To think there must be painkilling solutions out there

[Acrackineverything]

For osteoarthritis? Went to GP recently and mentioned that my arthritis pain had got worse. My mum had it and was crippled with pain. His reply was that things haven't really changed. Suggested paracetamol, which doesn't actually work for me, and prescribed Vimovo which takes the edge off but takes hours to kick in. The best solution for me is actually a hot water bottle held on whichever part hurts the most. But has anyone out there got any suggestions? I can put up with a certain amount of pain but I'm starting like I'm 90 instead of 60(ish)!

[quote IJoinedJustForThisThread]@Suzanne999 I also went on a pain management course. It was a whole day, once a week for seven weeks. That was seven days’ annual leave I had to take……to be pretty much told that if I thought happy thoughts I wouldn’t notice the pain. That would be the same pain that 8 Tramadol a day didn’t make the slightest difference to (I stopped taking it cold Turkey and didn’t notice anything). Mind you, Oramorph never works on me either. Seven days of annual leave. Can you tell I’m still bitter?[/quote]
Yes, and I’m not surprised. Whoever thought of these seminars/ workshops, whatever they want to call them has obviously never had chronic pain.

I have RA and I am going through a flare up atm. Painkillers don't touch it, but tumeric ( the real ground up root steeped in hot milk) has made a bit of difference. CBD oil does nothing.
I am allowed 3 short courses of prednisilone a year so I save them for when I really need to be able to walk. I get about 3 weeks pain free out of a 4 week course. Horrible stomach pain though.
I have had various immunosuppressant drugs. Everything makes me ill.
Heat packs and massage help a bit.
It is soul destroying.

My parents both have severe arthritis and osteoarthritis. Nothing helps. They have both had various tablets, accupuncture etc. Waste of time.

Tai Chi is great for arthritis. You can do it sitting as well. My classes are via zoom, so you can join in wherever you are.

I started seated, but am now so's much stronger I do the classes standing. It really loosens the joints.

@PostThenGhost

I’m 48 and have painful osteoarthritis in my hands, neck and knees. I’m actually struggling to do my job my hands are so bad at the minute.

The Dr prescribed Amitriptyline, I couldn’t actually tolerate it -made me feel like a zombie-but two other Drs have offered it me since so it must be a common treatment.

I do take naproxen when it’s really bad. 500mg twice a day. When it’s a really, really bad flare up 750mg. Other than that, Zapain for times when it’s keeping me awake at night.

How long did you take it for? The first month can be your body getting used to the side effects but after that it can settle down.

I hate the narrative that pain is all in the mind It's so debilitating to have constant pain.

Try looking at the WHO pain ladder, and if after trying paracetamol regularly for a period of time (I tell patients two weeks) you're not getting any relief, go back to. Gp.
Or if you pay for prescriptions buy over the counter Co codamol which is next step up from. Paracetamol.
If you can take ibuprofen add that in as well as paracetamol.
Many pat tell me paracetamol doesn't help but often it's not being taken regularly or given a chance longer term.
Add in all the other self help things, so regular exercise, even chair exercises if walking is too much.
Weight... Do you need to lose some?
Supplements.. Turmeric is supposed to be good.
TENS machines.

Unfortunately there is no cure and until you reach criteria for joint replacement which with current back log to cold orthopedic surgery is likely a very long time, you have to consider it a management plan.

Which is optimise pain relief, optimise lifestyle, optimise physical health.

I've only got mild to moderate OA in my shoulder but swear by a heated throw. Better than a hot water bottle or heat pad because it's big and you can wrap it all around the affected areas. It isn't super super hot but it is hot enough and it stays hot.
Downside is you have to stay plugged in so can't really move around the house wearing it.

I have moderate mid-foot arthritis, and I swear by Voltarol gel (the stronger 12 hour Joint Relief one) My husband found Biofreeze spray very helpful. Had to be Biofreeze though, not any of the other cold sprays.

@sueelleker

I have moderate mid-foot arthritis, and I swear by Voltarol gel (the stronger 12 hour Joint Relief one) My husband found Biofreeze spray very helpful. Had to be Biofreeze though, not any of the other cold sprays.

I can't take ibruprofen but I agree this is a very good alternative.

