Newbie

hezmarie25
hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
edited 27. Mar 2009, 18:07 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi
My name is Heather and I am a newbie to this site. I came across it when I was looked for help with arthritis. I am 40 and got OA in both knees and in both hips. Have tried a variety of pain killers over the years but doc has now put me on these patches called butran. At first I felt lousy, light headed, sick, dizzy etc but after a week or so I now feel good. Have waves of absolute tiredness but had that before due to lack of sleep, at least I sleep now at night. This site is brill and it seems there is loads of info on here. Looking forward to chatting to others with similar problems as I think its really hard to get your loved ones to understand exactly how you feel at times! :D xx

Comments

  • jaspercat
    jaspercat Member Posts: 1,238
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Heather, welcome to the forum, I have RA and am 50 years old, I did try the Butran patches and they did work, but I allergic to dressings, plasters etc and I itched like mad under the patch, I also went very red underneath so my gp told me not to use them any more love Jaspercatxx
  • joanlawson
    joanlawson Member Posts: 8,681
    edited 26. Mar 2009, 16:55
    Hi Heather
    Welcome to the site. You will find many kind and helpful people here who will give you support and help. It is true what you say about other people not fully understanding how you feel. That is where this site is so good because you can say what you like and we all understand how you feel.

    I also have O arthritis in my knees, one worse than the other. At 65, I am much older than you though. At present, I amother trying to make up my mind whether to have a knee replacement, and have asked for time to think it over.

    I haven't heard of the patches you mention, but I'm glad they are helping you. Lack of sleep is one of the worst things.

    All the best
    Joan :D
    c1b3ebebbad638aa28ad5ab6d40cfe9c.gif
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    jaspercat wrote:
    Hi Heather, welcome to the forum, I have RA and am 50 years old, I did try the Butran patches and they did work, but I allergic to dressings, plasters etc and I itched like mad under the patch, I also went very red underneath so my gp told me not to use them any more love Jaspercatxx

    I also itched like mad at first, I would wake up in the night itching and scratched my face a few times because it always seemed as if it was my nose :D After a week or so it settled down. I still get a little bit of pain but they have helped massively and now the side effects have settled its great.
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hezmarie25 wrote:
    jaspercat wrote:
    Hi Heather, welcome to the forum, I have RA and am 50 years old, I did try the Butran patches and they did work, but I allergic to dressings, plasters etc and I itched like mad under the patch, I also went very red underneath so my gp told me not to use them any more love Jaspercatxx

    I also itched like mad at first, I would wake up in the night itching and scratched my face a few times because it always seemed as if it was my nose :D After a week or so it settled down. I still get a little bit of pain but they have helped massively and now the side effects have settled its great.

    How do you get your wonderful butterfly pictures please?
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    joanlawson wrote:
    Hi Heather
    Welcome to the site. You will find many kind and helpful people here who will give you support and help. It is true what you say about other people not fully understanding how you feel. That is where this site is so good because you can say what you like and we all understand how you feel.

    I also have O arthritis in my knees, one worse than the other. At 65, I am much older than you though. At present, I amother trying to make up my mind whether to have a knee replacement, and have asked for time to think it over.

    I haven't heard of the patches you mention, but I'm glad they are helping you. Lack of sleep is one of the worst things.

    Hi Joan
    Thank you for the welcome and your kind words. Take care xx
    All the best
    Joan :D
  • colinone
    colinone Member Posts: 1,039
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Heather I’m Colin and its nice to meet you welcome to the site, I came across the site in the same way as you. The medication road can be a long one and often the side effects feel worse than the arthritis but some cope better than others with the medication we all react different to it. Personally I feel sick when I look at a tablet lol and often persevered with the effect of medication in the hope it works. Glad to hear your starting to feel good and it can take some time for meds to kick in. The site is good yes and you will meet lots of nice people who are only to willing to help and support each other. You will get some more response a little later but would like to invite you to our record breakers night. It takes place on this site on the 8th April at 6pm, if you look on the Chit Chat Forum for a post called ( Are we going to beat the record and let badger know you are going to take part that’s if you can make. Anyway Heather do take care catch you soon
    Colin
  • nearlybionic
    nearlybionic Member Posts: 1,899
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Heather
    welcome to the site!! :D
    I am 40 also, and have OA hips, back pain, hip dysplasia,and 4 weeks ago had my 1st total hip replacement. I have found this site and the people on here fantastic over the past few months. My family are great, but it is good to talk to people who understand first hand.
    The `butterflies` and other pics are avatars (sp?) found on your profile page . You can choose from quite a few different ones.
    NB
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Heather
    I have OA in my hips, spine, neck etc. I have codydramol and amatriptyline.

