Constant pain

WendyE

Hi I am new to this forum and I wanted some advice how to cope with the pain, I work full time and I am really struggling to cope through the day. I have to climb on a step several times a day and don't know what pain relief I can take apart from paracetamol as I can't take anything stronger at work. Thanks for any advice WendyE

Mike1

Most of us on here will tell you that no medication totally negates pain, it merely "knocks the edge off". The best thing to do is see your GP and ask for a referral to a pain clinic.

Crookesey

Pain is very relative to the individual, women in my opinion are the best at dealing with it, as a man I can’t begin to comprehend childbirth pain. The old wife’s tale “If is isn’t hurting it isn’t working” wasn’t meant to include arthritis, everyone deals with it in their own way, in the main I try to ignore it.

frogmorton

@WendyE dyE Mike is wise to suggest speaking to your GP

Anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen etc) don't make you drowsy, but can affect your belly. We need to take them with Proton Pump Inhibitors like lansoprazole/omeprazole which the GP can prescribe.

Paraetamol of course is always good.

I also sometimes stick on one of those adhesive heat patches if I am out and about with pains in somewhere. I can't remember the name of some of them...acuheat maybe? You can buy them in supermarkets.

Do let us know what you do decide to do!

Lilymary

Might it be worth speaking to your employer to see if there’s a way you can modify how you do things at work?

WendyE

Hi all thanks for all the advice I will try and speak to my doctor again, as for my work place I have spoken to them repeatedly and nothing has changed unfortunately 😢

Lilymary

Daft isn't it, if you’re registered disabled they are legally obliged to make reasonable adjustments in your workplace, but if you’re just in agony all the time, we’re expected to put up with it.

Mike1

If you check out the "Work and Financial" part of the forum you will find a lot of advice about getting things sorted at work. Plus there is the Disability Law Service, go to https://dls.org.uk/our-services/employment/ they can help with employers having to make reasonable adjustments for disabled staff.

Sharon_K

Hi WendyE

you might fine this secion of our website useful as it gives clear guidance about your rights at work.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/living-with-arthritis/work/

let us know how you get on as your employer does have a legal duty to support your needs. It may help if you can get a letter from your GP

Besy Wishes

Sharon

WendyE

Thank you all so much for your advice I will look at all the information on the website over the next couple of days and then I can go armed with all the information to give to my employer and hopefully they will finally take notice thank you x

frogmorton

Let us know how you get on @WendyE with work and whether you sorted out any pain relief.

Bets of luck!