Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

2,179 Members

16,355 Posts

0 Online

StephH77 01/20/2012

Wow this really sucks. My knee is the size of a grapefruit again, and every joint in my body aches. I stopped the 500mg aleve yesterday, and I guess it WAS helping some, because yesterday was bad, and today is worse.

Feb 2nd can't come soon enough. That's my first appointment with a rheumatologist. Plus we are having financial issues....DH's salary got cut, I am only back to work part time, and we are just out of money and falling farther behind after me being on bedrest then maternity leave for the last 4 1/2 months. Stress makes me feel worse physically, so yay.

Just needed to vent. My mom is moving here next week to help us, so I am sure everything will be ok, but for now I am miserable.

GrammyKat 01/20/2012

Oh Steph, I am so sorry you are in such pain. I know how hard it is to wait for that first Rheumy visit. My first will be this coming Monday. I have thought it would never get here. I have had to go back to my old standard Ibuprofen. I take up to 800 mg every 6 hours, depending on how bad the pain is. I am trying really hard not to put all of my hopes in this appointment. Mothers are wonderful things. (Or so I tell my kids all of the time). I am glad that your mom is able to move close to help you. I hope things improve for you and time goes quickly until your help arrives.
God Bless!
Kathy

deleted_user 01/20/2012

You are the luckiest woman alive! Look at that beautiful baby girl. Isn't life wonderful. With your mother helping, you will be able to have more time to relax.

When my son was born, I quit work and thus our income got a pretty big cut. By staying at home, there was not that a big financial loss. There are a lot of expenses you can cut back on and save by doing that if you wish, childcare, clothes, eating out meals,etc.And the best thing is you are not as stressed by working. But it is a personal choice.

Don't forget to ice that knee. That will really help it. Ice it several times a day for 10 minutes.

Afriel 01/20/2012

Oh! Stick with it! You'll make it through this! I hope you get some relief soon.

aggie83 01/20/2012

Try ibuprophen if naproxen doesn't help.
Ice your knee and get off your feet.
Remember, if it's swllen or tender, don't use it!

Sounds weid, but the worse you are at the rheummy, the more likely you'll be helped.

deleted_user 01/20/2012

get your pcp to give you some prednisone,it will help

StephH77 01/21/2012

Thanks everyone. I stopped the Aleve 1000mg/day in part bc of side effects and also so that the Rheumy can see all my problems at their worst. SO its a matter of getting through the next two weeks.

Things are a little better today, knee not as swollen, pain slightly less. Hopefully I am on an upswing.

deleted_user 01/21/2012

We gotta just hang in there Steph. I too am waiting to see a rheumy....got referral in october but cant be seen til feb 20th!!!!! I cant take anything for the pain because my body has built up a tolerance to all of the NSAIDS. I was actually taking 2000mg of ibuprofen all at one time and stopped getting relief. I hope that the rheumy can help!!! good luck

Join the Conversation