happy with you doing that. I know the theory is that the NSAID is meant to reduce the pain but that has rarely been my experience. DD

moderator

Hi Martyn
you really are in the wars presently and it is very tough to come off medication when your new medication has not kicked in yet. I cannot advise you about taking paracetamol ontop of your other treatments but I would strongly recommend you ask to speak to your GP on the phone or if you can get to your local chemist, go and see you pharmacist. If it is possible to get hold of your rheumatology team it would certainly be a good idea to speak to them and explain that it is urgent and that you are not coping. We do have a booklet about managing pain that may help you too https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/do-i-have-arthritis/publications/217-managing-pain
Please let us know how you get on and most importantly do not suffer in silence when you are in this much pain
Best Wishes
Sharon

Inflexible

Thanks very much for the responses, it helps a great deal to unburden yourself on people who understand. I rang the rheumatology nurse specialist and she's given me the OK to use paracetamol and also told me to bump up my pred by 1 or 2mg just to get me over this bad patch.

I really hope the naproxen has a true AI effect, I've sort of being pinning my hopes on it.

Martyn

dreamdaisy

Ah yes, I remember well the days of pinning my hopes on a medication. I have had the experience of a medical drug changing my life to a fantastic degree, this was when asthma inhalers were invented. I have had operations which have made things better so when the arthritis came along I naively thought the same would happen with the meds and the operations. Idiot.

There are some for who the meds are effective and they are able to return to a nearly normal life (whatever that might be) which must be lovely: I sincerely hope that once the meds are sorted you will be among their number. I firmly believe that the quicker the diagnosis and the sooner one starts the meds the better the outcome will be. DD

barbara12

Hello Martyn..I really do feel for you, so glad to got through to the rheumy nurse and she has advised you..it really does help to unburden.and you know we understand some of what you are going through..hope the extra pred helps very soon..

TheLordFlasheart

Sorry to hear you are having such a bad time, but we are all here for those bad times we all suffer from time to time.


Alastair