Hey Caren, morning start up problems are the pits with RA, I'm sorry you're having so much trouble.

I make sure I am comfortable in bed, we got excellent mattresses a couple of years back which are kinder on the joints. Heat helps my joints be less stiff, which is why I have an electric blanket, I get into a warm bed and switch it on again during the night when needed. When I feel cold in bed, I tend to tense up which stiffens up joints and muscles and makes it more difficult to get going in the morning.
And I get in the shower as soon as I can in the morning to loosen up a little bit, when my RA was much worse I would just stand there for ten minutes and slowly try some gentle stretching.

I find it hard to get out of bed if I'm over doing it, I have to make sure I do not do too much or get to bed early when I have done a lot on any given day. For a day or two I sometimes take extra painkillers to through busy days, but experience has very painfully taught me I can not keep that up for long.

Good luck and take care,

Ferhaan

Hi!

I too can get very stiff in the mornings. My usual routine is taking one motrin at 10:15 at night with a tablespoon of Mylanta (over the counter), which coats your stomach. It is simethicone only and Dr. Oz says you can take it 20 times a day if you have to.

I also take one hydrocodone (generic form of vicodin) at 11::00 p.m. and that really helps with the night pains and gives me a restful sleep.

You could also try taking two tylenols before you get up by keeping it next to your bed with a glass of water. Then waiting until it kicks in and see if it helps with the stiffness.

If I am having a particularly bad morning, I too will take a very hot shower which helps a lot. I also just take ibuprofen for my RA and I think it works the best for me with no side effects. Also try to avoid eating sugar and sugary foods as sugar causes inflammation. I find my diet has a definite influence on the amount of achiness I feel.

I like the hydrocodone for pain as it does not give me brain fog or cause me dizziness or make me tired during the day. You can cut it in half or quarters as I do and you can take it without food. It is the generic from of vicodin and it is a pain killer. I have noticed many people on this forum that also take it and I have found it to be quite effective. I sometimes take a quarter of a pill with my motrin and I am good all day.

You may want to take a quarter of the hydrocodone before you get out of bed in the mornings as it can be taken without food, and then wait and take your motrin later when you can eat breakfast.. Check to see if it is compatible with your thyroid medication.

Good luck!
Norrie

Caren,
This is all good advice.
I agree with Norrie to this: have a pain/inflammation medicine by the bed. Take it before you try to get up. YOu can take your thyroid pill this way too. I've been using the thyroid replacement 30+ yrs. and it's best taken upon waking as you said, on empty stomach.
Also, I know folks who so a hot bath instead of shower upon getting up. Would this help more than the shower? A bath helps me so much.
best of luck to you!
Kelly
http://rawarrior.com

Hey there Caren, sorry to hear your mornings are so hard. I can relate. I have learned for myself that if I massage all of my joints and muscles REALLY WELL at night when I go to bed that I feel much better in the morning. Before I did this I would wake up feeling very stiff. Also if you put some lotion on your arms and elbows and rub them hard like you would towel yourself off after a shower it may help. It seems like it might get your circulation back after a long night of not moving your arms. Also right when I wake up I will do flexibility and some "warm-up" type exercises while I am still in bed. Also what about taking a coated aspirin when you first wake up? I know aspirin can be rough on ones stomach, however I used to be a pharmacy tech and I can tell you that if you buy the generic ENTERIC coated aspirins you will not have stomach problems. They are coated to protect the stomach. I do not like taking naproxe or ibuprofen because of the big black box warning that comes with each bottle. It says that if you take the pills for longer than two weeks straight you can set yourself up for heart conditions or even worse suffer a sudden heart attack or stroke. That totally freaked me out! There is no such warning for aspirin. Aspirin is an old, traditional med and has been around forever. American Natives (American Indians) used to use Willow Bark for fevers, pain, and inflammation. Willow Bark is aspirin. I like knowing that I am taking a natural substance as I really try to use as much natural substances with my children as possible. The only thing aspirin will possibly do to you is cause stomach problems such as ulcers. As I told my mom yesterday, "I would much rather deal with a ulcer than the thought of a future heart attack or stroke". Of course you must keep the inflammation down so that you do not have further problems.

Good luck to you sweetie. Believe me, I know what you are going through.