I am a newbie

marie48

I am new to this website. I decided to join this forum for some advice. I am 60 and have been suffering from chronic back pain for the last ten years. A few years later I noticed my knees are making crackling noises when I climb stairs or I bend them. Nobody told me it was the start of arthritis. As it is now, I have got osteoarthritis in my knees, back and rt hand, these pain have been manageable without any medication except the occasional flare ups.

For the last 6 weeks, I have had severe pain in my left shoulder. X-Ray showed wear and tear and my 3rd & 4th cervical vertebrae are started to fuse together. This really frightening and I was too shocked to ask too many questions. The thought that came in my mind afterwards, "neck", will I eventtaully be in a wheelchair!! He said, it is only mild and there is nothing else serious. I have had blood tests before and I have not got RA. Does anybody suffer from this arthritis in the neck?

I have never suffered so much pain in my lt shoulder and dr prescribed diclofenca, codeine phostate and panadol and nothing seemed to work, the pain is unbearable. Saw a dr recently and he prescribed some ibrufen gel and Tramadol. I have read about Tramadol and am reluctant to take it or any other medication. I wonder whether anybody has explored natural supplements, he said glucosamine and chondrotin is very good which I am taking. I asked whether if I do not take the medication, whether the osteoarthritis will be worse, he said not if I can tolerate the pain. There is really no cure except glucosamine might delay it. Most of the days I can tolerate the pain, to me it is pointless taking medication which do not work. It does appear that the osteoarthritis is more generalised but at the moment, although I am in pain, I still have movement in my left arm and carry on with my activities on daily living as normal but a bit uncomfortable due to the pain. Anybody taking Tramadol on this forum? Some feedback on this medication, please!!

I have noticed I get a lot of pins and needles in my left arm, is this normal with OA, shall I go back to see the Dr? He said, he will refer me to see the Physio if the medication does not work.

I am really frightened, I thought my main problem was only my back pain and not it seems that all my joints are affected as well. I imagine myself in a wheelchair in a few years. Not a very good start of 2009. I have just learnt how to cope with chronic back pain and now this. I must say that I have never experienced pain so bad that no medication can help. Can osteoarthritis be so painful and do you have to be on medication all the time or demand? I would rather not take any medication if I can help it as they are not without side-effects and explore natural supplements. Thanks for reading and hope to get some advice from sufferers with the same problem.

woodbon

Hi Marie,
Glad you've joined this site, lots helpful and sympathetic people on here.
I'm 53, and I have ostioarthritis in my spine, neck hands and wrists.
Its quite a shock to be told that this is the problem, I know. It's so painful and I think my neck is the thing that bothers me most, at the moment at least. I take the suppliments you mention and hope they do some good but I must addmit to not being a great believer, however thats just me
Your gps right to refer you for physio, it really helps as the more you move the stronger your other muscles get which helps the neck and that in turn helps the pain. They'll explain it better than me, I'm only a patient, but it must be the right sort of exercise and for the right length of time. Thats were the physio comes in. Also, I find that the pain medication helps me to cope and do things. Its not perfect, but nothing is! The pain in your arm sounds like refered pain from your neck. I get this and its horrible, I know. I do hope that you find some relief soon and some of this is helpful. Try not to be too worried, some people don't get any worse and the pain subsides. WE are all different Sue

bluesky05

Hi marie48 and welcome to the forum. You will find it very useful in understanding your condition.

I have a different problem to you but suffer with a lot of shoulder pain. I am perscribed Co-codamol and Tramadol for the pain I get on a regular basis.

With regard to the Tramadol I only take this when the pain is very severe. I do find it really helps with the pain although it can make you feel a bit 'spaced out'. However, when I am in agony I feel not quite with it anyway and it can make the difference to me of being able to carry on doing the most basic tasks/not. Apart from that I don't get any other adverse effects and like I said it does help relieve the pain.

