Hear or cold in the morning-help!

mamadeesix

What do you guys do if you wake up to a new and painful joint thing? I have my usuals, and can get that all to settle down within an hour or so.

But then I'll wake up with something new that I blame on whatever (helping move 4 sheets of paneling, not heavy but a weird large size...or some other lame thing I did which my new body can't take)
Two weeks ago it was heel pain, which hasn't left yet. Couldn't come up with any reason for that one. lol. Two days ago, my lower back/hips hurt every time I tried to turn over in bed. Who knows.

Today, I woke up and my neck is SO stiff and sore. I did nothing weird yesterday. I'm used to the one most people get...sleep wrong and it hurts to turn your head to one side for a couple days.

This is different. It hurts at the base of my neck most, but radiating out. Looking sideways and up is only slightly limited, but I can't look down at all.

I have a rock concert tonight. Hour drive into the city. I need to feel better. I made SURE I went to bed early, got enough sleep, but not too much. Planned nothing strenuous for today, planned healthy meals for fatigue. Got my good shoes with inserts ready.

Then I wake up and dang if something new doesn't hurt. How best can I deal with this?

stickywicket

This will sound facetious, flippant and uncaring and I promise you it's meant as none of them. Things I would do / have done / will do again in similar circumstances:

1. Ignore the pain. Plan ahead and take whatever meds you can at the most vital times. Get someone else to drive even if it means taxis. (Arthritis is expensive.) Accept you'll be paying for the outing in far more than money for at least 24 hours and probably more.

2. Don't go. As time goes on we all get better at judging whether or not the anticipated pleasure will outweigh the resulting pain. Arthritis gobbles up anxiety and excitement as if they were gourmet feasts and grows accordingly.

As for the pain when turning over in bed or waking up - when did you last change your mattress and pillow? I think they reckon 8-10 years is the useful life of the average mattress. I used to wake up with migrainey neck pain until I got a shaped memory-foam pillow. I take it everywhere now.

mamadeesix

You do not sound facetious, flippant or uncaring at all. I will take all advice I can.

This is all semi-new to me. I am not used to having to worry about what pillow I use, or if that box I carried will come back to bite me. All things I should keep in mind now, I guess.

I find myself now worried if I'll feel well enough for some event I have coming up. Or whether I should commit to it at all.

I realize you guys have walked in these shoes longer and have insight I don't have. I appreciate your help.

I don't want to come across as a whiner......it's just that I have not dealt with this before and am constantly surprised and dismayed by how I feel. It's an uncertain time.....trying to figure out a correct diagnosis, while I deal with what comes up with Motrin and Tylenol. I do have some Meloxicam left from the first rheum., but I took that at night, so don't want to take it today in case it makes me tired. I wish I was back on day 5 of prednisone.....but boy, did I pay for that, once the pack was gone!

I cannot skip this concert. I am taking 2 of my kids, and have spent decent money on it. But....my 19 year old is going, so he can drive. We will pay the expensive parking, so we don't have to walk as far, etc. We do have seats....I knew enough not to get floor tickets! lol.

So, my plan is, OTC Motrin/Tylenol, especially an hour or so before concert. Heat rice sock today, and gentle moving. Healthy foods, plenty of water. Lots of ignoring. Pay for it tomorrow.

Thanks so much.

dreamdaisy

I have no idea how best you can deal with this because your troubles are different to mine and over the years I have learned about preparation and pacing which is still, naturally, something of a foreign concept for you.

When there is something on the horizon that I really want to do I prepare for up to a week beforehand by resting more, not overdoing things and getting my meds as up-to-date as possible. I did this before we recently went to Cambridge, things were grim before going and became grimmer there but that's nothing new and by not doing stupid things I managed to get through. The only thing I routinely refuse to consider are wedding invitations etc. where my not turning up will cost someone money. Payback is always on the cards and sometimes arrives before we've done what we planned.

As for sleep matters we replaced our mattresses four years ago so they are half-way through their lifespan (we have individual ones so I can renew mine before his) and I recently renewed my Tempur pillow because the support that was offering was waning. All our bedding is natural to aid temperature control. I don't sleep, I doze: pain breakthrough ensures I wake when I need to move as moving naturally is thing of the past. If I wake up with something new twanging I blame the disease and go on as normal. DD

stickywicket

You're a quick learner. I'm sorry you've had to learn but your preps are good. I do hope you enjoy the concert. As DD says, we old hands have learnt to start preparing days in advance but this concert will help you to learn for future events. I particularly like the idea of the 19 yr old driving. It does our children no harm to have to be in charge at times. We can be truthful about our problems without whining or self pity. It's a good way forward.

mamadeesix

Thank you guys. Made it to the show and back! This morning my neck and surrounding muscles are a little worse for wear, but nothing else seems worse.