    Glad you've decided to join this site, everyone is helpful and you will pick up some tips. :) Medication often takes time to get used to, but sometimes it has to be looked at again by your GP, as they can sometimes change it or give you something for the side-effects. Love Sue
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    woodbon wrote:
    Hello Heather
    I have OA in my hips, spine, neck etc. I have codydramol and amatriptyline.

    Glad you've decided to join this site, everyone is helpful and you will pick up some tips. :) Medication often takes time to get used to, but sometimes it has to be looked at again by your GP, as they can sometimes change it or give you something for the side-effects. Love Sue

    I also am having problems with my back and have to see specialist on 6th April. They did some x rays and found that my L5 has stuck to my sacral bone and that I seem to have these weird looking bone that should not be there that joins to my hips! Will get more info when I see specialist. I have tried to research it on net but very difficult and radiologist has used some very big words! x
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    woodbon wrote:
    Hello Heather
    I have OA in my hips, spine, neck etc. I have codydramol and amatriptyline.

    Glad you've decided to join this site, everyone is helpful and you will pick up some tips. :) Medication often takes time to get used to, but sometimes it has to be looked at again by your GP, as they can sometimes change it or give you something for the side-effects. Love Sue

    Hi Sue
    Thank you x
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hezmarie25 wrote:
    woodbon wrote:
    Hello Heather
    I have OA in my hips, spine, neck etc. I have codydramol and amatriptyline.

    Glad you've decided to join this site, everyone is helpful and you will pick up some tips. :) Medication often takes time to get used to, but sometimes it has to be looked at again by your GP, as they can sometimes change it or give you something for the side-effects. Love Sue

    Hi Sue
    Thank you x
    Hi again Sue
    Is amatriptyline an anti depressant? Does this help with OA? x
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi Heather,
    welcome from me as well. I have oa in my spine both ends and I extra bones and fusion. I take a few pain anti inflammatories and they use the Amitriptyline for neuropathic pain and to help you sleep. I am not on those but am on some nerve blocker ones that are designed for epilepsy but they have given me back a quality of life I thought was gone. Take care, Cris
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    skezier wrote:
    hi Heather,
    welcome from me as well. I have oa in my spine both ends and I extra bones and fusion. I take a few pain anti inflammatories and they use the Amitriptyline for neuropathic pain and to help you sleep. I am not on those but am on some nerve blocker ones that are designed for epilepsy but they have given me back a quality of life I thought was gone. Take care, Cris
    ly
    Hi Cris
    Wow it is amazing how many different medications for different ailments can help OA. Do you know if you were born with the extra bones and fusion? Apparently I was and its old age and now OA that is causing the bad pain. What epilepsy meds are they? May be worth will looking into because these patches are very addictive which scares me a little. Thanks x
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Heather, when I had my original decompression the consultant thought some of it had been there a long time (I was 27 then) but I don't know if it was thereat birth I afraid. The real extra bone and the fusion was starting back then but now I have advanced and more bone and fusion and its OA based. So maybe I had a bit of both? There are a lot of treatments and sometimes it can be trail and error to find one that suits. I had just Diclo and Tramadol for many years but now they have back up! :) Take care, Cris
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Heather
    Just a quick welcome from me! :)
    Nice to meet you.
    I am glad you have found us - this is a lovely site - so supportive and informative.
    Look forward to seeing you ppost in the future.
    Take care
    Toni x
    Heather - is butran morphine patches?
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    HI,
    I was given amatriptilyne for nerve pain, which I get from a bone spur in my neck, which a mri scan showed is touching a nerve.

