New person looking for help/info for my mum

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Bungle32
Bungle32 Member Posts: 2
edited 28. Dec 2016, 04:06 in Say Hello Archive
Hello everyone.
I am the daughter of an arthritis sufferer. My mum is 85 and has osteoarthritis in her spine. Pain has become excruciating in the past two weeks. She is taking prescribed painkillers (cocodamol) and takes a weekly alendronic acid tablet. Is there anything else that she can take/do?
She has had arthritis for many years. She is slim, fit and relatively healthy for an 85 year old. About two years ago the pain has got much worse. She has had episodes of bad pain but nothing for this long and so intense. She is a strong and stoical person so I can only imagine the pain she is suffering.

Any pointers or experiences that you can share with me?
Any local support? My mum is in West London. I am in North London.

Any help and guidance extremely gratefully received.

Maria

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi and welcome to the forums,sound like your mum is going through it.You will find many people on here more than happy to share advice,you may want to look at our leaflet as a start (link enclosed)
    https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/our-services-and-support
    Al
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,713
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hello Maria and welcome to the forum. How kind of you to join on your mother's behalf. I do think that watching those we love in pain is worse than experiencing the pain ourselves - well, mostly :wink:

    If your mother is "slim, fit and relatively healthy" then she's doing many things right to help herself.

    There are many other pain-relieving meds (let's not suggest they're pain-killing :roll: ) available. Co-codamol itself comes in three different strengths. The downside is that the stronger the meds the more drowsy we become which isn't ideal.

    The alendronic acid is not for arthritis but for osteoporosis and this might be the cause of her extra pain. Although the two often go together in the elderly I don't think alendronic acid will help with pain at all though it is, hopefully, preventing the worsening of the osteoporosis and I believe it can actually reverse some damage.

    I'd guess that, like many of her age, your mother is reluctant to 'trouble the doctors'. I assure you a good GP won't feel troubled. Possibly, they will refer her for an x-ray to see if there's any new damage to her spine, maybe another DXA scan to see how the osteoporosis is progressing (or, hopefully, not), possibly some physio exercises she could do to help maintain he spinal strength and maybe stronger pain relief even if only to be taken now and then when things are very bad.

    I do hope some of this will help.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,424
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    It's not easy as we get older. my own Mum suffered with arthritis, but as tie went on other factors got in there too.

    Like heart problems and then medications like warfarin, which stopped her taking some other medications which might have helped like ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory drug :(

    She benefitted greatly from heat, wheatbags you microwave and I used to massage in a cream the Dr prescribed. It wasn't anti-inflam, but sorry I can't remember the name.

    I hope she will perhaps return to the DR with you as support to see whether there is anything else she can try.

    Do let us know if you can help her at all

    Toni xxx
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