Date: 25.08.2010
From: katknapp
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Subject: New and confused
Hi i have been suffering joint pain for many years and i am just starting to see a consultant now,he has said i have inflamatory arthritis but not told me which one,my esr?is high between 50-60,i have had the steroid injection and all thats done is give me a serious attack of munchies!tramadol makes me ill and doesnt kill the pain and now i have been put on tablets that have calcium and vitamin d,does that mean i have arthritis still or jsut low on vitamin d?have i been suffering all these years just for want of some sunshine!!Anyone who is able to help a very confused person here would be very much appreciated,
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Date: 25.08.2010
From: Sally
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Subject: Re: New and confused
Hi Katknapp, I've got inflammatory arthritis too. It's not always easy to diagnose which one. The treatment is pretty much the same so try not to get hung up on which type. The calcium and vit D tabs are to stop you getting osteoporosis. The risk of it increases when you are on steroids. Has your consultant recommended any other treatment such as Dmards like Methotrexate etc. or is he waiting to see? If you have more questions perhaps you can ring your consultant and get her/him to answer them for you. You might get more info from others here in the meantime.
Sally
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Date: 26.08.2010
From: katknapp
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Subject: Re: New and confused
Hi Sally thank you for answering me,im seeing my consultant in november so far i have just had steroid jabs,but i have tried tramadol which make me feel as though im on another planet,co-codomol which make me sick and sleepy and dont do anything and diclefenac which didnt do anything!so i suppose i will have to see what else they can come up with,im off work at the moment and dont know what to do concerning that, so just feeling a bit frustrated over it all i guess,
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Date: 26.08.2010
From: Sally
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Subject: Re: New and confused
I'm not surprised. If they think that you have inflammatory arthritis the National Protocol is to get people on disease modifying drugs (Dmards such as Methotrexate and others) within 3 months. It helps to prevent joint damage if drug intervention is used early on. It took my consultant 6 months as he was ruling out a reactive type which can be self limiting. When you see your consultant next ask him about the National Protocol and why he hasn't applied it to you. Put pressure on him to give you some answers. If you've been having joint pain for many years ask him to xray the troublesome joints to see if there is any damage already. I've had all this done and it is routine in my hospital. Don't accept anything less. Also, if you start to feel worse, don't wait until November for your appt. Ring his assistant/sec and ask for your appt to be pulled forward or to speak to him on the phone.
tx
Sally
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Date: 26.08.2010
From: KayJay
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Subject: Re: New and confused
And ultra sound tests can confirm inflammatory arthritis as well as synovitis cant [ I think ? ] be seen on a normal XRay.
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Date: 26.08.2010
From: Shirley
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Subject: Re: New and confused
Hi Katknapp, sorry you're having bad time of it with not much support by the sound of it. I have rheumatoid arthritis and am in my 6th week of Methotrexate. I also take Diclofenac, one tramadol at night and paracetamol in between when needed. I also had a steroid injection when I first saw my GP but he doesn't want to give me any more in case I overdose. Everyone on here seems to say it takes quite a while for the drugs to kick in and I'm still waiting but generally I do feel a bit better than when I started although I'm not sure if its the drugs, or getting so used to being in pain that any relief feels a blessing!
I found that you go to the bottom of the pile unless you keep pestering so perhaps you could try to get a cancellation as November seems a long time to wait. I'm also off work and am waiting for a reply to see if I can get Disability Living Allowance. Its hard not to stress about work and finances but I'm trying to let it go and focus on getting better cos if I can sort that, the rest will follow. Hope this helps and sorry if I've waffled on a bit. Good luck.
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Date: 26.08.2010
From: katknapp
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Subject: Re: New and confused
Thank you all for answering,ive had x-rays which didnt show anything,its weird as the pain moves around and i get flares of pain but my joints dont swell,at the moment im kind of ticking all boxes lol,i had to stop working as i work in retail and it was a very large store and i was finding it painful to walk around i would get flashes of pain up my legs and we are not allowed to sit down!just be nice to know what ive got so i can then decide about work
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