I have psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis,spinal stenosis, sciatica and scoliosis. I am 40 and been in pain everyday-what can I do?
I have been diagnosed with psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, sciatica, spinal stenosis and bulging disc. I am 40 yr old female with 3 children and have lived in pain everyday for the last 5 years. I am on methotrexate and have just started seeing a Rheumatologist. I am very skeptical because every doctor I have seen has told me I'm to young and to skinny to be in this much pain, I am 5'5" and 125 lbs. The Rheumatologist wants to put me on either Enbrel or Humira. Should I also ask for pain medication? I usually end up in ER about twice a month because can't handle pain any longer and I am tired of living like this I would rather just die than continue in this much pain.
Answers from our Doctors
Dr. Timothy S. Shaver says:
I think the key question that must be addressed is whether your pain is directly related to inflammation or whether it is due to damage, nerve irritation, or another condition known as fibromyalgia that frequently accompanies other inflammatory diseases. Being skinny does NOT guarantee a lack of pain, with all due respect to the doctors you have seen. If your rheumatologist feels that inflammation is the key cause of your pain, a more aggressive and very specific intervention such as Enbrel or Humira tends to be very effective in this regard. If, however, your pain has other factors involved, these also must be addressed. The best way to address them, as far as I am concerned, is NOT through narcotic medications. I see patients all of the time who have well-intended physicians prescribe these medications for them. We gather feedback on questionnaires regarding their pain levels, and they do NOT hurt any less when given these medications on a chronic basis. Interventions such as Gabapentin, Cymbalta, Lyrica, and a variety of other centrally acting agents as well as low-impact exercises to reverse muscle deconditioning and cognitive/behavioral therapy with counseling to address potential depression and self-defeating thought patterns can be quite helpful in certain situations, but this requires an investment on your part as well. I wish you the best with a frustrating situation, but many resources are available to you.
Answered on: Friday, May 24, 2013 - 15:33
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Comments
Hi, I am 43 and have been in horrible pain for 4 years 11 months, every single day, it's unbarable and getting worse. I have seen five rhuemy's and also been to the er to no avail. I read so much on how painful my conditions are, yet NO ONE will help me!!!
I have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, sero-negative r/a, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, carpel tunnel, and cronic bowel obstructions. The past 5 months or so it has spread to my hips and it's getting harder to walk.
I have previously been on methotrexate, humira, cymbalta, meloxacam, percocet, vicoden, motrin 800, and NOTHING HELPS, it's just horrible and I feel your pain, trust me. The past two weeks I have been breaking out in horrible hive from stress says my md.....YOU THINK??????
I also have nueropathy in my hands. I am usually a nice sweet person, but my health has gotten me cranky. ;-)
Medical marijuana is effective in controlling pain, without too many negative health effects from opiates and other pain treatments
I don't usually recommend drugs, but if you "would rather just die than continue in this much pain" I feel you should at least be aware of all of your options... Good luck
I would be very careful with those biologics, such as Enbrel and Humira. I was on Enbrel from its inception many, many years ago. Yes, it really helped me for a very long time until suddenly and out of nowhere I have been diagnosed with Stage Four Mantle Cell Lymphoma! Biologic documents and their commercials do warn that they can cause certain cancers/lymphomas, but I don't think we pay close enough attention to these warnings. Now I can no longer take any meds to treat a mean, very painful RA to stop its progression and mitigate its pain other than pain meds, and I have to deal with a cancer that will take my life very soon. Ask, ask, ask....every question including how biologics can and sometimes do cause blood cancers like mine.
Just like previous repliers, I would recommend to do some research regarding alternative medicines.
I'm in pain everyday with all that too!!! I hope this issue will be addressed soon!!!!!!!!!!
It can be frustrating to be in a lot of pain, I can vouch for that as well. I wish there would be some more remedies that helped better.
I've suffered for as long as I can remember but the resting heart rate at 107 for the past 5 years is the biggest concern and I have just found out it is peripheral nueropathy. Doctors have not believed we suffer nerve pain with psoriatic arthritis. When my rheumatologist offered to inject my finger that was seriously out of control in pain, I realised she thought it was nerve pain making it so bad. It explains my incredibly horrible hip pain that radiates down my legs to my toes. Lyrica is helping but its only the beginning. I have been on methotrexate for the arthritis and that helped reduce a lot of the pain but the remaining 2 years has been a nightmare. Hate to even contemplate going back to that sort of pain again!!!
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