Ive just been diagnosed with arthritis - effecting my knees and back?
Question:
Answers:
Ehm..i hardly know where to start with this one..the 1st poster was very positive..so i don't want to be doom & gloom.
I'm 56 and have had RA since i was 19..yeah that's right 19...it really depends which type of arthritis u have. You won't know until u see a Rheumatologist..ur doc will hopefully refer u..There are drugs that slow the disease down, there are drugs that can help u have a fairly good quality of life, and there are some that don't help at all..and paracetamol is one that won't help. Not if it's arthritis. I've been advised by my doc to stay away from cortizone injections as long as poss because it's well known for side affects..and once ur body gets used to them there is nothing stronger u can take to kill the pain..and eventually u have to live with it at some point..there are side affects with all drugs .. and let me tell u for sure there's a huge amount of pain with arthritis. Today i spoke to a friend of mine who is waiting on a Rheumatology appointment and is feeling the same as u, very down..she hasn't been able to do her daily walks for 1 yr now...
Having said that u might find something that will help you. Pain can be 24/7, and can robb u of ur life as u know it..or can make u a better person..(sorry i don't mean ur not a good person now, do u know what i mean?) I wish u all the very best and pray this isn't what u have. If u want any more info just google arthritis and u'll get all u need, or email me...
I am not living the life i would have chosen for myself but i've learned to live with it over the yrs..it's not the end..other things and people will come into ur life... : )
Sorry just remembered in these yrs i have had a few yrs of remission, where the pain lessened and i was active...but with RA remission is common but so is the spreading of the disease...
feet, hands/fingers, elbows, knees, neck and so on...sorry but it's personal experience..the truth of what can happen, i hope not to you..xx
I've had cortizone injections and I cannot say that I experienced any side-effects. The best drugs I have ever taken for my spinal arthritis were Vioxx and Bextra. They were both outlawed for their side-effects even though only a small percentage of people had them (I never had any). Cheer up, there is life with arthritis and remaining active is the key. Just do as your doctor says and research your condition yourself. I suggest using Yahoo! search and searching on "arthritis effecting the spine" and "arthritis in the knee".
I HAD arthritis in my knees, but had surgery and they cleaned most of it out. That gave me a bit of a respite in that area, but they can't do that for the spine.
Good luck!
Cortisone helps to lubricate the joints thus making it easier
to get around.As for side affects i have never had any,
after many injections,so happy less pain walking
and things will get better bud.
An older guy than you wishing you well.
Welcome!! I'm not trying to be uncaring, its just that I have had to take a positive approach to arthritis because if not I will crumble. Slowing down is absolutely not the answer, it is great that you have exercise and you should continue that with out pushing yourself. I am assumin that Paracetemol is a steroid of some sort as that is the usual when diagnosed to see how much they can ease your inflamation. I was on a steroid called Prednisone and it was very effective, usually taken for 14 days, when ever I had a bad flare up. The side effects to the steroid is much worse than the cortisone shots.
With the shots there is some discomfort the first day, but I think that that is expected, sometimes I still have a little pain the 2nd day, and then its usually about 3 wks of comfort!! And I enjoy every minute I can get.
You said that you are down in the dumps, and that is to be expected. But don't let it get you down, the more positive and active you can keep yourself the better you will do. I am only 43 and have dealing with this for about 3 yrs now. I never had any idea that arthritis was so painful, I remember thinking to myself when people would complain of it, " how bad can it be"? I owe alot of apologies!! lol
Anyway, with the treatment that you already have had recommended to you, it sounds like you have a great doc, so just hang in there and rest assured that there are plenty of us on here in the same boat if you have any questions.
I had terrible knees and knee pain also. I am only 25 and have had 13 surgeries...my first one when I was only 12 years old. I get cortizone shots quite often. Because I have gotten them so often I have developed thinning of the skin and discoloration of the injection site. It basically looks like a purple-ish scar about the size of a quarter. I have heard that this is rare though. The only other problem I have with them is that they react a bit with my pain medication, oxycodone, and I get a very red, hot, flushed face that lasts for the first 2 days or so after I get one. As far as my knee problems go, they do seem to help a bit, but I find I only get about 3 weeks of relief from them as opposed to the traditional 6-8 weeks or more. Ask your doctor if you are a candidate for synvisc and visit this website. www.synvisc.com I work for the company that developed this product and helped test this product. I have heard from people that they get great relief from it. Good luck to you.
Try a Yahoo search for arthritis + "natural remedies".
More Questions & Answers...