I hope you get some relief soon.

frogmorton

Hi Marie
Welcome to the forum!
Everyone here is so lovely and helpful that you never need to feel alone.
Sorry to hear about your OA and that you are in such pain.
I will leave the others to tell you more about OA, but I can tell you a little about my own experience of tramadol.
I started on it myself when I had back problems. I had always had problems managed by paracetamol amd then ibuprofen (now upsets my stomach).
I was on the max dose all the time prior to and following on from my surgery over 5 years ago. I was fine on it and could drive etc until I stopped taking it. Then some months later when I had 'overdone it' I took one and was sick for hours afterwards and have not been able to toleate it since.
If you decide to try it I would take the smallest posible dose and work up if you are ok. You may find you are fine, but not me now, mind you I cant even take co-codamol except in the lowest dose
Don't feel alone and that there is no hope. There is loads out there - even surgery options, so you may not have to put up with all this pain forever.
Take care
Toni x

lindalegs

Hi Marie and welcome to the forum,

Sorry to hear you're suffering at the moment. It's a good idea to keep as much movement going as possible, as the others have suggested, and you'll find the physio a great help because the exercises they give you will be tailor made for your requirements.

A note I'll add to the question of painkillers is that some are better taken on a regular basis and do build up in your system so although they may not seem to work at first it could be that you haven't given them chance to do their job.

And please try not to worry about 'ending-up' in a wheelchair, who's to say that's going to happen, your OA could very well settle down yet and you could be frightening yourself unnecessarily. Also there is life beyond the wheelchair, many people on here cope with it and still have a good life it's just a bit more of a challenge.

Hope you feel better soon
Luv Legs

marie48

Thanks very much for your all your support. I do think, I did not give the tablets a chance to work and give up after a week. I have been prescribed Tramadol 50 mgs one or twice a day and ibrufen gel. I am using the ibrufen gel three times a day but have not touched the Tramadol yet. Reading the forums, I think I have got a low pain tolerance, I am sure when I get used to my diagnosis I will be able to cope better. I did notice paracetamol seems to work better than the prescribed medication. Now I know I was wrong to think that the precribed medication was going to take all the pain away and when it did not I thought it did not work. Coming to this forum has made me understood my condition better. I understand Tramadol is very strong and when I said to my GP, the pain is unbearable, he prescribed it to me. Brufen 400 mgs a day did upset my stomach a day, but I am sure I can put up with it.

I will need to go and discuss my treatment again with the GP. I am interested to explore natural supplements. Do I understand that people with OA have to be on prescribed medication all their life? I suffer from chronic backache and when the medication did not help, I stopped taking them, now I only take it when I have a flare ups.

My real concern is my neck is very creaking esp if I try to do the neck exercises and this is worrying me. My mouth when I open it, I can hear the creaky noise but it is not painful. I told my husband a few weeks ago and he thinks I was being paranoid. These do not seem a good sign,as if my joint need oiling. Does anybody know whether this is common? Also the pins and needles in my arms concern me, it does seem that a nerve is trapped hence the pins and needles. I would very much like to hear from people experiencing the same symptoms like me.

Thanks for all your support.

Marie

mash65

hi,i have o/a,cervical & lumber spondylosis,& pain in the same places as u.try not to worry to much as no one knows what will happen.1 day at a time.i was dx in aug08.im on morphine patches 20m per hr,cocodomol 30/500,ibru 400m,antisickness tabs( now starting to settle down with sickness)iv just this wk asked dr for capsaicin cream its for o/a & u rub it into joints it takes a while to work.im on a months trail then back to dr as can have a stronger cream if i need it.if u dont want to take meds it maybe worth asking for the cream,anythings worth a try for some relief.all the meds take time to get in the system,some work,some dont it trail & error,i took diclafanic & could clear a room in 30 seconds(if u know what i mean :oops: )my stomach was a mess,so not suited to it,but ibru,ok with.good luck try not to worry as that makes u stressed & stress causes more pain.pain management clinic might also be worth a mention at drs too.best of luck debsxx

marie48

Thanks mash65. I have just been reading on the internet about the crepitus in my jaw, this is fairly new to me and I feel like crying, I will have to face all these in the future. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Although not yet painful but everytime you move your neck, you hear that frightening creaking sound. I am trying to stay positive and not feel sorry for myself. Fortunately I have retired 3 yrs ago from nursing. My husband is due to return home next week and at least I will have his support. I try not to complain too much as not to worry the adult children. Thanks for all your support. It is great to hear from fellow sufferers and get comfort that I am not alone.

