Rheumatoid Arthritis

[LixyChick]

I saw another thread on here from Alasse (Sharni...Sharniqua) a while ago about osteoarthritis. It sparked me to look at my own changes.

I haven't been to a doc yet (I'm gonna...I promise) but it seems I have a form of arthritis too. I researched what has been happening to me and I have diagnosed myself. It's all too obvious to be anything else...so please don't yell at me too much!

You all know I sew for a living and the type of sewing I do is really heavy work. My hands and elbows take the brunt of the punishment...though my back suffers from sitting as well. I used to have fairly pretty hands and now I can see and feel the changes. My pinky finger on my left hand has a nodule on the first joint (near the nail) and the pain is excruciating at times. I liken it to a beacon on a lighthouse. It comes, hits a peak and then subsides. This can go on all day or for several days and then I get a reprieve. The second joint on my middle finger of my right hand has swollen and hasn't gone down for some time now. Makes for flippin the bird a tad painful lately! LOL! If I am retaining water (for reasons I'll spare you) the pain is even greater...in both of my hands! On the flip side...if I take dieuretics for water retention I get cramps in my legs and feet at night. Arrgggggggggggg!

There is a "squishy" lump on my left wrist, just behind my thumb and sometimes I feel a rubberband like snap there that actually sends, what I call, "lightening flashes" to my brain. It happens mostly when I am in a precarious situation with a large/heavy piece of leather...ie: having to hold it really tight so it won't slip and I miss my mark in stitching it.

I have carpal tunnel in my right wrist and the doc has told me if I wanted surgery and resumed my current job, it would return! My wrist makes a snapping sound when I flex it and that relieves the numbness after purposely "snapping" it several times. It isn't long lived though.

I get such pain in my right elbow that at times I can't straighten it fully. Sometimes it's on the inside elbow and sometimes it the pointy part on the outside...or sometimes simultaneously. It can travel up my arm and affect my neck and then my back fore favoring the pain. Oh...I'm a f*$#ing mess I tell ya! I might look ok on the outside...but inside...YIKES!

So YES...I know I need to see a doc for all of this but I wanted to bring it here first. Is anyone experiencing any of this and can you tell me your personal experiences? Meds that work...meds to be wary of...home remedies...etc.

[Lilith]

I have nerve pain but I don't do anything for it aside from crying or throwing up :p I suspect I may have fibromyalgia but frankly I don't have time to so I avoid even discussing pain with my Dr.

[maddy]

I've got nothing... other than hopefully osuche will weigh in on this soon... in the meantime I hope you find some relief.

[LixyChick]

Lil...I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago! Doc said to walk/exercise a lot and take percocet for the pain when it gets so bad that I can't stand it. I took percs for about a year and decided I like the high/cool dreams better than it relieved the pain. I knew I would become addicted if I kept it up (took more than prescribed)...so I took myself off the drug! I'm not so sure what fibromyalgia is or if I even have it cause I think a doc comes to the end of her/his rope and eventually labels us with that. When all that we complain about can't be diagnosed...and it's all so simple to just lump it into one category...the doc must feel relief for giving us a reason to believe in them. That's mainly why I am so reluctunt to go back and describe my new complaints! That...and I've no time too!

maddy...TY hun! I'll await osuche's response!

[Loulabelle]

((((Lixy)))))

Lots of home remedies for fluid retention:

1. Drink plenty of water and cut down on fizzy drinks and tea/coffee.

2. Fennel tea is a natural diuretic, and also a mild appetite surpressant so is good for weight loss. It tastes like aniseed so not a lot of foods taste good with it, which also makes it good for weight loss!

3. I am suffering from agonising hands at the moment due to fluid retention (and no, I don't have pre-eclampsia, don't panic) and my midwife recommended Raspberry Leaf tablets. Haven't been anywhere they sell them yet, so I can't tell you if they definitely work, but my midwife isn't often wrong!

4. Resting with the fluid retaining limbs elevated higher than your heart is also very effective. It's the only thing that's stopped my ankles swelling even this close to my due date.

