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...
So I ve been in a terrible flare for like two weeks( I think). So much pain idk where to begin. I have called the rhuematologist at least six times during this time and unable to get past the receptionist. He ordered an MRI of my thoracic spine and not the cervical spine and the receptionist refuses to allow me to speak to the nurse or dr to explain my increasing pain in my neck and down my arms and hands. Today I went to the primary and explained everything she right away put in the x ray and plans to add the cervical to the MRI I'm so worried the rhuematologist will read the MRI and still not change my medication! So frustrating! So painful! RA can definitely damage the spine! I have already made a request for a second opinion dr and I think I want to change dr no matter what at this point . So is everyone treated this badly? And it takes so long to get help? To get another appt. plus approval for a new doc
Happy saturday morning! break out the coffee. i am looking out at a frozen tundra! no comment. I am more of a warm weather woman trapped in a cold winter locale. :)
I had gone to the rheumatologist as a child to investigate Juvenile arthritis. I was sero negative as a 10 year old so I was not given any treatment. I had scoliosis as a little kid and pre adolescent and in that time the thoracic curves were affecting the cervical, then. In my 30's I was pregnant five times and either miscarrying, birthing or nursing and that was my BEST time for pain. don't know why. I was formally diagnosed sero positive in my 40's (finally). Meanwhile the stenosis was concurrently raging. But being a go-getter I kept pushing through in my 40's including my choices of hard core sports which were picking off my discs faster than a speeding bullet. I was a denier then.
x-rays can show things like fractures. The MRI will show the extent of any spinal degeneration in glowing detail.
You might want to discuss steroid injections with either your primary care, and/or your endocrinologist and then the rheumatologist or the interventionalist pain management orthopedic who sometimes are the MD's that do these back and neck injections. Yes I have had them in both the cervical and thoracic. I have had them in the office and also in an outpatient surgical day care or outpatient hospital both under fluroscopy and not. Both asleep and not. There are lots of options. I have had facet joint injections also.
the reason for discussion with your primary MD and your endocrinologist MD changing is that they will talk to you medically about what the steroid is that they use injection wise. I am NOT an MD and can not advise but I do not believe from my lay woman perspective that the steroid in the needle affects diabetics, the same as the oral - (the kenalog stuff) but you need to ask. It could be a favorable answer and you could be depriving yourself? Do not ask Dr. Google or even us - ask the MD - the needle sticker MD's (interventional pain radiologists ) do probably thousands of injections a month . I am thinking that they have seen a lot of diabetics? ask a MD in person. It would be worth it!
I have also used novacaine patches. They do not work for me. Maybe they would work for you?
I have also used nsaid cream in a tube by prescription. Did not work for me. Maybe would work for you?
today I am sitting here with a stupid smelly rice snack on my neck (a snake filled with rice that you put in the microwave). I hate the stench - anyone have any other ideas for warm heat that is not a heating pad?
I am glad you feel a little better changing.
thank you both for your support.
hold that neck up! (laughing)
depotblue
I've been able to keep on going for the last several years by exercising neck muscles. I was thinking about seeing a surgeon a couple of years ago, and depot gave me the good advice that if you go see a surgeon, he's going to want to operate, so make sure you know what you want!
I am a complete jaded RA-er. seriously I had lost use of my left arm (total impingement at C5) so I FINALLY succumbed to the neck surgery when my inevitable happened. but this was about 15 years after the neck crap started and about 40 years from scoliosis treatment of my cervical curves at age 10. so the fat lady had sung. I did not seek the surgery out. the surgery grabbed me when ALL options had failed after multi decades.
I don't have a hydroculator. I need a spouse to yell "go put the hydroculator in the gosh darn huge dutch oven on the stove in a vat of water" - well in exchange for my making a five course dinner later. Plus then you have to dry the stupid thing out - no? don't they get all moldy in between treatments? or doesn't the house smell like a wet sock all day long from that thing being on the stove?
seriously I am too lazy for one. I do have some darn fine physical therapy cold trap packs that go across the neck.
depot
I do wear the lidocaine patch on my back everyday. Alternating from the neck to mid back. It superficially helps the aching. If that makes sense. You still feel pain all around it too.
Also every couple hours I put peppermint oil on my neck. It helps. Just trying to space out the pain medication.
Have a good day all !