Which still leaves my original question. Are people with arthritis more prone to this kind of thing happening? I know anyone can wake up with a jacked up neck....but this kind of thing happens to me now on a regular basis. Joint pain in my neck was not one of my things.......

I know with RA, you can wake up with a new, surprise pain every day as it moves around. Not even sure how or why that is. But I'm guessing those with OA are just more prone to things like this, even if they don't have OA in their neck specifically?

At any rate, I survived. I planned a low key day, but will now have to take my son to the dr. His blew his knee out at work (construction) yesterday. He can't drive cause it's his right leg, and I can't turn my head....so should be fun! lol.

stickywicket

Wing mirrors! I had to rely on mine all the time in my driving days.

So glad you got there, enjoyed it and don't seem to have paid too high a price, arthritically speaking.

I can only tell what I know. My RA started in my hands, moved on relatively quickly to ankles and feet but then hung back a bit (a few years?) before shoulders, elbows, neck and knees joined in. Even longer to hips. But, we're all different. Others will have had different experiences.

mamadeesix

Thanks! So now that you have all the joints you listed affected.......does it travel around or do all those areas hurt on a pretty consistent basis?

My knees were first, then big toes...that was it for a couple of years. I assumed OA, and maybe that's still true. Then sciatica down one leg. Then a few months ago, my hips/lower back and elbows joined in, and hands a bit. And a couple of weeks ago, both heels and then whole feet started. I can feel all those things every day, but depending on the day, one of them may stand out worse than the other, if that makes sense.

I guess only time will tell if this is a temporary neck thing or a new area coming to join the party.

stickywicket

I'm relying on a not-too-reliable memory now. In my early years the only meds were NSAIDS (eg ibuprofen), pain relief and the odd burst of steroids. The early DMARDS (gold injections, penicillamine) were nowhere near as effective as the ones on offer now. So, until I was put onto methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine, about 40 years in, it had a fairly free rein. From then on, and with the aid of replaced knees and hips, things got a whole load better and these days I can hardly feel my hands at all.

When it started it just started ie it didn't move around it was just that other bits joined in. These days, there's the basic background stuff which I can largely ignore, then a bit extra from wherever. It's usually shoulders these days but the DMARDS are doing sterling work. If I overdo things that's the OA. The RA is much more subtle and sneaky and works to its own timetable.

mamadeesix

Thank you, that does make a clearer picture of what can happen.


Until I know what's up with my diagnosis, I just have to treat symptoms really. I'm a "have to understand everything" kind of person, so this is all VERY frustrating for me. lol

Especially when "overdoing" used to mean a 5k......now it might mean pulling a trash can up the driveway.
Or sleeping wrong. Who knows.

I"ll be glad to get a clearer diagnosis, but I know that takes time. Did I mention I am also not a very patient person. This whole process is forcing patience and letting go on me big time.

dreamdaisy

I began with my left knee, that ran from 1997-2003 then my right knee joined in. Come 2006 PsA was finally diagnosed which changed nothing, then OA in 2011. I now I have around forty affected joints, some with the PsA, others with OA and the rest with both. They all hurt to varying degrees all the time so that makes things more straightforward to deal with. On occasion they hurt more then return to their previous levels of discomfort: they never stop and that's fine by me: the thought of being without pain is not a pleasant one. Any form of arthritis is progressive and degenerative and we all differ in the rate at which that happens.

Like many who are new to this you are naturally impatient, over-analyse every little thing and want answers. Things will also continue to happen to your body which are not connected to arthritis - just because you have this to deal with doesn't render you immune to the other nonsenses associated with life and ageing. My peers are finally beginning to join me in my creakiness, admittedly in a rather amateurish fashion but as they are all heading towards sixty that's no great surprise - to me. They are horrified, I am privately amused but know to say the right things. What makes me spit feathers is when they say 'Now I know what you've been going through.' They don't have a clue: aches that are eased by a couple of paracetamol are pathetic attempts at being me. DD

stickywicket

mamadeesix wrote:

This whole process is forcing patience

Arthritis in a nutshell. It doesn't change even when we have a diagnosis. Much of life is waiting, wondering and hanging on in. I have long believed that the more inflexible the joints the more flexible the mind has to be.