Hi ReeDee,
I am just a little bit north of you, and I feel terrible today too. I am just lucky I don't need to work a full eight hours today! I will take my tramadol as soon as I get home! I really think I do much better when it is dry outside. I'll bet it is nice in the desert today.

Thanks for the advice, Jenny. I keep forgetting about an electric blanket-not to mention I'm running my poor heater to death. I used to love my cozy winters but this is just disatrous. And Lynne I'm sure living up north is a bit colder. I kept wondering how the winter would effect my condition..and now I know.

Hi ReeDEe, hope you are feeling better soon. I hear this is going to be a cold bad winter. Please try to cheer up. Don't let it get you down girl. How does the Vicodin work for you. I have not been feeling well for the past two weeks. I have had to hold off of my Cimzia because I have a slight cold that I am trying to ward off. I now have a new pain in my right hip. I have been taking Tramadol. I am sure that it is due to the weather. I have a heated mattress pad cover. It heats you from the bottom up. It's great. That may help ease the pain some ReeDee. Please keep us posted on how you are doing. Take care of yourself.

I live about 10 miles from Lake Erie on the south side of Cleveland. Whenever it is gonna rain or snow, I know it. Hubby & I discuss this . . . I'll be feeling crappy and say "Is it suppose to rain today?" Usually he knows, he's good about that because of 13+ years of working outside, he had conditioned himself to know what the weather will be. If he answers, "Not suppose to" I pipe back, We're gonna have lake effect rain/snow today. He used to laugh it off. Now he knows better.

I have Meloxicam, Tramadol and Voltaren Gel on hand . . . barely takes the edge off, but I guess it is better than nothing.

I'm just waiting, in that holding pattern, for a true dx, so I can get some relief. Rheumy called in an Rx for a Medrol Dose pack yesterday, for my next flare. I am finishing one up and since I have a dermatology appt on Th, I really want to avoid corticosteroids, etc. So the SEE what's going on.

@Christina-The vicodin is a life saver for me as Tramadol did absolutely nothing. I do feel better today since it's not raining but there is a chill in the air. I'm starting to think the Humira isn't working anymore or I haven't gave the Arava enough time to work. This is my 3rd week of Arava. I see my rheumy this week and I'm curious to see if the Arava is doing what MTX did to my blood numbers.
@Rosie-I take meloxicam on an "as-needed" basis in which I seem to need it daily. I missed it for 2 days and I sure felt it. But like I said, tramadol just didn't work for me. Thanks for all of the advice ladies, I will try the electric blanket and a matress heating pad. I hope it helps.

ReeDee - I'm in California, but we do have cold spells and they are miserable for my joints. I still take some prednisone and I use heat treatments to help the pain as well as a TENS portable machine. lMine is now osteo, I'm in remission from RA,but the pain is very familiar. Running my hands under hot water helps too.

I avoid vicodin because I know it is addictive and I just don't want to go there. My other things do help.

Lynne

Oh, the dreaded mopes! Make sure you are sleeping as much as you can, don't indulge in any sad movies, and keep your lighting bright. It is amazing how quickly the dark and cold rainy days will pull us down. I am not kidding about the lights. In the winter, I go through a lot of light bulbs, but it is better than being depressed. C