Osterioarthritis all over my joints

1. nurofen extra (ibuprofen and codeine combined) when it really hurts and is clearly inflammed for 3-5 days. Otherwise i try and stay off pain killers as long as possible as there is some evidence - albeit not completely clear or understood - that anti-inflammatory use when not inflammed might harm rather than heal. On really bad times, i move up to Naproxen.

2. I take a tablespoon of cider vinegar with water - not for any particular reason but we have a horse and when it went to stables for holiday, it didnt get it and was half lame when we got back but recovered when we gave it back its vinegar! Cant imagine this is a recommendation but i thought i'd give it a go! 

3. For my wrist and hands on bad days and at night i splint them and rub volatrol 12 hour gel into hands and knees. again only if dreadful so i dont get too used to it and it works when i really am hurting badly.

3. I divert myself - sounds odd but find if i am on phone to someone or have headphones on then i dont concentrate on the pain so much if i am very busy 

4. I have a car with an airscarf which blows hot air round your neck. i always turn that on as its really nice and stops neck hurting!

5. I ice everything before i go to bed if really bad or get in the sea as like having an ice bath (live in cornwall!) and just easier!! 

6. i dont eat any inflammatory foods. Certain things seem to just make things flare. I relapse sometimes and seem to pay for it within 48 hours. Still trying to work out exactly what - i now write down what i eat and how much pain is in every joint daily so i can work out what i am doing wrong or when i overdo it dramatically. 

7. found slighty harder supportive pillow helps neck and then spine and hips and shoulders so that i have found curiously helpful although i did not expect it to. 

8. i also take a mixture of Chondroitin Glucosamine and undenatured collagen daily in line and in same quantities as a report from Harvard medical school, which was on a small trial but showed it worked. Google it but quite complicated to understand!  I also was taking 2mg vit d per day in winter but now sun has come out, have stopped. 

Your rheumy will be able to advise - most of the new things are for rheumatoid arthritis.  Voltarol 12 hour gel which is OTC in any chemist is good for knees and hands and shoulders and wont affect your tummy. 

Depends how bad it is really - others on here will be takings much more serious stuff than I but i try to keep it to a minimum unless its really bad and on a flare so i dont have to escallate up to nastier things. 

Exercise also controls the pain hugely in my case. Build up adding 10% per week and even though its everywhere, it does still come and go so normally only 2 or 3 joints hurting and they rotate LOL!!  Apparently the brain only concentrates on the one thats hurting most at the time so theres always something that hurts. 

The other thing i do is say to myself " can i get through today? you onlyhave to live one day at a time. Answer is normally, yeah, course i can. On REALLY bad days, then i say to myself " god, this is awful then i realise im getting depressed so decide not to be depressed until its really bad for 3 days. By which time it has normally got a bit better so i go back onto the "i only have to live one day at a time" and that takes off the anxiety about the future a bit and in any case i think within 3-5 years there will be treatments like stem cells and stuff which might help. Helps me to live in the present.  Dont know if thats helpful or not but it is what i do. 

I just registered to go on a one day alexander technique for swimming easily with arthritis and its this Sunday so will let folk know if thats helpful too.  Really bad days for me dont last all day every day so the other thing i do when really bad is plan my next holiday. I just used to book a package deal and not think about it but now i get a book on where we are going and really research it and create a plan of what i;d like to see and organise my days so its half activity and the rest lot of enjoyable things for us all like massage or decent restaurant etc. the act of planning it all out i find cheers me up, is interesting and takes my mind off the pain as i get engrossed in something else.  A pal of mine in same boat joined a singing group and says she generally forgets about the pain when shes with the others singing. Weird but seems to work - brain seems to concentrate on the thing at top of mind - my rheumy says brain generally only concentrates most on the thing which is most painful or enjoyable. seems to work most of the time for me but there are days when i just give up - but then my 3 days rule kicks in.

GOod luck anyway.. i guess everyone tries all sorts of stuff to cope with it given the doctors cant help much.  

next he prescribed voltarol which provides some help

finally i have had joint replacements and now i am pain free, yippee

The first thing to say is we are all different. Some meds affect people and others can take them with little or no side effects.

eg.  TRAMADOL .....if I take those they sent me loopy { well loopier} I know others who can take them and think they are great.

As for me.....I've had 2 hip replacements.....2nd one.... weeks post op I was doing an NHS exercise and there was a crack and the greater trochanter bone fractured. I've been told I'll be on crutches permanently ..2 and a half years now....thats not the biggest problem......its the pain from the fracture which will apparently never heal......stretched too far to ever knit back.

This is just to say I'm not a typical person with arthritis but here goes!

I take paracetamol,

I take naproxen,

I also take a small dose of mst when its necessary

Another one is lansoprozol.......its a stomach liner especially when you taking anti inflammatories.

I've been for a colonoscopy today and everything is fine.....not ulcers bleeding etc.

I find relaxation good....you can get some good CD's

Distraction is another good one

A lot of these are the same as sparkle........Living one day at a time.....in other words if its bad.....convincing myself it has happened before and I got through it..it wont last. Then distraction techniques or something like that.

One thing I noticed was about the voltorol......it is excellent gel but if you do take anti inflammatories make sure any gel you buy doesnt have any in it otherwise it could be overdosing

Exercise is necessary.....but it must be the correct exercise.....no running, walking is better......no high impact excercise.....it has to be low impact otherwise you could make it worse

Love

Eileen