OA in my fingers

davecar · 12. Jan 2010, 09:16

I have now been diagnosed with OA in my fingers. I have had blood tests, MRIscan and xrays. Not impressed with the consultant as his attitude was very off putting and it was a case of "get on with it". He has suggested I go for physio but he was even a bit unwilling to fill in the referal form.

I am on Naproxen and some paing killing tablets but my middle fingers in particular hurt like mad. I am not due to see the consultant now until June but I dont think I will go back to him.

My purpose in posting it to ask about Flexeze Fortify - this supplement was mentioned in a health article in the Daily Mail the other week. It is availalbe at £30 in Boots for one months supply.

Has anyone any expereince of this or can anyone offer any suggestions as to what other drugs I can try.

Kind regards,

Dave

dorcas · 12. Jan 2010, 09:27

[Hi Dave,

I haven't heard of the Flexeze Fortify so can't help you there, sorry.

I am horrified at the way your consultant has treated you and it's terrible that you are being left to try to find your own solution to dealing with the pain you have in your fingers.

There are so many pain killers and meds for arther that we really depend on docs prescribing what they think will be most effective ......and as a lot of painkillers are 'prescription only' maybe you should consider changing consultant and/ or seeing the doc so that you can access the right treatment? aren't there any other docs in the practice that you can go to?

iris x

elnafinn · 12. Jan 2010, 11:03

Hi Dave

Good to see you posting again but not so great that you are in a lot of pain with your hands. Not sure at all about this product you mention. My personal view is that I would be wary that it is cure by any means.

Has it been suggested that you have some steroid injections in your fingers? This is not a permanent solution but does help greatly, often for a good few months. I suppose you have not got trigger fingers have you? You could google it to see what you think. This can be very debilitating but can be rectified by a minor operation done under local anaesthetic. I have had both my thumbs done at separate times. As Rehab mentioned in a previous thread of yours, arthritis can often be triggered by injury. Perhaps this is what has happened in your case.

If physio does not work, then perhaps an appointment with a hand specialist may be a good idea. If you feel this consultant is useless I would get a second opinion. Many of us have to do that, unfortunately.

I hope you get something sorted soon,

Look after yourself,
Elna x

frogmorton · 12. Jan 2010, 11:21

Hi Dave
Poor you! Shame the consultant wasn't a bit more user friendly eh?

Elna has given you some sound advice re the injections and also hand specialist too.
Don't give up on the medical profession yet - Elna's ideas are worth looking into.
As for the stuff from boots - at least it's a reputable company and not off the net....If it's ok by your GP and you can afford it there's no harm trying is there?
Best wishes
Toni x

valval · 12. Jan 2010, 12:27

see your doc and ask for glucomine/chond works for some not others mine gave it me and do feel it has helped a bit as they were getting worse fast till started not saying it a cure because it not but if it slows things down then that good. do u get inflimation have u had blood tests for it as that causes a lot of pain. good luck ask for different consultant u r allowed second opinion

joyful164 · 12. Jan 2010, 14:42

Hi Dave.

Sorry about your diagnosis. If you are able I would advise that you try and get a referral to an Occupational Therapist. She/he can give you some treatment which helps you to help yourself, e.g.
splints, wax treatment and sleeping splints hopefully. I suppose you were lucky to get a referral to a physio and although this can be a slow old process with the amount of waiting time and eventual treatment, which may last all of ten minutes if you are lucky. This is what happens at my hosp. I have now bought myself a paraffin wax bath for my hands. And now, after seeing my doctor, who told me that he couldn't do much more for me I am seeing a Chiropractitioner. I am in a lot of pain most of the day because of various other things like psoriatic a(pa), rheumatoid (ra) Polymyalgeria Rheumatica. I could go on and on. That's how it feels these days. I must admit that I do feel stronger. I can now bend and put my socks and boots on and I am managing a few more jobs around the house so I would like to think the chiro sessions are doing me good. Osteo arthritis is suppose to respond better to chiro than the other types of arthritis. When I mentioned the pain to the chiropractitioner, she said that would go eventually. Oh please, let's hope so.
I find a lot of it is 'helping yourself' and you have to try and work through the pain to a point. My painting makes me do that. But the attitude of your doctor amazes me. You were lucky to get an MRI scan early on. Hope you get on alright.
Joy

michael869 · 12. Jan 2010, 17:18

Hi Dave
sorry to hear re your o/a but speaking as one with o/a in many joints including the spine and hands and who for many years took a great number of drugs would advise caution particularly with naproxen-I still have o/a but now also gastric trouble which I attribute to this drug.I ditched them all approx two years ago and take paracetemol when neccessary.In myself I am significantly better though the pain is time to time overwhelming.Sleep is a bit of an issue and I dont suppose I will always be able to carry on as I do but I will for as long as I can.]Pain specialists ,rheumatoligists etc I think purposely run short in the sympathy stakes as I believe they know the bottom line which is very much what we would rather not hear.
kind regards mike

davecar · 19. Jan 2010, 08:35

Hi all,

Thanks for the many helpful posts - much appreciated. I have now made an appointment with my GP this week and I am going to ask for a second opinion and to see another consultant - hopefully a friendly one this time!

I am still taking Naproxen and Codipar Caplet - known as Co-coldimol. I get a bit of relief with the latter but I am not sure what effect the Naproxen is having. I am going to ask my GP about gluecosamine and also the product Flexeze Fortify which was advertised in the Daily Mail and is available from Boots, but it is £30 per month.
Thanks again for all the encouraging posts - much apprecaited.

Kind regards,

Dave

OA in my fingers

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