mash65

hi,ur not alone.ur in the best place for advise.iv got crepus in the knees with alot of pain,& my neck,shoulders i wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy.my shoulders iv lost a third of the movement in left arm & right is getting there too.the neck pain iv been told is causing the pain in shoulders,arms,refered pain.im still trying to deal with it all,slowly & reading posts on here its helping.pm me if u want,am always around,cant work anymore.debs

marie48

Thanks for your comforting words. Reading youor post made me feel like a whimp, although I have got crepitus in the knees,& jaw they are not painful. I think my left shoulder pain is referred pain from my neck I can still move my lt arm and have movement. Neck a bit stiff. I am managing with only ibrufen gel, glucosamine and Noni, a super juice. I find my heating pad is very good and give me some relief, so is a very hot bath and let the hotwater runs on my neck. I am also a great believer of alternative therapies, but I do not think I will see an osteopath or chiropractor again. I did with my back, funny enough my back does not seem to be that bad. I will off to the library looking for relaxation CD. I did have a natural healing tape but have mislaid it.

frogmorton

Hi Marie
That's good now you are taking some control back Get your CD.
Arthritiscare do one too so might be wortha try.
On the subject of the ibuprofen - if they giove you belly ache your GP can give you something to protect your stomach too - and I'm sure you are always take it with food.
Hot baths and heat pads are really good too.
Your nursing probably caused it Lots of people on here with OA have been or are in the caring professions.
Take care
Toni x

woodbon

.The oa in my neck makes quite a noise in my ears but my husband can'nt hear it. My joints do creak and crack a lot - sometimes the noise is so loud, I am or was a carer, and one day my shoulder made a loud crack and the deaf lady I was helping looked shocked and wanted to help me! When I crack very loudly I have to smile, and people give me loads of sympathy, but the truth is it doesn't really hurt :oops: :oops: :oops. Do try not to worry - we none of us know just how bad things will get and lots of people find that the pain settles down after a while. Sue

marie48

woodbon wrote:

.The oa in my neck makes quite a noise in my ears but my husband can'nt hear it. My joints do creak and crack a lot - sometimes the noise is so loud, I am or was a carer, and one day my shoulder made a loud crack and the deaf lady I was helping looked shocked and wanted to help me! When I crack very loudly I have to smile, and people give me loads of sympathy, but the truth is it doesn't really hurt :oops: :oops: :oops. Do try not to worry - we none of us know just how bad things will get and lots of people find that the pain settles down after a while. Sue

Sue, you cannot imagine how re-assuring your post has been to me. I was so worried about the creaking noises in my neck esp when I try to turn my neck lt to rt to do some simple exercises. It is re-assuring to know I am not the only with cracking and creaking joints. My husband thinks I am having him on when I said to him my jaw creaks & cracks when I open my mouth but it is not painful. When I do breast stroke, my right hip clicks in and out, this cannot be right, it's the same depending of what movement I do with the right hip, there must be some weakness there but it is not painful.

I am glad I have found the forum and sometimes it is comforting to know you are not alone and can share experiences. I am off to see GP on thursday to see physio. Will let you know how I got on. I want to take control of it at an early stage. I am also going to subscribe to arthritis care as a member.

Marie

woodbon

Hi, Glad to be of help. I know the cracking in the neck can be worrying, but I've got used to it now and only notice it sometimes, but if I think about it its always there. Arthritis takes its own course and knowone can be sure of what the future holds, be at least you know what you're fighting now, I find that helps. Physio can give you exercises that are gentle and for you. They help you to strenthen the muscles and take the strain off the joints, so now you know about it, you can take action to help you in the long run. You certainly are not alone! Take care. Sue

lindalegs

I remember in my early days in the middle of the night, when the whole house was asleep, I got up to use the loo and when I moved my arm to flush the chain I started looking around for the carrier bag I must have stepped on in the dark - couldn't find one. It was only after a few nights of this happening that it dawned on me that the crackling noise was actually coming from inside my shoulder joint! Duh :roll:

Now I get all sorts of crackles, clunks and clicks, it's just my internal music system kicking in - if it doesn't hurt then I don't worry

Luv Legs