It's my Birthday weekend and I feel sad.

Arayasunshine69

My joints hurt constantly.  Knees, legs, shoulders, lower back, hips.  My hands are always tingling, like they are asleep, and it never stops.  I saw my GP this week, he's going to send me to an arthritis specialist and prescribed percocet.  The percocet's not working.  It does absolutely nothing, and I hear they are quiet addictive so why take them if they aren't working?  Is there anyways I can relieve all of this without medication?  I hear Yoga is good, but I feel so stiff and can't do much of it.  I really think I take enough medication...Tamoxifen, Effexor, pills to help me sleep, I have Tylenol 3 &4's that no longer work, and Tordol doesn't work.  I want some relief.  So tired on constant pain, and feeling sad, and like I've aged 50 years in the past year.  Yesterday, my birthday, I didn't do anything but relax on my couch.  My hubby wanted to take me out for breakfast, I said No.  Then he wanted to take me out for supper, again I said no.  I just lack so much motivation the pain is crazy.

Laurie_R

Not to be a downer but have they tested you for Gout.  I was just diagnosed with it and my symptoms sound alot like yours.  Most of eat can be controlled by diet.Just a thought. Laurie

voraciousreader

arayasunshine69 -  I feel your pain.  In fact, toradol is the only pain reliever that I can tolerate.  I just want you to know that my husband has had several major depressions during our 30+ year long marriage.  Whenever I see the commerical for depressions meds, the one that says, "Depression Hurts," I say to myself, "That's it!"  Please make an appointment with a therapist so they can tweek your meds. Also, make an appointment with your internist or a pain management doctor and have all of them work together. Believe me, it is time consuming and frustrating, especially when you are on several meds.  But be patient and work with a therapist, someone who specializes in pharmacology.  Telling you to go outside and take walks is meaningless.  My husband sat on the couch or would lay in bed for weeks on end.  We have finally found a cocktail that agrees with him and guess what?  I just got home and he's not even here.  Amazing.  He's outside, somewhere, doing something. 

I'm sending you my thoughts and prayers that you will feel better soon.  And I especially want to wish you a Happy Birthday.

karen1956

Ask your doc about Gabapentin (Neurontin)...it really helped with my joint pain as well as night sweats.  The tingling in your hands could be carpel tunnel....splints often help with that...I can't take any of the narcotic pain meds as they make me sick....so for me its ibuprofen...but it didn't work for my joint pain from AI's.....but the gabapentin did....

You're not even a year out since Dx....your body has been through a lot.....honor your feelings but maybe the Effexor is not the right anti-depressant for you....it took me several to find the right one....

Sorry your b'day was not a happy day for you....sending you ((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))...hoping that your next birthday is a happy one....and wishing you many, many more birthdays

Pure

I don't have much to add but I am so sorry your going through this! Don't give up though find a good anti depressant and work with the docs and try to get a hold on your pain. Your in my prayers.

amoccia53160

Exercise and glucosamine chondroitin help trememdously.  Give them a try. 

DCMom

Kellie-  I too feel like all of my muscles are taut.  I try to do yoga for relaxation, but I quickly get frustrated with how little I can stretch.  I know I need to push on and it will get better, but there's that catch 22 with exercise that it makes something else ache and then I panic about recurrence.  Ever feel like a hamster on that perpetual wheel?

I'm not much help here am I?  Ha Ha, but I do know where you are coming from.  You know what I think you should look at your birthday as one year younger because you are on the other end of treatment and you will feel better.  A happy belated birthday.  Wishing you a year full of loose limbs and peaceful thoughts! 

barbe1958

Google Fibromyalgia and see if it ticks any boxes. Then talk to your doc. Good luck!!!

I have FM and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I also have gout, and arthritis and degenerative disk disorder and scoliosis and stenosis.....sigh.....I take huge amounts of narcotics every day. You don't get addicted unless you get a buzz. You don't get a buzz if you're really in pain as the narcotic hits the pain not the brain. (sensors) I also believe that the worry of addiction is a lot less than the need to be pain free.

Happy belated birthday!

jennyboog

Sorry you're in this place and didn't enjoy your b-day.  I don't take it but have talked to others with bc that use Lyrica which is for fibromyalgia & they say it helps.  I know you don't want anymore meds but if this works and gives you a better quality of life it might be worth it.  I have done yoga and find it helps, I can't stretch very far but do what I can, maybe a beginners yoga would work.  Hope things get better.

