Very painful flare in hands

Teapot

Good afternoon everyone. Although I log in here every day to pick up tips and it also helps me to not feel sorry myself. But at 3am this morning the pain in both hands and fingers were so bad I was at crying point. Para did not help so tried cocodomol 8/500 and then waited for doctor to ring. She prescribed 30/500 and I am to take them at dinner time. I have not had a bad flare for 2 years so don't know where it came from. I feel really awful, tired and in pain. I have left message on Rheumy helpline so maybe get call back. I inject mtx and benepali take folic acid and lanzaprole. It came out of the blue and I have always managed with para. Does anyone know if I should still inject Benepali Wednesday and Mtx Sunday if flare has not gone away. Thanks for listening. I have spent day in bed as no energy at all. Thank you

stickywicket

Lovely to see you again, valde, but I'm sorry to hear it's a flare that's the cause. I hope the increased strength cocos will help with the pain.

As for the DMARDS / biologics – if I was flaring I'd assume I needed them more than ever. and I'd definitely take them. The only situation I can think of where that might not be the case would be if I was flaring as a result of some infection – a cold, sore throat, virus etc.

I do hope your helpline people get back to you quickly so that you can be sure and I hope the flare goes as quickly as it arose.

Teapot

Thank you for taking the time to reply Sticky. I always feel so much better when on this forum. As you can see by time 11.30pm. Still awake pain still bad but hoping as you said cocos kick in. I suppose one good thing about getting old and in retirement I have not got to get up for work. I feel so much for the younger people on here it must be so hard for them. Hopefully I will get a call from help line tomorrow. Thanks again and take care

dreamdaisy

Hello, I am sorry that things are tough at the moment but this is what arthritis can do (and does :roll: ). I've been taking 30/500 cocos for years, like everything else pain-relief-wise they don't remove the pain but they dull it sufficiently for me to get on. When things are tough I top up with paracetamol to support the co-cos, the regimen might be co-cos at 6am to prepare me for getting up, then paracetamol at 11am to top up, then more at 5pm if needed, then co-cos at 10pm to help me settle down. I keep a minimum of five hours between doses.

I'm sure you've read on here that people with OA in their hands recommend soaking hands in a basin of warm water laced with Epsom salts, I have no idea what this achieves but it might help. I take methotrexate and humira for my PsA, only stopping if I have a cough, sore throat or temperature. Generally they control matters well but the arthritis flares regardless, I don't reason why because there is no point. It is what it is and it will do what it will do, my part is to wether the storm until I find calmer waters again. I hope things improve soon. DD

BettyMac

Hi Valde

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having a flare despite all the DMARDs.
Most of my own RA problems are also hand and wrist so I know how awful this can be.
I hope you’ve heard back from the Rheumy helpline. If not, it’s worth chasing this up - maybe with a call to the department secretary.
If you can - keep a brief daily note of which joints are painful, which meds you’ve had and how much your sleep in being disrupted. This will give the doctor or specialist nurse an accurate idea of just how bad this flare is.

Have you tried TENS? I found it didn’t completely remove the pain but worked as a distraction which made it easier to cope with. I still needed the drugs tho.

Hope you’re feeling better soon

stickywicket

I'm thinking of you, valde, and hoping you've had a reply by now and that the cocos are doing a bit more t115006

Teapot

Good afternoon. Many thanks for your thoughts and help. I heard back from Rheumy help nurse who advised to use the cocos and phone again tomorrow if no improvement. I have just phoned them back and left message because unfortunately although the cocos dull the pain they make me dreadfully sick and a spaced out feeling and when she phoned I felt so awful I forgot to tell her everything. She mentioned antiflams so maybe they will put me back on Naproxen as I have not had these or any antiflams for a good two years. Can't remember why these stopped. Waiting to hear back but guess that will not be until tomorrow now. Sorry feeling a bit sorry for myself at the moment but it will pass. It's surprising how I feel lifted putting things on here. I am so grateful for this forum X Thank you

stickywicket

Hey, don't apologise, valde. We're here for each other, end of.

No wonder you couldn't remember everything for the nurse. Pain, anxiety and a touch of brain fog from the Cocos will combine to make it so much harder. Do you always take the meds with food? That helps with the sickness and nausea.

I hope a better night is in store but also that the nurse will have more advice tomorrow. Perhaps anti-inflamms. Who knows? Keep us informed.

turtle

stickywicket wrote:

Hey, don't apologise, valde. We're here for each other, end of.

No wonder you couldn't remember everything for the nurse. Pain, anxiety and a touch of brain fog from the Cocos will combine to make it so much harder. Do you always take the meds with food? That helps with the sickness and nausea.

I hope a better night is in store but also that the nurse will have more advice tomorrow. Perhaps anti-inflamms. Who knows? Keep us informed.
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I hope things have eased up somewhat by now. That kind of pain is so strong, and having to stay in bed with it so depressing. Do you have someone to help you during these flares?

