Painful sore hands

judyc
judyc Member Posts: 26
edited 5. Mar 2012, 15:22 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hello. I've recently had a scan on my hands which shows active arthritis. I have palindromic and am developing RA. I am taking Hydroxy, Brufen Retard and Cocodomol. My hands are so sore and painful. My consultant wants to put me on Sulfasalazine and have injections in my wrists, which I don't want to do. I feel so out of control and its so scary and I'm on a slippery slope downhill. I'm trying my best to just cope each day with the pain and keep telling myself that 'it will pass' so that I don't have to go on the Sulfasalazine. Sorry if I sound so sorry for myself, I'm feeling very low.

Comments

  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello judyc, I am sorry to read that your hands are hurting so much - any pain isn't pleasant but hand pain is one of the worst as we cannot help but use them. Why don't you want to try the sulph or have the steroid injections? There may be a risk that they don't help that much but imagine the relief if they did, now wouldn't that be lovely? None of us has any control over arthritis, it will do what it will do and whenever it damn well pleases, but the meds DO give us some measure of a say, they are designed to slow the progress of the disease, ease the worst of its symptoms and generally help us to cope. I hope you feel better in yourself soon, keep up with the pain relief as a steady intake is sometimes what we need to do to really blunt the sharper edges of it all and come and talk to us, don't bottle it all up. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • ironic
    ironic Member Posts: 2,361
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Judy,
    I am on Hydroxy 2 x 200 per day and it did take about 4-5 months before I felt the difference, just shows you how different we all are. I also was palindromic diagnosed a one point and so can well understand your reluctance to take the next step up in medication. I have had the injections in my wrist which at the time felt broken and it really worked well for me the ones in my fingers where not so successful but as I say we all react differently to these treatments. I tried to tough it out as I didn’t want to take meds before I was really bad but I didn’t release that the meds slowed down the process and can for many people keep the disease at bay. I personally wish that I had taken action sooner but waited until my hands where showing some damage before I requested help.

    Judy it is very normal to feel scared and apprehensive but you will be monitored well and if you decide to go ahead with the Sulfa. It was a big step for me to go onto the MTX meds very reluctant to take that leap but saying that after increasing to 17.5mg last July I am so much better in myself. Not perfect but far better than I was and able to get most of my life back. It is very difficult to accept what is happening and I fully understand how hard it is for you at the moment but the forum is a fount of information which I wish I had found sooner in my journey.

    Hugs and all my best wishes,

    I x
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Judy and so sorry you are having such a bad time at the moment.

    Your feeling of being out of control, slippery slope etc are familiar to me and will be to many of us I think - and are completely understandable, as are your fears about the meds.

    Unfortunately though, inflammatory arthritis doesn't tend to go away on it own and, as the others have said, meds like the Sulfasalazine are intended to slow down the progress of the disease - and maybe, for some people, even put it into remission for a while. And although it's a frightening thought, please bear in mind that joint damage, which can be caused by ongoing inflammation, can't be undone so anything which can be done to prevent that has got to be a better option. In terms of the wrist injections, I have never had joint injections but I know from posts on the forum that, for some people they really can help to ease the pain for a while. If you don't want the injections, you could maybe talk to the rheumatologist about being referred for some wrist splints which I have found really helpful in the past when my wrists have been very painful.

    I've had RA for 16 years now and, despite it being diagnosed as "aggressive, erosive and with a bad prognosis" thanks to the meds my joint damage is fairly minimal. Without the meds, I know I would be in a really bad way now so despite my resentment at having to take the meds, I know that it has definitely been the lesser of two evils.

    I still get frightened whenever I start a new drug - but remember that you won't know how it will work for you unless you try. These days, I get over my fear by telling myself I'm "just trying it" and, if after giving it a good go (remembering that the DMARDS do take a while to get into your system) it isn't right for me - well I can always stop. That way, I don't feel I am "giving in" (if that makes sense) and I feel I have given myself a let out.

    Don't know if any of that helps, but just to say please do think really carefully about refusing the sulf because you could be denying yourself a chance to feel better than you do now and leaving yourself open to more problems in the future.

    Please do keep posting and sharing your worries - many of us have been where you are now and we do understand.

    Thinking of you.

    Tillyxxx
  • Colin1
    Colin1 Member Posts: 1,769
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Judy, yes being out of control is something most of us have in common
    I suffer bad with my hands not just the pain but the deformity as well. I don’t think I could get through a day without the medication. None of want to take the meds its a bit of a catch 22
    But as I say if you need them.
    Colin
    WHEN GOD GIVES YOU LEMONS MAKE LEMONADE
  • Star2001
    Star2001 Member Posts: 96
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Judy, just wanted to say that your problems sound just like mine. However, I have been on Sulfa for 12 weeks and have no improvement at all but I don't regret giving it a go. I wish I had been started on two DMARDS at the beginning and am hoping that this will be the next step for me because I feel much worse than when I was diagnosed but I still remember the fear I felt about taking the Sulfa - it's completely understandable! What I'm trying to say is that I have realised that this could be along journey to find the right meds for me and that I have to keep at it. Despite my level of pain, I had no joint damage when I was last x-rayed and am hoping to keep it that way. I hope you can start to see things differently though I know it's so hard to think positively when we feel down. I can't offer any real advice but just thought I'd give you my take on things - a year ago I would never have dreamed this would hit me but what else can I do but fight? People on here are such a huge inspiration to me even though I don't post much and I don't feel so alone when I read their posts.

    Best wishes,
    Star.
  • lorraines
    lorraines Member Posts: 77
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Judy,sorry to hear you're having a bad time everybody has the same feelings and we all get down I was in the same position as you few years ago I have real problems with my wrists and hands but back then I was put on to sulfa unfortuantly I was alergic to it, I did have the injections in to my wrists though not pleasant not as bad as I thought and did help I would certainly give them a try and if they don't work there's still lots of other options
    Hope you get sorted soon
    Take care x x
  • judyc
    judyc Member Posts: 26
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you so much for all your replies. It's a comfort to know people do genuinely understand. I've had a tough week with the pain and the frustration. I feel a bit better today and have decided to go ahead with the injections and sulfasalazine.
  • pinkbritishstars
    pinkbritishstars Member Posts: 731
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Judy

    Hope the injections help.

    Take Care

    Pink xx
  • traluvie
    traluvie Member Posts: 2,579
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Judy,

    Welcome to the forum, i suffer with my hands too, i also take hydroxy.It took a while for hydroxy to work, but when it did i felt the benefits, i hope you do too and i think injections will help as they do me.Wish you all the best.x
    th_tn_TisFORTIGGER.jpgxxTracyxx
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello from me too, judyc. As I suspect you have already discovered, one of the side-effects of arthritis is having to take what seem to be big decisions while being beside oneself with pain. The meds do seem daunting at first but they are what hold back the disease which is even more daunting. I hope it goes well for you. I hope the injections and sulph work and you come back on here wondering why you’d hesitated.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright