How Can You Tell If Pain Is From OA Or RA?
How Can You Tell If Pain Is From OA Or RA?
I was recently diagnosed with RA and was taking Methotrexate for 3 months with little effect - except mouth sores and thinning hair. I also have pain across both insteps and ankles but my doc only seems interested in toes and hands. She now wants to switch to Leflunomide, but I'm reluctant to take it.
I feel my ankle pain is from OA. Do other people have these same problems? And which meds do you take for it?
To Devon, Trust me, once you get joint damage, you’ll take just about anything to stop the pain. You don’t want the joint damage. I hope people on here weigh in with advice for you.
Also have RA and OA in my feet..Last month I had to stay in the hospital for 6 days because I fractured my c-1 just getting out of bed! The agony was so intense that RA pain was unnoticeable! Still exhausted. Sleep almost 12 hours at night, and still take a nap! Plus I have to wear a collar which often wakes me up with the most God-awful itching! I'm supposed to wear it for 6 weeks... Had to hire a nurse just to wash my hair, and got a thin strip of wood to shove down the collar and scratch the back of my head! Can't even comb my hair! Hope the fracture heals in this 6 weeks or I may have to have surgery. If that is so, I'm getting my hair cut so short that it will be nothing but peach-fuzz until the collar comes off!
RA and are very different, medication for RA won't help the OA. The pain with OA in my experience often doesn't come with the inflammation that RA has. Because OA is associated with wear and tear you often get sharp pain in the joints. The fatigue is the same, flares of inflammation can be treated with NSAIDS, usually with good effect. There is no real answer from medication you just treat the symptoms. However, exercise, weight and psychology all have their place. I use mindfulness, pain relief when needed ranging from Paracetamol tomTramadol. I swim and walk when a I can and I rest when I can't, I always try to do something. Worst case scenario is joint replacements. I'm not there yet. The rheumatologist is not the only health professional who can help. Talk to your General Practitioner and look at the Chronic pain support groups. This is my life and I've been through the Rheumatologist Neuro team etc and the decided to come off my meds to see what difference it would make. Gues what ...... Very little change. Sometimes acceptance is the key.........So I am learning to live with my symptoms. Good luck to you on your quest.
When my simponi stopped working well my doctor added leflunomide. It has helped a lot.