You will be in my thoughts tonight. Wish I could do more.

dreamdaisy

Hello valde, how are things today? I hope they are improving. DD

Teapot

Good morning. Thank you for your advice and thoughts. I am feeling a little better today .Hands still painful. Have taken lower dose of coco which can be bought over counter 8/500 these have eased it a bit and I am not so spaced out or sick. I made sure I had good breakfast before taking. Waiting for nurse to ring. My sister is popping in to give me a hand. Thanks again X I will be more prepared and knowledgable the next time this happens....I hope !

stickywicket

I'm pleased hings are a little better and having your sister there will also help raise the spirits. I hope the nurse rings soon.

Don't apologise, though valde. These things can be scary even if we 'know' what to do. A problem shared is a problem halved

Teapot

Hello I thought I would update you. I am feeling a bit better now. Have had a call from Rheumy nurse who offered steroid injection but it is 4 buses and at least 3 hours on them for the round trip. Not up to that at moment. Taxi would cost a mortgage !!!She agreed for me to go back on Naproxen which I was on 2 years ago until I see my consultant on 1st Oct and my GP has left prescription out for my sister to pick in morning. Nurse and GP said it would lessen the inflammation. Fingers crossed. Thanks for listening.

stickywicket

I do hope it helps and I'm pleased things seem to be going in the right dírection.

Do remember to take the naproxen with a little food to protect your stomach and, if you don't already take a stomach-protecting med (omeprazole and lansoprazole are the usual ones), it's probably worth asking your GP to prescribe one. Certainly ask at the first sign of stomach problems. And good luck

jennand

Valde, would your GP prescribed steroid tablets for you. Mine does when I can’t get to the hospital for an injection. Strangely enough, my GP will also give steroid joint injections but not intramuscular injections. Not sure why, I would have thought it the other way around. I must ask next time.

stickywicket

I don't like to disagree with jennand as I know she's a former nurse but I would only ever use steroid tablets as a last resource. I don't like the way they make me feel invincible. Well, I do like it far too much. I think giving up cigarettes was easier than giving up steroids. I know that, these days, they sometimes give a quick burst and that's it but I'm now of an age where my body is falling apart all by itself without any help from steroids other than the lowest doses I can manage of my inhalers.

Teapot

Just to let you know I started Naproxen this morning so hopefully this will help the inflammation go down without a steroid. I did take with food and I am on lanzaprole to protect stomach...I have been taking this for a good while now. I must admit I am feeling a lot better in myself today albeit tired also getting a bit stir crazy as I have not been outside other than the garden to the bin for 5 days!!! Thanks again all for your thoughts and advice.

dreamdaisy

There is no guarantee that, even if you did undertake that horrendous journey for the injection, it would work. Steroid injections are temperamental to say the least and only mask, not cure (as do the tablets).

My husband finds Naproxen effective for his gout, he has to take them for around a week before it clears until the next attack so I hope you find the same. You are taking them in the right way, stomach protector first thing before anything else, then at least an hour later have your breakfast and other medications,. Good luck! DD

Airwave!

There are other ways to do things. Relief with heat is a great help, using a wheat bag, keep renewing the heat in the microwave with 1/2 inch of water in, the wheat soaks up the steam. Keep your hands warm with gloves, mittens etc etc. Distraction technique is a great favourite, contact AC for more details. Analagsics combined with painkillers, your gp will advise. As someone has already said, the TENS machine, is a great help although domestic use ones are lower power than hospital use ones.

Lying in bed holding your hands in front of you and thinking 'my hands really hurt' will make things worse and concentrate your mind only on that subject. Try combining the topics above, they do work.

dreamdaisy

How are things going now, Valde? I hope they have improved. DD

Teapot

Hello
I feel a lot better today. Inflammation has definitely gone down and pain reduced to usual aches. The flare is over ! And I really hope I won't have another for a while. I am now stocked with naproxen and they really helped. It has left me drained and tired but that's to be expected I suppose. Today I went out shopping for a couple of hours.....first time in 10 days . Thanks again to you all for your support.

viewmaster

Hi I thought I would join back in as it has been a long time since I have felt up to posting.
I have ostoarthritis & have been learning to cope with having my right wrist fused, am now a year in & starting to think I made the right choice even with the limitations of what I can do now.
It's worth it to be pain free in my left wrist & hand, but it did make it very difficult to cope with having my second knee replaced in February this year.
Walking with crutches when you cannot bend your wrist is very awkward so I compensate with my other wrist which is much more painful.
I have seen my surgeon about getting my other wrist fused as I have now decided I can no longer cope with the pain.
I have not had a full nights sleep in the last 18 years, unless I have been under full sedation or pain care in hospital.
So am hoping that before the end of this year I will have reached the stage of having more metal in me than a mecano set.
So far I have had both hips resurfaced, both knees replaced & I have had my left wrist fused & right one on the waiting list for.
Like others on here living on pain killers & living from day to day hoping to get at least 3 hours sleep in before it's time to get up & get through another day.
Still I count myself lucky as I am supported by an excellent employer who has kept my services in between operations & recovering from them.
Not sure what I would be like if I was unable to feel productive by working in some kind of employment.


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