Arthritis pain

[Pip]

This past week has been bad for me due to osteoarthritis despite taking pain relief.  The only thing that has really helped today to relieve the pain in my ankle, knees and finger has been a hot bath     

[Pip]

It's been a while since I have posted here.  Would have thought the hot weather would have helped ease the pain but it's getting worse in my hip again  and can't be bothered seeing about changes in pain relief.  Too depressed, too hot to go far, too fed up to care anymore. 

[stewart]

sorry to see your in so much pain Pip, a hot bath does seem to help more than just how weather, maybe it has something to do with the relaxing feel of the bath

[Pip]

Having baths help but my trouble is I tend to have them first thing  so should have them in the evening when I know I'm going to relax.  My right ankle has been painful for a few days as well ~ it's the one I broke last year.  When I'm at home I am keeping my ankle elevated so that helps.

[fighting_the_tide]

Have you had a blood test to see what your iron levels are like? I am aware that if you have arthritis in any format - have any family with depression/diabetes/irritability/chronic fatigue/weakness, there's a chance that either it's too high or too low.

I have got a lot of information from a GP, a consultant, and other people who are in a similar boat to me with too much iron absorption (genetically I have a HFE gene mutation - as a C282Y/C282Y - that means I am at highest risk of overloading with the iron on the tested for genetics).

If not - would you consider checking? The main ones they'd look for would be serum ferritin (if that's over 300-350 - it could be a sign), and transferrin saturation (if the percentage is over 45% - it's an initial sign).

Worth ruling out if it proves not to be the case - I'm only 28 and been diagnosed with iron overload (mentioned in a thread in the other disorders subforum - Haemochromatosis is the medical name), that I have to now keep regular tests going to see when I next need a bloodletting appointment.

[Pip]

I have blood tests once a year minimum as I was diagnosed with high blood pressure about October 2009 ~ it was 210 / 165 at that time.  For several months I was having regular blood tests until it had fallen dramatically and I was being checked for other things.  Usually I end up having blood tests done during the year due to other health problems plus I get rashes every so often but nobody has been able to work out why yet.  My iron levels are kept a check on as sometimes it does go down a bit but never low enough to cause concern.

My family medical history includes diabetes, high blood pressure (on both sides), asthma (mum and her brothers) and cancer (dad's side).  Until now I have had good GP surgeries that have kept an eye on my health.  Unfortunately, due to moving, we've had to change surgery as we are just out of the catchment area for our previous one.  The surgery can't even get the amount of medication I need on two of them for each four cycle right let alone get it on repeat  .

[fighting_the_tide]

Have you considered changing surgeries if possible? If they are unable to process the information correctly for a four week cycle (if I understood that right) on medication - it would be worth an idea to seek another opinion from another doctor in another practice. Seeking a secondary opinion/set-up is not wrong to do.

(and even those more experienced supportive and guiding hands - could do with support at times)

[Pip]

I am now at the point of changing surgeries because I've had enough.  Picked up my prescription for paracetamol and it's enough for 5 days and there is enough amytriptiline for about two weeks instead of 4 weeks.  I will need to put in for a repeat for everything else plus another for another 3 weeks and two days of paracetamol.  Hubbby decided to ring out and complain despite me asking him not to as I've made my decision.  That caused an argument as I felt he was making the situation worse and I didn't want him interfering  .  Now I'm at the point that I;m too embarrassed to go back to sort the matter out.