Wrong forum ?

[deejames]

Nearly everyone here seems to have RA. I feel I might be on the wrong site .

[Bananas5]

I haven't!

Talk to me.

Pat x

[deejames in reply to Bananas5]

I'm hoping (that sounds terrible ) to find people with osteoarthritis .I have chronic pain in my back , and associated buttock and leg pain) . what's s your story Pat

[Bananas5 in reply to deejames]

You are certainly on the right site for chronic pain.

I'm a bit of an infiltrator. Full time care for David who broke his back 30 years ago and seems to have every degenerative spinal disease going. Plus the almost compulsory depression.

I am just blind but a good listener.

Pat x

[deejames in reply to Bananas5]

Ah yes , you were very helpful when I was desparing.if your husband is in constant pain , you will be in pain too. Have you always been blind ? I volunteer with two blind people, one of whom , has become a friend. So maybe I have a little empathy with you.

[Bananas5 in reply to deejames]

You can be mt friend now too!!

I was 30 so just under half my life. Enough about me. This is your post.

Never even feel guilty or apologise for how you feel or how much pain you are in. We all have different levels of tolerance and all help each other where we can.

Never look on drugs and pain relief as a cop out either. It is far easier to manage pain than it is to try and help when it gets that bad.

Have you tried the pain clinic? Number one fan here! They really do offer oodles of help with alternative therapies as well.

Hope some of this helps.

Pat x

[KatyJ in reply to deejames]

Hi deejames, Yes I have osteoarthritis with pain in my back and knees and somertimes hips so I can appreciate how you feel. You are not alone. I have to walk with two sticks now an am hoping that if I take care and do not overdo things I can prevent myself getting worse too quickly. How about you? How does it affect you? I can only stand fo about five minutes without pain and can only wak slowely and turn carefully and can't go far . I feel very clumsy, and I am!! How do you cope with it?

[Calceolaria in reply to deejames]

I cantvthinkvof anyone on here with RA.

I have osteoarthritis

[RibvanRey]

What would you like to talk about Dee?

I haven't got RA nor have scores of members. I have osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, nerve pain, and injuries from head to toe. I have buttock pain too. We have been married for 30 years. Rib

[amateurwriter]

Hi James,

I don't suffer with RA and being honest I don't know what it stands for, I suffer from pain all over my body from waist upwards due to a fall I had and waist down due to the bones in my legs not have grown properly when I started walking,

I hope you manage to find some relief in the pain you suffer from and you will find the people on here don't judge which is why I like this forum, because I'm 22 nearly 23 and people just think I'm making the pain up but people on here don't,

I'm sorry started waffling there, take care,

Siobhan x

[deejames in reply to amateurwriter]

How do I change my name on this forum ? My name is Dee but when I started I just put in my full name. Now people sometimes think I'm a man

[amateurwriter in reply to deejames]

Hi Dee,

I am really sorry about calling you james, I honestly didn't know, it doesn't help that I've suffered a head/brain injury, I'm not using that as an excuse just saw the name james and automatically put that, I am really sorry about the mix up,

you can't change your name on here, you have to e-mail the people who are the admins of healthunlocked, just had a look on my e-mails but I couldn't find the e-mail address, but I will have another look to see if I can find the address for you,

Just opened up a new tab, if you click on help it will come up with another page and there is an option to contact them by e-mail it comes up with a page that you fill in, so you just ask them to change your name on here and it shouldn't be a problem and shouldn't take that long for your name to be changed on here,

Hope that helps

Siobhan x

[Bananas5 in reply to amateurwriter]

From memory you can change your name twice. I think it might be on your profile page.

They do say think carefully before you do change. Wonder why?

Pat x

[deejames in reply to amateurwriter]

Thanks

[deejames in reply to amateurwriter]

Don't worry. I get called lots of things !

[Hidden]

I think you really have to tell people your problem to see if they can help. Try us.

[charlie9]

I do not have RA. I have fibromyalgia. I work full time but have changed careers sadly because of it. I'm 28 next week, not well supported by any healthcare team. In fact I only go to a GP when desperate! Well supported by husband but sometimes I find it hard because he can't possibly understand how I feel sometimes and doesn't realise simply washing my hair makes me tired and hurts my arms! Get most symptoms you can imagine with fibro (eg wide spread pain, stiffness, fatigue, fibro fog (memory probs) poor sleep, irritable bowel, numbness, high pain sensitivity etc etc. I guess the reason I'm here is because of the chronic pain) but managing it as best as I can! I haven't been involved much on this site yet but seems a good place to talk to others who can genuinely understand.

[Danslatete]

Spinal injuries at cervical/thoracic/lumbar/sacral levels. Lucky me got full set!

