Chronic Pain

[n2prayer2000]

Is there anyone out there suffering form these two diagnosis? I have been in so much pain since 2003..well not that severe back then but enough that it motivated me to seek help and I have been diagnosed with everything under the sun from Lupus to polymyalgia rheumatica! Anyway I have peripheral neuropathy and it has gotten worse since the last year and then I started having the same pain in my hands and arms that felt like my feet! So my doctor sent me to a rheumatologist and I am finally relieved to know that what I have been dealing with is truly real! I am not glad I have the disease, but I am glad to know I am not imagining this. So now my biggest problem is pain. I can not hardly walk and when I do it hurts so bad but I grit my teeth through it, but when I get home it hurts so bad that I am in tears. If I use my hands, the same thing. I am currently taking the maximum dose of neurontin and relafen and cymbalta, and diabetic medication..I don't remember the name as my doctor just changed it. Does anyone out there have any advice and understand my pain. I am only 42 and I am trying to get on disability because I can not work and another depressing thing...my memory is shot! I was always a quick learner and fast on my feet...not anymore. I am sorry if I am sounding like I am whinning I have just found all this out and I still have to go to my follow up appt with the rheum. does anyone have suggestions on good questions to ask him regarding seronegative arthritis? First let me say that I am in the process of applying for disability so I have only seen my rheumatologist one time. He drew alot of blood, so I called and explained to the nurse what I was doing and that I needed to know my diagnosis and that is when she told me seronegative arthritis. She would not give me any more information because I did ask and she told me that the doctor would rather discuss it with me when I come back in for my follow up appt. which is next tuesday. I am not a lazy person by any means! My primary care doctor encouraged me to apply for disability before we even knew about this seronegative diagnosis just because of the neuropathy and all the pain that I have been in. My career path is administrative assistant which means alot of sitting, using my hands and walking. My last job had stairs I had to climb and it about killed me! Anyway, right now I am on Relafen 500mg 2 pills once a day. My primary doctor had me on darvocet 1 pill 4 times a day which I feel managed my pain alittle better than the relafen..it put my pain to maybe an 8 on my good days, but my rheumy said it was addictive so he changed it. I Take Neurontin 3x a day, Trazadone for sleep-ha ha if I am lucky, I am also taking a new diabetic pill once a day, I was on glucophage 2x a day, and cymbalta 60mg 1x a day. I have not started any treatment for the seronegative diagnosis. Is there a treatment for it? Is it as serious as a positive diagnosis?

[Swampfox]

I, too, have both Diabetic Neuropathy and Arthritis. I have only the beginning stages of the arthritis in my feet but was in so much pain at night - my foot would feel like it was swollen up, the toes couldn't move, and cramps so severe in my legs that it would have me waken screaming from a complete sleep. I would get up and sit in a tub of hot water (yes, at 2 or 3 a.m. every morning) and take over the counter pain relievers. I've just been through a month of Physical Therapy with an Anodyne unit on my feet and calves. It had helped with most of the pain but not the arthritis exactly. I can now bend my toes.

The problem is that while the Anodyne works, Medicare in its complete stupidity, has cut off coverage for the therapy since last year. You have to pay for the treatment out of pocket.

There are different types of arthritis so you need to research your specific type. My cousin has had rheumatoid arthritis since she was a child. She was so disabled that she had Service dogs assisting her. Well, they finally came up with a great combination of drugs which has her active again. She goes to Drs out in Seattle WA because she lives in Alaska.

Whatever you do, keep moving! Warm up the joints and move!