Anyone Fancy a Pint?

[BigSpuds]

To the person who asked if their arthritis had got worse with taking morphine when she was taken off the cirrhosis drugs, this has happened to me. My joint pain turns out osteoarthritus. Unlike yourself though I did have joint pain before I stopped drinking - it's the alcohol that causes the osteoarthritus, which is a bit like brittle bones and I've suffered several fractures because of it so beware. Big problem is it's anti inflamatories that help arthritus most, and the stomach and liver of an alchoholic or abstainer really don't take well to ibruprofen and aspirin so we can't take these, though I find paracetamol - or better co-codamol 50/300 if your doc will give them to you. I must admit, I was drunk for a long time and alcohol being such a good painkiller, I can't remember the osteoarthritis being as painful now that I've stopped drinking, but it could well have been. I've been told by my doctor that as I get better (I've only been absinant for 7 months ) the pain will be less but it'll take a long time. You say you were on drugs for your cirrhosis but not any more. I was on one ( the last time I tried to give up I lasted a year!) I wish I could remember the name , but it was perfect as it was an antiinfam which also worked on my bones too, it really helped - azathioprine - but you can only take it for so long. You could ask if you could try it for a while - otherwise if it's really bad you could ask about steroids. I don't know how you feel, but if the morphine is actually helping the arthritus, god knows what it'd be like if I wasn't on it.

Hope some of that helps

Jill