Arthritis Support Group

I have oa and yes you will have good and bad days, you need to be carefull with overworking the arthritis, It will never get better but you have to learn to live with it and know your limits. maybe the pain meds you are takeing is not working well for you there are other kinds. I find with oa to do things slower like do laundry or dishes but rest more in between jobs. this is how I deal with oa others may have diffrent views. good luck

Yes, I agree with maelynn. I have o/a. I have other equally debilitating health problems as well which means that my life is very limited, I live on my own and in isolation (because of anxiety and depression. I am also in a great deal of pain, have to spend much of my day lying down. I can't do any of the things that I used to do or want to do. I have to do a lot of physiotherapy on my knees and spine just to be able to function at all. I have had to accept that I have never and never will have a normal life. I take my time to do things and do things in stages. Little and often is the secret. Keeping as active as possible is essential so if that means going swmimming instead of cleaning the oven, sorry but you have to do it! Or going for a gentle walk rather than cleaning the floor- such a shame! Very difficult to get other people to understand how there are some things you can do and some things you can't.

i have osteoarthritis and it has literally changed my life... i have had to learn to be more patient and let others help me with the things i can not do.. i was very active and it was a hard pill to swallow when i was diagnosed.. yes i have to take pain medication every day and find things like heat, cold effect the pain...

I agree with everyone here, a diagnosis of OA is life changing. (I have it in both knees) But I try hard not to let it stop me doing what I want to do. Yes, I have to try to pace myself, rest the knees when I have too and sometimes find different ways of doing things. I think we all have good and bad days. On bad days I whinge here! Lol! On good days I smile!
It is a tough disease, and you may need to experiment with meds until you find what is right for you.

thanks everyone for the information. I really appreciate it

I also have oa and Lupus.I agree with the others do a bit then take a rest,some days are worse than others.Most important is to keep moving even when it hurts bad.You don't say were you have oa but as I have it in many places,knees,back top and bottom of spine, neck,hands shoulders toes and now elbows,I can say that hand straps help with thumbs,awaiting surgery on them,and I find that a hot water bottle on my back helps with that area,strangely though cold helps with my toes,so I keep sticking them out of the covers at night,also my knees respond better to not getting to warm.The rest I am afraid to say I have found no real comfort for,although a few steriod injetions in one shoulder has eased that one for a bit.You need your pain meds,although you may think they don't help much if you stop them you soon notice the diference.Although it may sound crazy I have several diferent chairs that I sit in during the day, as I find sticking to one chair agravates whatever joint is involved,don't keep your knees bent for any length of time,try to change your posture whenever you can to relief joints.There is no more I can say really,I know how hard this is for you to accept.I send you big hugs and God bless you.

I want to thank you too for your answer to prayinmiracle07. I'm new to the site with osteoarthritis in both knees and hands. I also have lymphedema in the legs from cancer treatment. The knees are getting quite stiff in addition to being so painful on bearing weight. A major problem of mine is that I can only take Tylenol because of other meds I take. This doesn't help the pain. I'm open for any suggestions. Thanks.

I have oa all through my back, my wrist and finger, knees. I have been put on Celebrex, Vioxx, Naporsen, IB. THere are days when I can barely move my fingers and my lower back and my knees will hurt to where I had hardly walk (like now and this past week). The medication only helped for a short time. Now I just take one day at a time and pray to God that He will get me through another day. I can't stand or sit for any long period of time, I have to keep moving. By keeping moving it helps to keep me from getting stiff. THe only medication I take now, for the arthritis is IB, but mostly just for the pain on a need to take basis. I don't like what all that medication is doing to my system. I pray that you find what you need to help you cope from day to day, but don't give up and keep moving the best you can. Lord bless you .. Lynn

To: gisg7 (Lynn) Many thanks for your note, Lynn. The pain is one thing, but now the stiffness. You've got something there -- to keep moving regardless of the pain has to be what's needed. You've helped me with that, and I thank you.

I have it in the second toe on each foot. I take Glucosamine Chondroitin twice a day and I find it really helps.