I have had fibromyalgia for many many years. But last week I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis which is in the joints and it was rated moderate to severe. Now that I know that it's in the joints, I know that I have it in many joints and is very painful.
I am wondering if anyone else suffers from osteoarthritis as well as fibromyalgia? How does it affect you? What have you found to relieve the pain from it?
Gentle hugs
Rachel
Hi Rachel
Like you I have had fibro for many, many years (since I was a child). In recent years I have been through a great deal before the rheumatolagist diagnosed me with seronegative osteoarthritis and primary generalised osteoarthritis. I have it through nearly all joints including hips, fingers, toes, knees, elbows, etc. I had a great toe joint replacement in my right foot about six years ago that failed about two years ago. This year the artificial joint was taken out and bone was taken from my hip and pinned in the non-existant joint of my toe. This is currently fusing and I will know more about its success at the end of this month. At the same time I had an arthroscopy on my right knee which is taking a little longer to improve. I also have restless limb syndrome, which adds to my daily discomforts.
How does the combination affect me? When I have a flare up I don't know initially if it's the fibro or the osteo. However, it's irrelevant as one sets off the other. The restless limb is a constant and I think it is my nervous system wrongly translating pain as a need to stretch and jerk.
I take meloxicam as an anti-inflammatory (quite a high dose) and panadol osteo for pain releif. I take sifrol for the restless limb. I take no opiates and you don't have to if you have an understanding Doctor. I also start each day with a hot bath to loosen my joints., This keeps me mobile for a while. However, stay still for too long and it's a real challenge to get going again!
Really, the fibro and osteo don't work well together but I'll tell you where it does work. Tell people you have arthritis, they may think it's an old person's thing but at least they understand it. Fibro they still don't understand, So, if you telll them initially you have arthritis they nod in sympathy and then when you follow it up with fibro they seem more willing to listen and try to understand.
I think you'll find that there are many fibromyalgia sufferers who also have arthritis so you're not alone and there will be plenty of support and advice for you here.
Chin up, it's not all bad.
Gentle hugs
Jamey
Hi Rachel,
Yes I have osteoarthritis as well as fibro. I have it mainly in my spine but it's also affecting my feet and hands. It's very painful and makes it difficult for me to sit, stand, walk, sleep, and do general household activities. The only saving grace is that it's responsive to pain meds (more so than the fibro). Its an autoimmune disease and people with fibro often have more than one autoimmune problem (I have several). Other than pain meds exercise helps, especially water exercise.
Nancy
Thank you for sharing Rachel. I'm so sorry we don't have an Osteo group. Did you join the Psoriatic Arthritis network?
Hi Rachel,
sorry to hear that, hope you find something to help.
xoxo
I've been told by rheumy that I have beginning of osteoarthritis in my knees. They have always crunched with noise, so not surprising. Stiffness and pain mostly are my symptoms and haven't really found anything to relieve it, since I have a bleeding disorder and cannot take anti-inflamatories of any kind. All the stuff that would help them would also cause spontaneous bleeds in me. Believe me, I have tried. So I'm stuck with it. Aquatherapy is recommended by some doctors because it does not stress the joints as much as regular exercise. Talk to your doctor about that, and insurance sometimes covers it.
Hi
I was diagnosed back in 1992 with FMS and Osteo. Its only the last 2 years that the illness has progressed and have arthrititis in all joints now. Pain and fatique is the biggest part to deal with and now stops me living an active life. I find that diet (no wheat, no citric acid and tomatoes) has helped. Plenty of sleep (although difficult when having to work full time). Under Occi Health now at work as had quite some time off ill. Reduced work hours can help. Limiting stress is vital.
Pain management is difficult - Amthitripline does not suit me, so use paracetamol and codine. A good tens machine is worth investing in and relaxing technics worth trying.
Its difficult and at times things do get you down. Iam so thankful for Forums like this, talking and sharing does help.
Take care - hugs to all. Karin
Rachel
I too today was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis...I already knew I had fibromyalgia...But this Rheum doctor comfirmed it also...It is nice to know that I am not alone...Not that I wish pain on anyone, but that I have a place that I can go to when I am not having such a good day...Like today....
Hi Rachel,
Let me first say how badly I feel for you to have osteo and fibro. It's one pain with an aggravating factor on top of it.
I have it too, in my back, all up and down the spine. I'm wondering if that's what's bothering my hands and joints as well. Xrays didn't show anything tho, except in the spine.
