I know a lot of people are against taking prednisone (steroid), but it is an extremely effective pain reliever/anti-inflammatory for RA. I take 2.5 mg of prednisone daily, in addition to my methotrexate, and between the two, they keep me relatively pain free. I accept the side effects of the low dose I take (mostly thin and easily bruised skin), because it makes me feel so much better. If you don't want to be on a maintenance dose, it's also good to just have a taper-down dose pack with you for emergency flares if you are on a trip. I also supplement daily with ginger, turmeric, and fish oil - all anti-inflammatories. Basically, we all have to figure out over time what works best for us.

Diclofenac gel (sold as Voltaren over the counter) really does help. Heating pads are worth their weight in gold. And of course, don't forget your meds.

Hi MelOrama, Thank you for your response. Yes, the more I read and look at peoples stories there obviously is not a " one size fits all" approach to RA. The experiences of real people mean much more than most of the sites that end up being a sales pitch for something.
I am sorry about your experience and frustrations with one of your doctors. That most certainly does not help matters. All we can do is have faith in the universe and take life a day at a time. Easier said than done but stressing ourselves only hurts us.
Thank you again and I hope you enjoy your day.

Number 1 - You need a rheumatologist.
Number 2 - You need drugs to stop the progress of RA - not pain relievers. Number 3 - Treat yourself to a hot wax system. You dip your hand in the hot wax, wrap it in a plastic bag, then a towel. The heat penetrates into the hand - making it feel marvelous. Sometimes hot water works too.
Number 4 - I went to a hand PT person and she had me alternate dipping my hands in hot then cold water. That made no sense when she asked me to do it but it got the blood flowing and there was pain relief. As you learn to live with your RA, you will find other things that help with pain.

Hope this helps!

Remember, as you progress, your body will be changing as well and the meds will need to change. I also take HCQS, 200 mg per day. That builds up in your body and you can usually back off from 400 to 200. Ask your doc. I use the MTX subcutaneous weekly injection. Could not tolerate the pills.

Tylenol is also a good baseline. They have 650 mg extended release tablets. They are sold as 8 hour pills. However, you can take up to 3900 mg per 24 hours if your kidneys and liver are in good shape, check with your doctor.

If pain is bad enough, your doctor can precsribe stronger meds. I have Percocet for extreme conditions. My doc also prescribes a compounded cream that is 5% diclofenac and 2% tetracaine. Voltaren OTC is only 1% diclofenac and was useless on me.