This makes me so sad, pain management is a relatively new separate specialty, as in available as an option via the GP, but it's so... random and poorly executed.

Ami is great, but why are you being given enough to feel like a zombie? For some people the smallest dose is helpful (5-10mg, not 70 for example).

Nerve blocks can be amazing, used for everything from cancer pain to osteoporosis.

There's a really interesting article from last month about how pain is so much more than "all in the mind", but even when it is, it still needs addressing!

The entire Guardian series

This is the one I find most revealing

Nerve blocks can be amazing, used for everything from cancer pain to osteoporosis

I had an occipital nerve block last august for the first time and I’m getting another at the end of the month. It has given me the most relief I’ve had from the OA in my neck. I had one in my shoulder at the same time and that helped my painful upper arm/shoulder. The neck OA is my worst area - the pain goes from mid back, up the back of my head and lands in my left eye socket. It makes me feel exhausted and foggy.

I'm 60 and I've had OA since I was 38.
The worst part was in my hands but I trained to be a podiatrist and I use my hands daily and the constant movement of my joints and muscles has eased the arthritis 80%.
Same with my back and knees.
I walk 20 miles a week - hiking and it's improving, I really do believe that exercise stops the worst of it.
if I do no walking my knees start to seize up and the pain comes back.
Also being the right weight for your height helps no end.
Steroid injections were great but they don't do them here any more so I've had to look for other solutions.

@Acrackineverything

So many of us in dire pain! I suppose OA isn't perceived as a "sexy" ailment so not much interest from the medical profession. Have mentioned my pain to many doctors over the years, no referrals but they diagnose me by looking at my (wonky) fingers.

I know myself that its what I have, I understand that there's no cure, but the pain is as PP said very debilitating, in my head I'm a young 62 yr old but I find it very upsetting not to be able to play with my little grandchild because my body lets me down.

Plus, inactivity means I've gained some weight; I need to exercise more to keep the weight down but I can't exercise more as its hard/painful/exhausting/etc. I'm going to look into getting a tens machine, and some magnesium.

Thanks for all the helpful replies, strength to all OA sufferers!

Rheumatoid/autoimmune arthritis is more likely to cause finger deformities than osteo because it's pretty hard to wear out finger joints. If you've had this for some time, especially if you started experiencing it by your forties, it could very easily be that they've failed to identify a condition that has treatments in favour of assuming that as you're a woman, it must be 'your age, dear'.

I'd be looking for a blood test to include ESR, CRP and Rheumatoid Factor at the very least.

Has your local NHs trust got a pain clinic? If so ask to be referred. They have far more experience in what to do to help with chronic conditions.
It's worth an ask, codeine and amatryptaline are both highly addictive, you get used to the levels after a while so have to take more and more for the same effect.
Codeine is very difficult to stop taking once your body gets used to it.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor unfortunately pain is generated by the brain. That's the problem, some people are good at blocking it out, others can't.

@30Toothsil can I ask how your hip replacement was? I'm a similar age and awaiting one...

Heat, steroid injections, paracetamol, ibuprofen, codeine to manage pain here... I bought a heated mattress protector which helps at night. Those sticky heat pads can help if you're out and about but cost can add up. Mine is in my hip so I do exercises to strengthen and stretch that area... Squats, lunges, kettle bell swings... I notice if I haven't done anything active for a while, sometimes there is some pain from exercising but I know it's temporary and better in long run.

If you can afford it, I would consider 1-2-1 (or small group) pilates. If you can strengthen the muscles around your joints it will put less strain on them and help with pain as well as associated problems, such as weakness and balance issues.

A good pilates teacher should be able to work within the bounds of your weak joints. Alternatively, a physiotherapist can help (and many these days teach pilates as well).

I know some people with arthiritis who use infrared lamps/heaters although I couldn't tell you if it's suitable for your type of arthritis or not.

Swimming and other water based exercises are great for arthritis as the water takes your weight and brings in gentle resistance training.