Isn't it odd/coincidental how many fibro people also have osteo? Does one cause the other?
Ibuprofin is truly the only thing that's ever worked for me for pain (except Vicodin, which I can't get) and I'm not supposed to take it any longer.
I did read the comment about how people will listen/understand when you tell them you have arthritis. Might as well tell them about it first, when they ask.
Wish I had more to share in terms of tips. Might be worthwhile to keep this thread alive to see what else people have to say. Funny how such a common form of arthritis is treated like nothing much...and it hurts so much. Well, maybe it hurts so much due to our fibro. Hard to know, isn't it?
Gentle hugs to you,
Petunia
Most likely your 'just' arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an auto-immune disease that atacks various joints. It can happen to very young people or even children. Osteoarthritis is a result of either wear-and-tear (so it usually shows up after 45) or of a bad joint-involved injury, like from a ski fall or a car accident. It's the one that lets people predict a weather change just by their aches.
I have a different auto-immune disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR for short) that attacks the bursa of the hips and shoulders. It is also a stiff-and-sore especially at wake-up disease, and after the 5th year my Rheumy told me that the continuous pain had led to Fibromyalgia. She added Cymbalta and Lyrica to the Prednisone and Norco I already take, and it made a world of difference in the fatigue and flu-like pain, but the PMR pain still hits me, though it's not as bad as it was before.
Hope that helps (and doesn't confuse) with your arthritis question, aristit.
Hi Rachel,
Like the other folks who replied, I too have both. I am only 42, so on the young side for the osteo, but in my family, especially on my mother's side, you're an oddball if you don't have some form of arthritis. I also have a bone disease called Fibrous Dysplasia (FD) which isn't related to Fibromyalgia or Arthritis with one exception for me; because of the FD pain and bone deterioration/weakness in certain areas, I often do things differently, such as lifting and carrying, etc. As a result, some joints, like my right shoulder, are "overused" and thus have arthritis more than typical for someone my age.
What I have found to be helpful is Alleve/Naprosyn-Naproxen. Some have concerns because long term use can affect your liver, just as long term use of tylenol type products can affect your kidneys. I am very lucky to have a good relationship with my primary care doctor and when we do a yearly check of my thyroid, cholesterol and all that, he also checks my liver and kidney functions. I have never had much luck with the prescription arthritis medications like Mobic and others, I just keep coming back to Alleve.
Gentle hugs back to you,
Judy
I would like to thank all of you for responding to this Discussion. I was going to respond individually to each of you but my hands and fingers are aching too badly plus no sleep the past two nights. So, I will send this tonight to all of you.
Perhaps there are more fibro people who also suffer with osteo. After my doctor told me that I had osteo he rattled off so fast that I can't remember them..........the things that I could do. He was behind with his patients so he shooed me out and went on to his next patient. And I left his room to come home and do some research on this subject on the Internet. Hum.......
Gentle hugs
Rachel
Dear Rachel,
I hadn't seen this post, so was glad that I sent you the message, I had discovered it when you replied to another discussion. I think there are even more people on here with Arthritis of some kind. Mine is Psoriatic Arthritis, I presently take Lyrica for the nerve pain, Oxiprozin as an anti-inflammatory, Enbrel, which was the first biologic, to slow progression, and Opana (morphine) for pain. I have the type of Psoriatic Arthritis that attacks the spine, Spondylitis, though it has effected all joints, and caused spinal stenosis. Believe me, I understand the pain!
Just this evening when responding to Donna's post about having OA, I did some quick research to see what drugs were being used for treatment and was very surprised that biologics are not being used for this type of arthritis. Treatment for this destructive disease seemed very unsatisfactory to me!
I found some very good, recent info, but it would not allow me to do a cut and paste, so if you google 'definition of Osteo Arthritis by American College of Rheumatology' it will give you the 2012 recommendations for treatment.
I have also e-mailed Fibrokitty and asked her to explain to the group why they cannot successfully treat this type of Arthritis with biologics. As many people of all ages who are affected by this even though they call it the 'wear and tear' arthritis.
I will post anything that I happen to find for all of you and suggest that we may want to start a sub group of fibro with arthritis, or something along those lines, as there are also those with RA, PsA and other forms of arthritis. The choice is yours, I also belong to the Psoriatic Arthritis group. It has been very helpful to me!
I wish you all some substantial relief, and a good Rheumatologist!