CynthiainChicago

Understand your pain first hand. My first couple of months on AIs were fine, then OMG. Just this morning I laid in bed for an extra hour because everything hurt. I'm on Celebrex which some think has anti-CA properties. I was diagnosed with RA as a teenager and always found over the counter anti-inflammatories better than the harder drugs. I just cycled through the choices to see what worked best for me. Sounds like you have an opportunity to do that trying the various things suggested above. I also want to mention two other things. Not all pain is from depression, there is a lot of data about AIs causing pain, so let me validate that pain might be completely indepent of your mood. Also, I don't have a husband or a partner. If it gives you the most pleasure to just sit on the couch with your husband, ask him to do that and tell him he is giving you what you want most. last, happy belated birthday. If you wake up in les pain one day, declare it your birthday and go for it! 

CynthiainChicago

Understand your pain first hand. My first couple of months on AIs were fine, then OMG. Just this morning I laid in bed for an extra hour because everything hurt. I'm on Celebrex which some think has anti-CA properties. I was diagnosed with RA as a teenager and always found over the counter anti-inflammatories better than the harder drugs. I just cycled through the choices to see what worked best for me. Sounds like you have an opportunity to do that trying the various things suggested above. I also want to mention two other things. Not all pain is from depression, there is a lot of data about AIs causing pain, so let me validate that pain might be completely indepent of your mood. Also, I don't have a husband or a partner. If it gives you the most pleasure to just sit on the couch with your husband, ask him to do that and tell him he is giving you what you want most. last, happy belated birthday. If you wake up in less pain one day, declare it your birthday and go for it! 

pupfoster1

I am so sorry you are suffering like this.  I have a lot of the very same feelings/symptoms you do and it's terribly depressing.  Although it's hard to do, I think sometimes we have to literally PUSH ourselves out the door to do something active to loosen the joints and release some positive endorphins (easy for me to say, now I need to DO it).  I ALWAYS feel better after a good workout, but getting there is my issue.

I'm an Aries baby too---so a belated happy birthday to you.  I hope you feel better soon.

(((HUGS)))

Sharon

barbe1958

I didn't realize you're on AI's sorry, my info might not mean much then.

BonnieK

Hi,

I hope you found a few happy moments on your birthday.  Pain can really get in the way of everything else, so I hope you are able to figure out exactly what the problem is and then find something to help you.

I'm on Femara and also experience terrible joint pain.  The onc sent me to a rheumatologist who dx'd my pain as osteoarthritis in most joints.  Celebrex and other NSAIDS offer much more relief than the pain meds for me, but NSAIDS are really hard on the stomach so I've been using an anti-inflammatory patch (Flector) that seems to work fairly well for back and neck pain.  Activity also helps, but it's hard when things don't want to move.  

Happy belated birthday!  Hope you will let us know what the arthritis specialist has to say.   

elmcity69

Oh, rayaofsunshine, I'm so sorry you're going through this bad spot. Sigh.

I'm not well schooled on arthritis or helpful meds on that subject, but wanted to mention that narcotics are mood depressants, so that may be one contributing factor to this situation. Chronic pain is such a b*(@: it causes depression anyway, and then the narcotics that folks may need to function worsen that. I see so many patients with that dilemma.

Maybe restorative yoga instead of vinyasa? Or acupuncture?

Thinking of you.

xo

J

americanpinay

Hugs and happy birthday to you! I also do not like taking pain meds but found that moderate exercise helps with my joint pains. Take care.

barbe1958

Arthrotec can help but you need to take Prilosec with it so it doesn't rip through your guts.

Arayasunshine69

Hello!  Thank You for all the Birthday wishes, and tips.  Sorry for the late follow up...I stopped taking the percocet...it wasn't helping anyway.  I got out in the fresh air, and found that helped.  I also didn't wear my compression sleeve, and that helped the tingling hands....is it possible that my compression sleeve is too tight?  I went to a Yoga Thrive program on Tuesday, which is offered free to cancer patients, and I found it extremely helpful. I've been doing some of the stretches/poses at home, and find they help.  Next week, the instructor is bringing me dvds so I can follow at home between classes. I have felt so much better the past few days.  It helps that our weather is getting nicer and the snow and ice are melting.  I saw my dr. today, and told him I stopped taking the percocet because they weren't helping, and he suggested I continue to use the tylenol 4s if they work better.  (They don't work, really.) I'm just going to take it one week at a time, and see how this "pain" plays out.  Ugh. I hate the pain days. 

Cheers!