OP, if your finger or thumbs joints are painful, compression gloves are good. Sports tape (AKA KT tape) can be helpful too. (I used to use it on my knees but have graduated to supports when I need them now). You will need to Google the appropriate way to apply the tape, as you can put some stretch in it, but need to be a bit careful. I should warn you it's very sticky (so stays on for nearly a week as it can withstand showers and baths), so you can also benefit from a free wax when you pull it off!
For those saying joints don't get deformed, I have both Bouchards and Heberdens nodes on my fingers and thumbs - I definitely don't have RA. (These restrict the mobility in my hands.) I've got no cartilage left behind my right kneecap and the left is going the same way.
You need to go back to your GP and say that OTC medicines aren't doing it for you. If they still won't help, you can ask for a referral to a pain clinic. If the physio service is any good in your area, ask for a referral to them too - I saw one specifically for my hands and she looked at my thumbs and told me I needed to use thumbs splints (my CMC joints are badly damaged). She gave me one of the NHS ones in the delightful 'flesh pink' that has matched no-ones skin, ever... She was only allowed to give me one, mind you! I've since bought ones that are far better, but cost £50 each. I've just replaced the original pair which are somewhere between two and three years old, so well worth it.
If you know you can spare the time, you can get paraffin wax and a special heater for it. (If you're the only one using it you don't need to replace the wax often at all). It's very soothing and you can use it in your hands and feet. The wax leaves your skin beautifully soft too.
Sorry that's so long, but these are all things that helped me.
(I'm also now taking amytriptyline due to another condition, and I've found it really helps me to sleep, but I know it doesn't suit everyone. There are other forms of pain relief out there, so don't let your GP fob you off.)

Sorry, it's me again!
I just wanted to say that GPS and rheumatologists saying to just take paracetamol would be laughable if it wasn't so awful.
Before I was prescribed amytriptyline I went straight to cocodamol (30/500) because I knew that paracetamol or ibuprofen wouldn't even touch the sides.

My mums crippled. After years of different painkillers she actually has cut herself down to daily paractamol and ups to co codamol for bad days. She found stronger stuff of no benefit in the long term. She now tries to keep mobile (she is classified as disabled as cant walk more than two steps unaided and leg give way) does arm chair exercises, hot water bottles, heated blanket. She says most important bit is keeping to some level of activity every hour or then pain gets worse.

It won't be to everyone's liking but I have been looking into the carnivore diet when researching ways to help my mother with her debilitating RA and it seems to be life changing in regards to many auto immune diseases and also mental health problems. It might be worth looking into to see if you could benefit from it.
I'm doing keto myself but it's closer to carnivore as I don't usually bother with veg apart from some celery or mushrooms.

Is methotrexate still used for arthritis pain?

Like others, after knee replacement and osteoarthritis, I feel paracetamol does nothing at all for me - despite this being the first line analgesia suggestion.

Ibuprofen works better for me but my GP advised against, saying that she has seen many patients taking it for a long time but who become suddenly not fine.

For me, heat definitely helps - taking (overly long / competitive!) saunas at the gym, swimming and yoga helps too, with moving fluid around the hip and shoulder joints.

Interestingly, recently starting HRT (very late at mid-60’s) has unexpectedly helped my joints and pain levels. There is some interesting reading on the Dr Louse Newson/Balance app - in particular in a recent podcast there was mention of an orthopaedic surgeon who was puzzled that his wife couldn’t get to the bottom of her ongoing hip problems - he was astonished that HRT fixed it, so much so, that he now asks his patients in clinic as part of their assessment if they take HRT. The new thinking, I gather, is that with modern, safer, products, there is no reason not to continue it for life - if wished.

I am prescribed Naproxen. However I get the best relief from an electric shoulder blanket and a heated throw. This was recommended by a osteopathic practitioner.

I also use a rub from a company called Jones the Bones. This helps too,

I was prescribed gabapentin for OA and it helped a lot, but then started to give me confusion and memory issues, so I had to stop taking it.

I had a partial knee replacement 13 weeks ago. My knee has improved, but I still have pain and can't kneel, and apparently only 30% of patients are ever able to kneel after a partial replacement. Arthroscopy on my shoulder was life changing though, and it's still brilliant 5 years later.

Sadly, nothing seems to help the pain in my hands, which sometimes feel like they'r on fire, they're so hot. My knuckles are starting to look gnarly, too.