Your opinions appreciated.

Saltmarsh
Saltmarsh Member Posts: 42
in Living with arthritis
Hullo. I am a new member: 73 years young, with Osteo & aggressive Rheumatoid Arthritis + a degenerative spine. I exercise regularly and have been pretty well controlled with Naproxen & Baricitinib. Spine is awaiting surgery. But when hayfever unexpectedly struck hard on my COPD, the N. had to be dropped. Has anyone else been faced with a similar situation and found a viable alternative? I don't want to subsist on codeine.
Tagged:

Comments

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520

    I am currently being annoyed by pollen and other atmospheric junk (moulds and spores) at the moment, my psoriatic arthritis has responded by flaring with skin trouble and my OA with extra joint junk. I have not taken an anti-inflammatory for years as my auto-immune inflammation is well controlled by injected methotrexate and humira and I only get OA inflammation if I overdo things. The benefit of that is it is localised and easily dealt with unlike the PsA inflam which affects the whole body. On the odd occasion that I do aggravate the OA a couple of rubs of voltarol sorts it (in other words topical diclofenac). I am asthmatic and increased my inhalers at the beginning of covid to give a little extra protection to my lungs so my breathing is currently OK.

    To help my skin I am taking Piriton tablets, the sort which you can take every four hours, to bring that inflammation under control plus applying a steroid-based ointment. I take cocodamol regularly for pain dulling but at small amounts. Skin inflammation is not the same as joint or lung though, and I think the person you need to talk to is either your GP or pharmacist. We are not medically qualified, just experienced patients. I hope things improve soon. DD

    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Saltmarsh
    Saltmarsh Member Posts: 42
    Thank you for replying, Dreamdaisy. You certainly have plenty to put up with, but an admirably positive attitude. I am very grateful to have excellent medical support, but just hoped for others' opinions/experiences. Thank you for sharing yours. Naproxen has been a VG friend to me, with no side effects, and I miss it! My doctors know this, an alternative safe anti-inflammatory just doesn't exist, a big gap as yet to help the many who rely on it. Maybe I will be able to restart it after the hayfever season. In the meantime, I will ask my pharmacist if Voltarol ointment (which I used to take systemically until it was banned) could help me. We've all been round the Wrekin together re- analgesia & have settled with mutual trust on codeine, with steroids by me for flares. While I was taking the Naproxen I rarely needed codeine. Maybe I will find when I see my Consultant that my RA cover needs to be altered. I'm just v wary of new meds as what I'm on has no side effects, I hate to rock the boat!
    I do hope that your poor skin improves soon. With best wishes 🍀
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520

    You're more than welcome, I am sorry I could not help. My husband finds naproxen good for his occasional blasts of gout and he takes a daily stomach protector due to reflux so that side of things is covered. It never did much for me apart from creating magnificent oral thrush: if side effects don't hurt I don't mind them. Various DMARDs and NSAIDs have given me bruising, rashes, excess body hair and a yellow furry tongue rather than tackling the root cause of the auto-immune junk. I was on prednisalone for three years which was helpful so I weaned myself off it. Take something that helps? What was I thinking? ;)

    I hope you are able to find a solution, please let me know how you get on. DD

    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben

Categories