I has spondylothesis ( where vertebrae are slipped out of line) in the neck, prolapsed discs and facet joint issues in thoracic (bra strap level) completely numb around rib area. 2 surgeries on Lumbar and sacral level for nerve compression after central prolapse. I have nerve pain and degeneration issues thru all areas. I still work part time and I'm on as minimal drugs as possible to get thru.

[deejames]

Now I feel humbled by my moderate pain. I have trigeminal neuralgia that is almost complete controlled. But thats one set of meds. I have alopecea and I am taking azathioprine and hydroxycholiqine for that. It has been great to slow down the hair loss but now I have low blood counts.

The pain is from osteoarthitis in my lumber spine. It was managed OK for years with pilates ,tai chi, weight training, walking. The inevitable has happened and my vertebrae are sinking in on themselves causing constant pain, sometimes severe but always debilatating. I HATE taking medication. It feels like a giving in.

I had 6 glorious months last when I was given prednisolone for my alopecea and what was moderate back pain became ........no back pain. I cycled and gardened madly but then bye bye steroids and hello serious degeneration. So that's the story.

[chloe40 in reply to deejames]

Hi Dee,

It must be really rough having had 6 months pain free and your life back, only to have it snatched away again.

Is there a reason why you can't have a lower dose of steroid to maintain your problem?

Regarding your name, I would suggest you just join again using a different name altogether, most people use a Pseudonym.

Regards Amberrose

[deejames in reply to chloe40]

I'm now at risk of osteoporosis due to the steroid use. Believe me I've asked, indeed pleaded !

[heeler]

I've had chronic lower back pain and nerve pain in my leg now for six years. My back has been operated twice, but the results have not been good. I have regular meds for pain, but it doesn't work very well. Because of meds I'm always tired and 'cause of pain I can't be as active as I used to be. So I'm getting fat and depressed

[deejames in reply to heeler]

Oh that sounds grim. What is the problem with your back ?

[heeler in reply to deejames]

Degeneration in vertebra and slipped disk operated twice. Now there is another slipped disk and scar tissue caused of operations is pressing the nerve. But I'm still working as much as I can because it keeps my mind off the pain.

[KatyJ in reply to heeler]

Hi there heeler, Your situation sounds very similar to my own except for the operations. Getting around is extremely tiring and although sitting is much more comfortable I have put on weight too as a result. I suppose I should eat less but sometimes a bit of chocolate is a comfort! I would put a smiley face here if I knew how to do it! Sometimes going to bed early and trying to keep warm there helps with the inevitable depression and constant discomfort. Although I have this and am really sorry that you are in pain also, somehow it is a comfort to know that we are not alone in our experience. At least we can share our troubles and joys on this forum. Take care, BB

[Fedupwithmybackpain]

Nope I have chronic back pain.

[katieoxo60]

Hi Deejames, this site is for chronic pain sufferers not a specific illness. I have Osteoarthritis, so please stay with us if you have ongoing pain we are here to support and advise from experience. Welcome to you

[rowantree]

RA is rhuematoid arthritis, whoever it was who asked. The good thing I find about this forum is that everyone has something different! It's refreshing, sort of. I am on other forums with people with the same condition as me, but everyone is affected so differently anyway. I have EDS hypermobility which causes pain in many joints, tendonitis and IBS in my case. Worst pain in my hands and feet. No medication works. Rough. Anyway whatever causes our pain we all live with the consequences- misery, hopelessness, limitations, fighting through it, sometimes giving in to it, trying to find ways to incorporate it into our lives and still living our lives! Keep on trying! Positive thinking really helps, although I can't always do it myself. I'm trying to master pacing at the moment.

[Hileena in reply to rowantree]

Hi

I haven't RA either LOL.......Lots of other things. Epilepsy which has been controlled by medication for about 33 years now.

Osteoarthritis in hips, lower back, neck and ankle. Have had 2 hip replacements

Spinal stenosis

Osteoporosis.

Kypho scoliosis

Four weeks after my 2nd hip replacement I was doing an NHS exercise and crack!!!!! my leg gave way. I was taken into hospital, X Rayed, told it was a fracture of the greater trochanter bone......I'd never heard of that before.......anyway they said there was nothing they could do, it would heal by itself but take a long time. Now almost 1 year on I'm still on 2 crutches, and been told that when it fractured that a bit of bone had snapped off and had moved......it had moved so far that no way would the fracture heal. So I'm likely to be on crutches for the rest of my life.

Don't be afraid of taking pain killers.. or meds, unless they gave bad side effects.

They will help you to do things that you couldn't do without them

So as you see reading through this lot we've all got pain of a different kind....but pain is pain is pain

Love

Hileena

[2014keffi]

No this site for people to discuss all types of stressful pain.

[JustBreathe]

I am happy to say I don't have a stitch of RA.. (Yay me!!) its the other for me as well

[JustBreathe]

And KatyJ

A smiley face is made when you type : ) (but with no space)