5. Gentle manipulation of the joints and massage can be a real benefit too.

As for the arthritis side of it, I'm not an expert on the different kinds of arthritis, but I know that my mother began to suffer from it quite badly when she came off her HRT treatment. When they discovered she was still menstruating (aged 57!) they put her back on it and the following day her pain stopped and has not returned! As I say, I'm not sure what kind of arthritis is was that she had, but I know she suffered from swollen joints, particularly in her hands, so it may be the same one, in which case, the cause was clearly hormonal for her.

Hope that helps a little. Maybe if nothing else, it gives you something to mention to the doctor...

[osuche]

((((Lixy))))

I'm not sure you have Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), given your symptoms...it might be a repetitive stress injury. And the hormonal thing might be a good idea to investigate...

I was diagnosed with RA when I was 19...which is young. Most people do get it in their 50's and 60's -- it's actually an autoimmune issue where your white blood cells attack your joints and degrade the connective tissue. It causes swelling and pain and loss of mobility...and over time can cause joint degeneration if not managed properly. In the long run you may want to go to the Dr and have yourself assessed -- if only because of the possible permanent effects of joint degeneration.

Some home remedies that work for me:
-- Heat. Cold does NOT work for RA, only heat (especially moist heat). Try hot packs (I get the ones you heat in the microwave and put it on the part that hurts), or ThermaCare disposable wraps.
-- Baths. For the same reason above -- heat works. :)
--Aleve. Aleve is Naproxyn in an OTC dose. Naproxyn is a non-specific anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug that reduces inflammation. Note, however, that it does *not* stop joint degeneration
-- Exercise. Range of motion exercise for the affacted areas is important -- movement hurts in the short run, but in the long run keeps your joints "warm" and flexible and increases your range of motion.

Hope these suggestions help! PM me if you want other ideas or some feedback on meds after you see the Dr. If anything else occurs to me, I'll add it in a later post...

[LixyChick]

Loulabelle...TY so much hun! I've never tried fennel tea but I will look for it. I usually drink green tea and it get's boring after all this time. Thank goodness you don't have pre-eclampsia! If you hadn't of said you didn't I would have panicked! I'll look for the raspberry leaf tablets as well. Again...TY (((Lou)))!

osuche...Yes, I agree that this could be a hormonal thing. I really am going to see the doc soon. The pain is getting unbearable and that's my cue. When my hands are cold it hurts worse so I do use moist heat at times. I thought about Aleve but doesn't that have a lot of sodium and therefore wouldn't it make me retain more water? Both you and Lou gave me great suggestions and with them, and as soon as I see the doc, I will report back on my condition. TY (((osuche)))!

TY everyone...for your responses!

[dicksbro]

Fennel tea is a natural diuretic, and also a mild appetite surpressant so is good for weight loss. It tastes like aniseed so not a lot of foods taste good with it, which also makes it good for weight loss.

Saw that and thought, hmmmmmm, maybe I need to try it. Thanks.

[PantyFanatic]

I think this must be contagious, Lixy. I haven't seen a doctor about it and don't intend to. I just know that when you are around, my joint gets stiff. :boink:

[scotzoidman]

Lixy, I've had the carpal thing going for years myself...& I can still remember the night at work that it first flared up (3-4 hrs of microsurgery on a piece of film I was stripping up, repetitive motion with an exacto knife, when dinner break came the base of my thumb down to my wrist was on fire)...just dealt with it for 10 years or so, til unemployment & disability solved most of my problem...still work with my hands a lot, tho, & the worst pain I have these days is at the knuckle joint at the base of my index finger (prob from clicking the mouse all the time)...feels like a needle is stuck in there, for that I've found the pain-relieving creams like Aspercreme or Myoflex helps a bunch...only temporaryily, but hey...
I know what ya mean about the hands showing the signs of age & abuse, too, increasingly I notice my hands & arms beginning to look like my mother's, she had 7 different forms of athritis, plus Lupus, none of her fingers would straighten out at the end...yet she continued quilting & embroidering to the very end.
I ended up going to a neurologist when my back pain got intense, & he put me thru a whole course of tests to diagnose the carpal tunnel thing...as if I didn't already know that, I think he just liked playing with his expensive toy...that, or he just enjoyed watching me twitch on the table everytime he jolted me with the electric shocks...he did tell me I had an unusual thing going where the nerve truck in my arms actually split at the elbow, whereas most people have the split down at the wrist...but I already knew I wasn't wired up right LOL...his advice about surgery was the same, if ya don't stop doing what you're doing the carpal will just come back, he sold me a pair of wrist braces to to wear at night that were supposed to help...they're laying unused on the headboard now, but you can try that, the same ones are available at most pharmacies...