    You're right, it is an old anti-depressent, which, my GP explained, has been found to work for nerve pain when given in small doses. The doses taken for pain are not as high as for anti-depression. I have found, for me, this drug works quite well and it helps me to sleep. I only take it at night! : :). This is how it was explained to me, forgive me if I've not got it quite right :!: :oops: :D . Love Sue
  • debsmartin
    debsmartin Member Posts: 209
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Heather and welcome, I'm sure you will find the forum a great help, I know I have.

    debs
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hezmarie25 wrote:
    hezmarie25 wrote:
    woodbon wrote:
    Hello Heather
    I have OA in my hips, spine, neck etc. I have codydramol and amatriptyline.

    Glad you've decided to join this site, everyone is helpful and you will pick up some tips. :) Medication often takes time to get used to, but sometimes it has to be looked at again by your GP, as they can sometimes change it or give you something for the side-effects. Love Sue

    Hi Sue
    Thank you x
    Hi again Sue
    Is amatriptyline an anti depressant? Does this help with OA? x
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hezmarie25 wrote:
    hezmarie25 wrote:
    woodbon wrote:
    Hello Heather
    I have OA in my hips, spine, neck etc. I have codydramol and amatriptyline.

    Glad you've decided to join this site, everyone is helpful and you will pick up some tips. :) Medication often takes time to get used to, but sometimes it has to be looked at again by your GP, as they can sometimes change it or give you something for the side-effects. Love Sue
    Hi welocme to the site glad you've joined us.

    Amatriptalyne (sp??) is an old fashione anti depressent, it has been found to be good at relieving pain caused by nerves. I have OA in my neck and a bone spur from that is touching a nerve and gives me mucsle spasms. This drug seems to help me a bit and also makes me sleepy at night, when I take it This is how my GP explained this to me, and I think I've remebered it correctly! Love Sue

    Hi Sue
    Thank you x
    Hi again Sue
    Is amatriptyline an anti depressant? Does this help with OA? x
  • ritnew
    ritnew Member Posts: 338
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Heather
    Bit late with my welcome but as they say better late than never. A friend found this site for me and although I may not participate as much as some on here I find it invaluable and always come here at least once a day, quite often more. It is so good to find people who really understand just how you feel, as much as family and friends try unless your in the pain we all have I don't think they quite understand. I actually wept with joy when I started reading some of the posts, I'd at last found some people that you can talk to, rant at and someone always has an answer and they are all very sympathetic and when you explore the chit chat forum you will no doubt laugh out loud like I did at some of the posts in there.
    Welcome and thank you everyone for being such great friends.

    Rita X
  • breane
    breane Member Posts: 392
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Heather,Since I joined the site a few weeks ago I have had a lot of helpful advice from other members.I have OA in the hands,wrists,knees and sometimes the top of the feet.Just knowing there are others out there in the same position as myself has been a great help.I am sure you will find the site very useful.Love Breane. :)
  • lindalegs
    lindalegs Member Posts: 5,393
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Heather,

    Just wanted to join the others in saying Hello - I may not be able to help you much because I'm a rheumatoid - but you'll find others on here with very valuable information and support.

    Luv Legs :D
    Love, Legs x
    'Make a life out of what you have, not what you're missing'
  • mistywillow
    mistywillow Member Posts: 711
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    lindalegs wrote:
    Hi Heather,

    Just wanted to join the others in saying Hello - I may not be able to help you much because I'm a rheumatoid - but you'll find others on here with very valuable information and support.

    Luv Legs :D

    Hi Heather
    Just wanted to add my welcome too. I have RA but the site is so helpful whatever your problem is because there is always someone who understands how you feel and pops up with something kind and useful

    Gill x :P
  • hezmarie25
    hezmarie25 Member Posts: 63
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    frogmorton wrote:
    Hi Heather
    Just a quick welcome from me! :)
    Nice to meet you.
    I am glad you have found us - this is a lovely site - so supportive and informative.
    Look forward to seeing you ppost in the future.
    Take care
    Toni x
    Heather - is butran morphine patches?
    Hi Yes they are. Some horrid side effects to start with but within a week they were gone. I still occasional feel sick but have some tablets to help with that. Must say I have tried allsorts of different meds but these are the best to date. x