new here suffering osteo arthitis

Nannaanna
Nannaanna Member Posts: 4
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:04 in Living with arthritis
Hi there,

I am new here just joined today....i have osteoarthritis in both my feet and am now also starting to get pain in my shoulders and bottom of my spine....but its my feet and my left one in particular that is so so so painful and painkillers from the doctor are just not touching it

Any tips or advice on how to do deal with this painful condition would be muchly appreciated as you can appreciate it is really getting me down

:cry:

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Welcome to the Versus Arthritis online community Nannaanna, from the moderation team.


    I am very sorry to hear you are struggling with your Osteoarthritis especially in the one foot. You have definitely come to the right place to talk about arthritis with those who understand. I’m sure one of our members will be along with their experience, but in the meantime I attach a link information about the foot:

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/foot-and-ankle-pain/

    As moderators we are here to help with any problems you may have using the message boards so feel free to send us a message if you need to.

    I look forward to seeing you posting.

    Best wishes


    Ellen
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, it's nice to meet you and I am sorry you have had to find us. My first arthritis (an auto-immune one) began when I was 37 back in 1997 then osteo was diagnosed in 2011. I have no idea how long that had been happening as it hid behind the skirts of the auto-immune one but I know it's there now :lol:

    I have the auto-immune one in my toes and knees, the osteo is in both ankles, both knees and both hips, my wrists and one shoulder. I like the fact the osteo is predictable which helps me organise and manage my life accordingly. I managed to carry on working for around seventeen years and thoroughly appreciate the luxury of no longer having to do so.

    I 'manage' my OA with suitable exercise, pain relief and rest. Should any swelling occur it is easily dealt with by the application of voltarol or summat similar and resting. I take the minimum of my pain relief (30/500 cocodamol) so I have room to increase when things worsen. Over my arthritic years I have learned that pain relief does very little, it merely dulls the sharper edges which has to be enough to enable us to get on. The stronger the pain relief the more one is removed from the pain which is far from ideal and the more we take the more our bodies become tolerant and demand more to achieve less. It is very hard learning to live with the pain especially if it isn't widespread because then it is more apparent.

    I find distracting myself from the pain a good strategy - if I sit and think about it it ramps up but if I sit and think about how I would spend ten thousand pounds it soon retreats into the background. Heat can be helpful, people on here use hot water bottles or wheat bags. If you are still able to bathe you could try adding Epsom Salts to the water, they are supposed to be good for easing aches and pains but, as with everything, any relief is temporary. What has your GP prescribed? DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Nannaanna
    Nannaanna Member Posts: 4
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi and thank you for the kind welcome......my doctor has prescribed me naproxen, I started them 7 days ago and I am still in pain, I am wondering how long it takes to work? I am also on a tablet for my stomach to help with the naproxen but have been reading up some horrible side affects like water retention and weight gain. My arthritis is mid foot and so so so so painful. I have half knee joint replacements also
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Over my arthritic years I have learned to redefine the word 'work' when it comes to pain medication, for me it means pain is reduced for a few hours as opposed to eradicated for a few. I never found naproxen effective as either an anti-inflammatory or as pain relief, others don't think it's working until they stop taking it, others swear by it. One would hope for an improvement within a week but individual physiologies make it hard to forecast when things will kick in. As for the stomach protector I had neither of those side effects but did acquire oral thrush. I don't know which med was the culprit but as it didn't hurt I wasn't bothered.

    Side effects leaflets make for desperate reading so I only read them when things start going amiss. One of my newer meds for my PsA warns of increased joint pain and fatigue so how the hell I know that's a side effect I've no idea as that's a normal occurrence I've no idea. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben