HELP! Newbie

sadandshocked2

after two and a half years of undiagnosed back and hip pain, the physiotherapist i was seeing privatley, diagnosed arthur.

Before that i had steroid injection in my spine, chiropractor, MRI, x rays, nhs physio

I have tried a combination of tramadol and ibuprofen and gabapentin. , And recently,co codamol on its own. Now i'm trying diclofenac, which isn't as effective as the chemist over the counter, brand , sorry i can't remember the name? Voltarol, thats it.

My partner is a back trainer and i have tried altering my posture, the chair, had a H&S and OT assessment, to no avail. My workstation i timed as between 12 and 15 minutes before the pain is unspeakable.

This has been quite a shock to me, as without a label, i thought the pain would magically disapear one day! :roll:

lindalegs

Hi SnS2

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry that you're feeling rough at the moment

Is your physiotherapist qualified to give you a diagnosis - did she do a blood test? If you look up arthritis in the dictionary it just says joint pain - which is what you've been having. Have you had your GP's opinion, if not, then it could be worthwhile at least you'll know what you're dealing with (even if it means having a label :shock: )

Luv Legs

woodbon

Hi glad you've found this site I hope some of the information is usful to you. I have Osteo athritis in my spine and neck. You don't say which of the many forms of arthritis you have. It will make a difference to the medication and treatment you need and the best help we can offer you. Anyway, whatever type you have, its a horrible, painful condition and you'll find someone here who has been thorough similar problems to you. Love SUE

badger

Welcome to the site.

I do not suffer from arther myself, but I sometimes have pain in my one arm. I find the pain killer I was given by my doctors caused more trouble than they relieved. But I probabliy did not given then sufficiant time, to find another that would suit me. It seemed at the time to go from 1 to 2 to 3 pills, number 2 to control the side effects of 1 and 3 to control the side effects of 2. Thats when I decided I could live with the occasional pain.

But there arer plenty of people on line who will be able to help you. They are a very friendly bunch.

All the best
Badger

sadandshocked2

Hi everyone
Yes GP was quite matter of fact, like ....why haven't YOU realised its arthur by now? Grrr. Osteo Arthur, the pain is incredible when i sit down and ive tried all kinds of chairs at work and all sorts of pillows and positions.

It seems to be in my pelvic region?
L6?

Anyway, it seems i have to contact my gp again, waiting an hour in the waiting room kills my hip, to pin gp down?

Consultant says wear and tear? And has shown me the x rays where arthur will be,

oh yes, and Gp told me "what did i expect when i'm so big?" she made me feel like Hagrid. When i'm very average!

sadandshocked2

woodbon wrote:

Hi glad you've found this site I hope some of the information is usful to you. I have Osteo athritis in my spine and neck. You don't say which of the many forms of arthritis you have. It will make a difference to the medication and treatment you need and the best help we can offer you. Anyway, whatever type you have, its a horrible, painful condition and you'll find someone here who has been thorough similar problems to you. Love SUE

s re

Hi Sue, its OA, my gp has made me feel like i'm a hagrid lookalike, and that its my fault. I only discovered this pain when i could no longer do breast stroke whilst swimming. Fancy letting HAGRID into a swimming pool??!! Its like trying to swim in mud with the nhs

lindalegs

Hi S&S2,

Now I know it's my age but I'm being educated in more ways than one on this forum but please tell me who on earth 'Hagrid' is - i assume it's someone quite large???????? :?:

Luv Legs who feels a bit ignorant :roll:

jenny68

lindalegs wrote:

Hi S&S2,

Now I know it's my age but I'm being educated in more ways than one on this forum but please tell me who on earth 'Hagrid' is - i assume it's someone quite large???????? :?:

Luv Legs who feels a bit ignorant :roll:

A huge, ugly charater in the Harry Potter books and films. Robbie Coltrane played the part in the movies.

lindalegs

Thank you Jenny - I shall now try and drop Hagrid into conversations so everyone will think what a well-read person I am

Luv Legs

frogmorton

Hi Sand S
Welcome to the forum!
Sorry to hear about your pain, but try not to worry too much - there is life after arthur and anyway if you didn't have it you would never have met all us lovely people!!! :shock:
Don't like the Hagrid analogy - you poor thing mean old Dr :x (NB my sis is overwight and her doc always blames her - I said tell him about me - I'm a size 10!!! - so he shouldn't be so judgemental)
I do hope life soon gets back on track for you, but in the meantime - you have US!
Take care
Toni x

colinone

Hello Sad and Shocked
Sorry to hear your feeling so rough and the way you have been messed about. Hagrid indeed hes got a cheek.
I know its hard to cope with the pain and just as hard to find the pain killers that work well. Anyway you found a great bunch of people to chat with, take care and i hope it eases up for you soon
Colin

When god gives you lemons make lemonade

woodbon

Hi,
Firstly, I am 53, and suffer from osteo athritis in my spine, neck hands, wrists and it keeps popping up in verious joints. I am within the so called guidlines of a normal, healthy weight. So no doctor has ever been able to say that losing weight or being overweight is anything to do with my arthritis. Personally, and this is just my opinion, is that a number of people may only suffer weight problems as they have osteo arthritis, which stops the leading an active life and encourtages us, well me, anyway, to eat too much through bordom. In other words its a nice, easy way for them to account for the disease. I am not a scientist or medic, but this view would enable them to stop having to look for a cure and pass any blame on to us, the patient.

I feel so sorry for you that besides being diagnosed with a painful condition, you've been made to feel its in some ways your fault. It may help ease some of the symptoms if you lose weight, and make you feel better, or it may not. Reall this depends on you.

Whatever, you need time to get used to the shock most people feel when diagnosed and given treatment to help with the pain and make you more mobile, as this is good for all of us. If possible go back to your GP and talk to him about positive steps you both can take to make things better for you. Maybe pain relief, physio, etc. If you're still not happy ask to see a rheumotolgist. Or maybe you have another GP in the practice that you would be hapier talking to. Good luck Suexx

eckstardeluxe

Hello and welcome. I understand your feelings completely. When I went to A & E after a problem was seen on my xray, the Registrar came in and just started asking all sorts of questions and not really saying what was wrong. When I asked and she said arthritis I started crying and she very matter of factly said "but everyone who has that degree of Osteomyelitis will get arthritis" like I was stupid not to know this. Luckily I regained my composure enough to inform her that for her information 1 - I only got told my condition was caused by MRSA after 20 years and 2 - no-one had ever told me I'd suffer any effects of having it. They speak to you like their stupid. Well she was the stupid one after she went on about Osteomyelitis like she was an expert only to be corrected about 4 times on stuff she'd said which was wrong. I said "your the Dr, surely YOU should know this". The next day on seeing the Consultant both my hubby and I knew from the minute he came in the room that she had obviously bad mouthed me to him, his attitude was disgraceful. I've since made a formal complaint about them both. I couldn't argue with them when I was 12 but I sure as hell will now I'm 33. As I told them, they are very lucky indeed I haven't been to a solicitor.

madwestie

hello sadandshocked2, i can relate to the patronising way the dr referred to your weight i had the same problem yesterday with the rheumy i didn't see my usual lady. It is not your fault that you got arfur, it comes to small adn larger people alike, it is just an easy excuse for the dr to blame something rather than admit that they don't know why some people get it and others don't.
Try and concentrate on the positive things that you can do now you know what it is you are on the first step to taking charge.
Can you see a different gp, it can make a big difference.
I have had osteo arfur in my neck for over 15 years and can remember the feeling of helplessness when i was first diagnosed but i am still getting on with it even though Rheumatiod decided to join the party 2 years ago. You can't choose what you get but if you can be positive about it then it doesn't have to win. (well that is me on an positive day we all have up and down days.)
We are all here to help whenever we can.

sadandshocked2

[We are all here to help whenever we can.[/quote]

Thank you everyone, i'm amazed at my gp, who shall we say is no elf herself!

Yes Hagrid? Harry Potter? I like Hagrid i believe RobbiE Coltraine who plays him has arthur too.

I'm finding it hard to get into this site, and how it works, when i hav so many questions, and i forgot to tick the reply thing at the end, so ive gone into another arthur topic ...working with arthur? Trying to get some answers.

Thank you for your patience and help

woodbon

Hi
Do Docs ever think that over-weight may be caused by not being as mobile as others because you have arthritis and not you have arthritis because you're over-weight? Love Sue

sadandshocked2

Various combinations of painkillers such as tramadol/gabapentin and ibuprofen, now co codamol which are TERRIBLE - for me anyway have given me such bad tums that my appetite has gone. And ive lost 1 and a half stone.

I used to enjoy cooking, but now its just going through the motions, and it is fuel.

At the mo i am using voltarol, from the pharmacists, because of the potassium in the one that you can buy helps, or is it the sodium? Anyway i got prescribed dofleniac (?) which doesn't have the ingredient and is rubbish for me. I need to go back and see my gp again to pin down some painkillers
What a silly stupid thing to say to a patient, perhaps its more to do with my broken furniture at work than me being 'big' (I'm 5'7", size 7 feet 38" waist, 42 chest, MASSIVE? EH?)