Arthritis and pain meds...

I have arthritis in my right big toe knuckle.  The past couple of weeks it has been swelling something terrible and hurting pretty bad - to the point I'm limping. 

I haven't really had a big issue with it since surgery - would be sore once in awhile... but now its getting to where I NEED to take something for it. 

What do you guys take for arthritis pain and swelling (and don't tell me Tylenol - I need something that is an anti-inflammatory).  Prescription?  Over the counter? 

Thanks

Jody,
If you find something that works for you and is ok with our RNY, please please let me know!!

I've had 3 hand surgeries for arthritis over the last 10 years.  I wear a brace on my hand at night now and it has really helped with the pain in the morning - I don't know if they have a toe brace - might be worth checking into. 

I tried the cream last time I had a flair up on my collar bone.  I had to eventually stop it because my pouch started bothering me.  Tylenol doesn't touch it, never has.  Alleve, Motrin neither of which we can take was the thing that helped me the most.  Heat helps mine some so you might try a heating pad.  I had cortisone shots in my hands before surgery they work for a while(not fun though).

My DH has gout(which is a form of arthritis).  Do you think it is this?  There are lots of foods/drinks he has to avoid unless he wants to have a flair up.

Hope you find something.

Linda

No - its not gout.  My ex had it and is on meds for life for it. 

If I stay off my feet, or wear sensible shoes for awhile, it gets better.  Even my sandals lately have been irritating it. 

I've got a call into the Dr - I'll share what they tell me. 

Cortisone shots - or any shot for that atter, in an extremity is NO fun!!  BTDT.

Were you concerned about not being able to take NSAIDS once you had surgery?  I don't think I thught enough abut that aspect.  I had a 3 day non-stop headache 2 weeks ago, and I will tell you Tylenol did nothing.  I was combining sudafed, and claritin hoping for relief.  My daughter and I went to see the Avengers and had to leave.  It was so loud and my head was poundin 4 minutes into the movie.  Do you think, or has your doctor said there will be something for us to take in the future? 

I don't think I looked at that enough.  But, I had my surgery after all my hand surgeries and was not having pain at that time so it was not in my thoughts as much. 

The collar bone issue brought it back to mind and the thumb pain since WLS.  The brace I wear at night has pretty much aleviated the thumb joint pain and I don't have to take anything.  If I drive for a long time, I wear  the brace and it helps.  The collar bone pain just went away finally - I have no idea why. 

Tylenol was just a waste of time for me to take.  My surgeon did tell me I could do the cream for a little while.  I don't know that it helped much, but when I started having a few little pains in my pouch I stopped using it.  I have not talked to my surgeon about it since then.

 For my surgeries I've taken pain meds, but they're not to be taken a lot or lightly....

The Dr's office said to take Celebrex (prescription) but I MUST take my PPI with it.  Perhaps its a little more "friendly" than other NSAIDS?  I have been taking some Motrin - not a lot or often to try and get the inflammation down.  Sometimes when I can get it down it will stay down until I aggravate it again - but jeez - I walk on it!!  :)

Now I need to find me a Dr to give me a script...  There's a walk-in clinic down the road here I may pop into and see if they will.  

Not sure my PCP in Michigan would write me one and get it filled at a pharmacy out here.  Even though he is the one that diagnosed it...

My sleeve is different than your pouch -- I was able to take Naproxen for a minimal time. I had a joint problem with my index finger. I was still on PPI daily too. my mom always used Myoflex rub on her hands. Might try that or Bio Freeze roll on.

Hope you get some relief.

Meg

i've had pretty good luck with Trameel. There is an oral and a cream. I've done both and can actually say that rubbed on my knee before surgery, it really did help. I still use it some now. It is homeopathic and I imagine you will need to get it at a health food store. DH said it helped him too. I've also taken health food store "water pills" and they seemed to help with inflamation.
Good luck.

Thanks Price!  I just called a local place that carries it - but they're out of the ointment, but have the liquid and caplets.  She's ordered me the ointment. 

I had terrible pain in my big toes on both feet - thought it was gout because I had a high uric acid level.  I went to my PCP and wasnt sure because I had no swelling but put me on colcrys to see if it worked.  I only took .6 mg per day a minimal dose and it helped very little so she sent me to a Rheumotologist and he doubled to dose to see if it helped. He also tooked xrays and said I have arthritis in both toes.  He couldnt check for gout since there was no swelling and he said he needed swelling to asprirate the fluid. 

I really recommend if you have swelling to get the fluid tested - gout is arthritis - you cant know unless it is tested.  Have you had your uric acid level tested???  If it is over 6.0 - you could have it.  The .6 mg dose of colcry 2 times daily actually made my toes feel better but the side effects are tough for me - they lower your white count and I have a low white count normally so it wasnt good for me.  I also think it affects your platelets and I have trouble with that.  So, I stopped it and the pain came back, so I went back on it and the pain got better = it was a fiscous cycle but I ultimately stopped it.  The pain was gone for the past 2 months but the past 2 weeks it has been back.  I might have to ask for another refill on the colcrys and get my uric acid level to be rechecked again.

I wish you the best and recommend you get it tested.  In the meantime, I use narcotic pain meds.