It's the morphine says my GP. Brilliant at pain control but at a price. Still,myexcellent GP called me back in minutes and 30 mins later my wife was able to collect from the pharmacy (thanks to new electronic submission system between doc and pharmacy) an anti-emetic.

Oh yes, pain everywhere. My hips are unlike the rest of my body, because they give me a burning sensation at the top of the hip which varies in intensity and is pretty much permanent. The rest of my body is more classic enthesitis i.e. a pain in the tendon, the connection to t he none and the bone site itself. These are agrravated by use but alkso you get random shooting pains just shooting off in any place and then they move around your body. Feet, ankles, shins, knees thighs, hips, hands, fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck. That doesn't leave much. :(

The pain at any figen site can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and they stop you dead in your tracks.

Unfortunately, as a UC sufferer, NSAID's are ruled out so opiates are my best current shot.

I think under NICE guidelines yo have to try and fail on two DMARDs before you can move on to biologics. In that case I should qualify

In the meantime I am using MST continuss to control background pain and paracetamol / codeine and ora morphine for breakthrough pain. And I am in la la land.

Paul

Sorry to read you are having such a rough time and you must be in so much pain judging by the pain killers you take.

I was diagnosed three years ago. I have been through three biologics over the last two years which had to be stopped due to extreme reactions. However the last chance saloon for me was Simponi and it has certainly brought my RA more under control. There are absolutely no side effects. However I still get break through pain each day but it is not the all encompassing pain I had three years ago where, like you I was high on drugs. I still cannot understand how much RA can travel around your body indiscriminately. I manage to work five days a week so feel that I am very lucky that I have hit on the right drug regime. In the early darker days of diagnosis I did not think there would ever be a bright future but now I can see the light.

Perhaps now is the time for you to consider the biologics route. There are some people I know with RA who are now in remission and doing all the things they thought they never would be able to again.

Take care

Jackie
xx

Hi Paul

I can't NSDAIDs either due to stomach ulcers
So
Get to see the pain clinic
I found them very helpful tbh as not on the ra drugs at this time

I take steroids
Then take paracetamol 4 times a day to help tackle background pain

I take zomorph tablets but have in the past tried butrans patches

Also take gabapentin for nerve pain.

FounD the psychologist in pain clinic very helpful dispite my early misgivings

And the GP set me back into A&E. Essentially a repeat of last week's episode although as it was not so bad I avoided admission.

Now on 40mg oral steroids as the gastroenterologist I saw (who also has immunology experience) said that as my CRP was up but all other indicators were normal, it was not an infection but a flair of the enthesitis.

Rheum Consultant appointment in under two weeks.

As an aside, what is it about A&E cubicle 'beds' I use the term in the loosest send of the word. Are they made of concrete? A nurse came across me sitting huddled in a chair in the cubicle, took pity on me when I explained the pain to my RA being caused by the bed and put me another cubicle that had a proper bed. Joy!!

Now the kittens are queuing up outside to beat me up. It has taken me four days to accomplish the simple task of putting up a curtain rail - a job that would normally take 30 minutes. Man, I'm tired of the fatigue!

Hi Suzanne

That's probably the root of my problem too - sleep.

I don't about RA but enthesitis pain is worse when you lie down. So nights can be a trial. I use a cocktail of drugs at bedtime and often afterwards to get through the night and an assortment of pillows to get into the right position, but still seep is difficult sometimes. And then the night after I started ny steroids I hit an all time low - 1 hour all night. I'd forgotten that steroids can do that to you.

I've had a go at them from holland and barratt

Found cyclozine from gp helpful too

Thanks Jenni - off toH&B it is then