[LixyChick]

Poor Pf! I'd feel for ya...but I can't reach! No really hun...if I go to the docs then you gotta go too! We could compare body ouchies!

scotz...I was just telling osuche (in PM), Mr Lixy bought me the bestest pair of wrist guards last X-Mas (romantic...ain't he?) and I use one on my right hand all the time and when my left hand gets bad I wear them both. Ewwwwww...right now I looked at my pinky finger from the side and I feel like it looks like a stereotypical witches knarled finger. Oh...I hope they all don't go that way! Ya know what though? I am so anal I'd want my pinky on the right to at least match the left one. I hate having an asymmetrical bod...lmfao! OMG...what am I saying?

Thanks guys! I love ya!

[scotzoidman]

I hate having an asymmetrical bod...
Funny, I'm crazy about your ass-symmetrical bod... :buttsex:

[LixyChick]

*giggle*

[osuche]

Oh -- one more thing. If you ever have time for a spa treatment, try the hot paraffin hand dip/wax.....it's h-e-a-v-e-n.

I had it done once and I swear I was walking on clouds when I went home!

[scotzoidman]

I've heard of wax dip, sounds like it would be great, if not too pricey...That reminds me of a techinique I picked up years ago from a book with Isometric exercises for guitarists, this was an all-purpose thing for relaxing & refreshing tired hands...in a double sink, fill one side with hot (not scalding, of course!) water, the other side with cold, adding a few ice cubes as well, then just dip your hands in each side for long as it feels good...tried it few times myself, really stimulates the blood flow & gets rid of that achy feeling...

[osuche]

Stess is also a big contributor to inflammation. Beware stressful events in your life, or work stress creeping in...it will cause flare-ups of your arthritis. Also, I find I am more sore when I am close to the Hut days.

The only advice I have for you during a flare up is....be kind to your body and be patient with your limitations. That....and know that it *will* get better, even though sometimes it feels like there is no relief!

Oh....and keep moving! Movement and physical activity is the best remedy I know!

[Lost]

I hava to see a Rheumatiod specialist on a regular basis, I have Ankylosing Spondylitis, its affects my back (from the bottom of my hips to the top of my neck is all, and my spine is fusing together) and as they tell me, I have to keep it regularly exercised, but to know the limit, because doing too much can make it worse, so ya have to start slow and find the happy medium that works.

as others have mentioned, wet heat works the best, for me since its my full spinal area and back, showers as hot as I can possibly stand works for me,
so you might try soaking your pained parts, steam rooms are great.

for your hands as also has been mentioned , hot paraffin dips.
you dont have to go to a spa for this, if you can find an old crock pot and the proper paraffin, I know it can be order for a fair price on the net.
I have a friend that has hand and wrist problems and she gave me the directions once, so I'll pass them on :)

Place Paraffin Skin Dip in crock pot on LOW heat. Heat until completely melted. Test temperature of wax; 125-130 degrees is the appropriate temperature for dipping. Dip clean hands in wax. Wrap hands with plastic wrap, covering the freshly-dipped skin, and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Wrapping with plastic wrap will provide deeper heat penetration and moisturization. Remove plastic wrap, and peel paraffin dip from your hands.
*make sure you use the proper Paraffin*

Another things she does is rub Tiger Balm on them.
Tiger Balm is a topical analgesics, with a soothing action that relieves muscular aches and pains.its similar to stuff like Icy Hot. Tiger Balm is made from active ingredients such as camphor, menthol, cajuput oil and clove oil.
I've used it on my back before but for me it doesnt help much but I know alot of people say it works great for them, so something ya miant to try.

hope some of this is helpful.