I have just started with knee and hip pain and the Doc thinks?? it might be Arthritus have been on Ibufrofen but have bee told that Naproxen is better is anyone on this and can give me a feed back
Hi Pemela,
i have been on Naproxen for a considerable time now. I don't take it all the time, only when I have a flare. It is the best anti inflammatory I have taken so far and does not have the damaging effect on my liver that Diclofenac had. I would say its a lot safer than some.
Thank Linda, I was getting upsets with Ibuprofen, and didn't want Diclofenac, as there has been such terrible write ups about it in the papers, so thought I would try Naproxen, again thanks for the input I will try it
Hi Pamela, Naproxen is good works for me, I don't take it al the time either, good luck.
Many thanks John, it's nice when people that take it , give you feed back on it, I will start on it tomorrow again thanks
Hi
I'm still in the early stages of diagnosis and getting medication right, I prefer paracetomol and ibruprofen to any other, I've been on naproxen and on codeine but find they both upset my tummy.
It's all individual though.
Good luck with the trial and errors, it's a slow process but definetly worth trying to see which will work for you
Thnaks, I have been on paracetomol and Ibuprofen, but, after a while they didn't seem to have the same effect, as when I first started them, and I've laso read, that Ibuprofen isn't too kind to your liver and kidneys,but again I'll give anything a try for when it flares up, I do Crown Green bowling, which isn't helping I know, but I hate the thought of giving it up!!!!!
Don't know what kind of doctor this is. A board certified rheumatologist or just a general practitioner?
There are blood tests and physical exams and radiological tests to determine whether it is or is not RA.
I think you need to get the facts first. Right now, based on what you wrote, you don't even know if it's RA or run of the mill osteoarthritis. Both are completely different diseases. A rheumaologist can sort it all out and prescribe accordingly.
I can tell you that if it's RA, NSAIDS such as Naproxen won't help much.
Many thanks for letting me know this Lynn I have never had anything like this before so just accept what the Doc says, I will ask him for a referral when I go to see him, so thanks again
I have RA & I'd agree with what Lynn said, but add that a speedy and accurate diagnosis is vital. The quicker you get put on a proper treatment plan the better. Naproxen can and does help initially but ask for a stomach protector too. You usually take this a good 30 mins before the Naproxen. Good luck.
Many thanks Connie, I take Omeprazole and I find that it works??? and at the moment I feel OK on the Naproxen so fingers crossed!!
Just want to be clear on something, Pamela:
IF this is an autoimmune disease, such as RA, then NSAIDS will not halt the progression of the destructive damage the disease causes. You may FEEL fine, but damage could be going on inside. You would need DMARDS if this is an autoimmune disease.
Which is why you need to get an accurate diagnosis by a specialist. Immediately.
I know I do Lynn, and I know I am burrows my head in the sand!!! but, I think I am the same as a lot of people, while I can have something to releive it, I suppose I'm alright, but, I do know what you mean and I do thank you for reminding me that I should go to a good specialist
As long as you remember that IF it is RA that the joint damage cannot be reversed.
Thanks Lynn I have booked in at the Docs for a week of Tuesday tyo get it sorted one way or another,
Great! The sooner you know exactly what it is the better.
I just worry about everyone in the UK because from everything I read on these forums [and Canadian forums] your socialized medicine seems to go hand in hand with physicians giving minimal care due to time and financial constraints. When I read the posts on this forum I too often read that the doctors in the UK adopt a "wait and see" attitude. In the US it's "let's find out what the heck it is."
I totally agree with you there. I was 4 months treated for repetitive strain injury. Being told that my inflammatory markers are raised but that could be due to anything. Which is true I suppose but I did have swollen joints which they ignored. Now I can't bend or straighten my middle finger and really hope that the time wasted hasn't permanatley caused damage.
I'm now 7 months in and have just been put on 25 mg Mtx. ( increased over the last 2 months coz inflammatory markers still rising) hopefully this will do something to stop more damage.
Emma,
Sometimes there's such an increase in edema from synovitis that the swelling causes severely reduced mobility. In SOME cases - and mind you I am not an orthopedic surgeon - aspiration of some synovial fluid BY A COMPETENT BOARD CERTIFIED ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON can "drain" the fluids and restore mobility.
For example, I have RA, PsA, and AS and non-autoimmune arthritic diseases. I use computers at least 14 hours a day. Lots of "mousing." At one point - perhaps due to the repetitive motion - my wrist and finger next to the thumb became very swollen. Stiff. couldn't "mouse." Saw an orth surgeon. He did a DeQuervain's Release in the wrist, which basically snips a tiny tendon that was causing some problems. But more importantly, when I got out of the out-patient surgery, he told me that he spent more time in the OR "mopping me up" because I had so much fluid in there.
IF, and I do mean IF, this is a problem, see a specialist and determine if this procedure might help.
BTW - that surgery was about 6 years ago and I haven't had one problem since in that wrist/hand.
That's the best way forward. Get a proper diagnosis and then take it from there. Once you actually know what you're suffering from then you can ask about and investigate
different medications.
I live in the UK and find your perception of our socialized medicine / care worrying. We certainly don't get second rate care and if we need a drug then we get it. At my diagnosis of RA I was immediately fast tracked (as part of an early intervention programme) onto various DMARDS plus MTX. when that didn't help I was moved onto a biologic - Enbrel. That now doesn't seem to be working so well so it been suggested I switch to a different biologic. Hardky