Meds And Arthritis??????

[lori.bret]

Hello,everyone, I have a fairly simple question. I have read a lot of things posted by lots of people on this site, but one thing I have consistently noticed is that not many people are using any kind of pain meds. I have read about alot of drugs on this site that i have never even heard of.I have used many different types of narcotic pain meds, but nothing that I have heard different people mention(for arthritis) Any info anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.Thanks
Lori

[chellsbells]

DO YOU HAVE ARTHRITIS? IF SO WHAT FORM

MANY DRUGS TALKED ABOUT HERE ARE CALLED DMARDS = DISEASE MODIFYING ANTI RHEUMATIC DRUGS SUCH AS METHOTREXATE, ARAVA IMURAN
THEN THERE ARE THE ANTI TNF/BIOLOGICS SUCH AS ENEBREL HUMIRA REMICADE

THEN THE CLASSIC NSAID'S
IBRUOFEN, DIFENE/VOLTROL/DICLOFENIC, NAPROYSN. ARCOXIA, CELEBREX

PEOPLE DO TAKE PAINKILLERS BUT MOST CAN TAKE ANALGESIA WITHOUT TAKING NARCOTICS.

I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DISEASE AND ALSO IF THE PATIENT HAS OTHER MEDICAL PROBLEMS.

I MYSELF AM CLASSED AS AN "OPIOD TOLERANT" IVE BEEN SICK FOR ABOOUT 7 YEARS AND AM ON PAINKILLERS SINCE THEN STARTING ON LIGHTER STUFF BUT IN MAY 2004 I BECAME VERY ILL AND NEARLY LOST MY LEG AND THE PAIN AFTER THE ARTERIAL CLOT WAS GONE WAS TERRIBLE AND THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES I WAS ALSO HAVING ABDOMINAL SURGERY THROWN IN WITH IT AT THE TIME I AT FIRST WAS ON TRAMADOL AND SOLPODOL THEN DF118's AFTER ALL OF THAT

THEN IN APRIL LAST YEAR I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SEVERE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, THIS ALONG WITH LOTS OF PAIN FROM OTHER MEDICAL PROBLEMS I NEARLY WENT INSANE I WAS IN AGONY SO I WAS PUT ON OXYCONTIN AND OXYNORMS I WAS ON 80MG OF OXYCONTIN TWICE A DAY AND 20 OXYNORM AS I NEEDED IT, I WAS GETTING SOME RELIEF BUT BY 8 HOURS ID BE IN AGONY AGAIN SO I FINALLY GOT A CONSULT WITH A PAIN MANAGEMENT DOCTOR WHO ALSO HAS RA SO HE UNDERSTANDS WHERE IM COMING FROM HE STARTED ME ON DURAGESIC(FENTANYL) PATCH AND ACTIQ(FENTANYL LOLLIPOPS)

SO NOW IM ON LOTS OF MEDS ILL ONLY GIVE THE ONES RELEVANT TO ARTHRITIS

IM ON DIFENE 100 MG EVERY 12 HRS
DELTRACORTRIL/PREDENISOL 15MG
IMURAN 25MG EVERY 12 HRS
ARAVA 20MG
DURAGESIC/FENTANYL PATCH 100
ACTIQ/FENTANYL POPS EVERY 4 HOURS 600-800MICROGRAMS AS NEEDED


CAN I ASK WHY YOU ARE WONDERING ABOUT THIS??
HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU
CHELL

[ToBeFreeToRoam]

Hi,

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and possibly Lupus (not diagnosed with that yet). I take Skelaxin (muscle relaxer), ultram (light pain med.), only 2 tylenol per day, Relafen, Prednisone and Sulfasalazine.

Currently I need more meds because I hurt really bad. Especially in my legs and arms and other symptoms. But I do not think that my Rheumy dr. will give me anything stronger for pain. She that in the beginning when I first started going to her, about 3-4 years ago.

They are letting me come in this Fri. am, because my steroid shot did not help at all. May only get x-rays and blood tests, to see what else may be wrong with me.

Sorry to go on so long. I cannot take Plaquenil, Methotrexate and some of the others, because I have open sores - might be a rash that is realted to Arthritis or Lupus?! Plus I pick them sometimes/they itch.

Take care.

Wannabe

[lori.bret]

Hi there, Thank you for the info you have provided. It was quite helpful. The reason I was asking that particular question is because at the moment I have no family Doctor(I live in Ontario and we have a massive shortage of family Doctors) so I have to see multiple doctors to get any info at all.I had to have x-rays and a cat scan and that determined that I have rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative disc disease, as well as a pinched nerve and bone spurs. And the most stupid thing of all is I cant get a referral to a pain management clinic because they will not accept patients that dont have a family doctor, so I wind up right back where I started. I have been seeing all these names for different drugs being mentioned for arthritis, and yet I have never heard of nor been prescribed any of these meds for arthritis. As I stated before, pretty much the only things I have used are muscle relaxants and pain killers such as tylenol3, demerol, cyclobenzaprine and percocet. I recently had a doctor prescribe the transdermal fentanyl patch and the percocet together, but everytime I tried to use one of the patches, I would become fevered and nauseous and I was unable to sleep for longer than 1o minutes at a time. It was terrible and I had an awful reaction to it. So that would be the simplest answer I can give you as to why I was wondering about all these other meds. Thank you for your answer.
Lori

[lori.bret]

Hi there, Thank you for your answer. I wish you luck in finding out the answers that you need to find something that will work for you. I know it sucks so bad when the pain will not go away. Some of my family has a hard time understanding, and even though they mean well, sometimes the advice they offer is so impractical. Anyway, thanks again.
Lori