Hugs,
SK
From what I have found, disease modifying drugs, such as I take, do not work for Osteo! Hard to believe that they cannot slow this down with something!
http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/osteoarthritis-treatment-directory You may have already looked at this, but I thought I would include it. It has 4 pages of treatments for osteo.
Thank you so much SK. You are so thoughtful of others.
I will check it out.
Love
Rachel
Anytime! You are welcome! I will be sure to post anything of interest pertaining to this for you and others! Seems they are not very up to speed on this arthritis compared to the rest! Seems to me that if this is the most common type of arthritis that they would have more to offer?
http://www.arthritis.org/osteoarthritis.php
http://www.arthritistoday.org/conditions/osteoarthritis/index.php
Here are a couple of other articles, read them at your leisure!
Wishing you relief! I understand the pain of arthritis very well!
Rachel,
I want to thank you very much for starting up this thread. I'm so grateful that you did! I've known that some component of DX has been missing from me for a while now and I believe it's the osteo component (unless other issues come up later to indicate another form of arthritis.) In a way it was DXed, in a very limited area, part of my back. But my entire back aches and feels each day like it's full of arthritis. As do my knees. I'm starting to think that I'm developing early arthritis in the joints too. I didn't really think about that aspect until you brought it up.
I was so shocked at how much pain that you - and others - are in from osteo! Doctors just shrug it off as "wear and tear" arthritis. Well, yes, that's so, but why not acknowledge the depth of the problem. Like fibro, I thought that osteo was just some piddly problem that slightly hit an area or two. Not so! I've learned SO much from reading your - and others - comments on it. I've learned about my OWN body from it, thank you very much.
I also want to thank SK, who is, as you state, so VERY helpful all of the time, no matter her own difficulties. She started a thread elsewhere about how another trauma starting the fibro and then causing it to accelerate. It makes SO much sense, rather than the fibro working on its own. In our case, perhaps it's the osteo as it worsens. As it worsens, so too do the flares. Makes so much more sense in this light.
Again, my thanks to the both of you for bringing these issues to light, as well as to everyone else who's answered here. It's incredibly liberating when you FINALLY find an answer, perhaps, to some of your pain. There's nothing worse than suffering in silence with no explanations.
Rachel, I'm sorry about those aching fingers! We use our fingers for every single thing we do, so it's an awful place to suffer.
Unacceptable of your doctor to just hustle you out like that! I'm telling you, Rachel, I was treated that way too when I found out about it. Several "specialists" mentioned "wear and tear arthritis" in passing, like it was nothing! And they didn't even bother to name what kind of arthritis! I finally had to ask. You're doing us all a tremendous service by bringing this component of fibro (for some of us) to light.
I hope you find some useful info on the net. And I thank SK for her links. As soon as I'm awake and less throbby, I'm going to check them out. Doctors should employ that girl as their "go to girl" for supplemental info on illnesses. They need her!
Hope you are feeling okay - SK too - and all of our other fibro friends. I know it's tough now that the weather has changed, unless you're on the other hemisphere, where spring is coming.
Take care,
Petunia
SK,
You've certainly opened my eyes again as to the depth ofyour pain from naming the various heavy duty drugs that you're on for all manners of pain and problems. You are really a remarkable person, SK. Your suffering is so great but you never fail to come here and to the other sites to offer support and comfort. You really and truly are our angel, and I don't care how you shrug it off, you are. I only wish that some angel above would offer you a better alternative to your illness than what you're going through. But who knows, maybe they do; maybe it'd be even worse otherwise. We know so little of the world and the beyond.
I think it's an excellent idea to have an osteo link too! How do we go about it? I'd like to occasionally vent on the matter. I mean, it's frustrating to have an arthritis that everyone thinks is okay to have because you're just getting old, and old people don't count anyway (according to society.)
Oops, my littlest Chihuahua, Daisy Rose, just erased my next sentence and wrote her own message (she's a budding writer) so I'll rewrite mine:
In a perfect world, we'd also have an overhead link that allowed folks with various coexisting illnesses to communicate because they don't realize how much in common we all share! Before I knew I had fibro and was researching various other illness to see if they fit, I read Lupus and PsA boards - we share so many things in common! My point is that I do think there IS a common medical connection between all of us. I suspect that we're all spokes off the same wheel. And I think it'd help if we'd see that, so we'd feel even more connected back to the world, instead of thinking we're alone in the fibro thing. Again, I think we're all spokes from the same overall illness wheel. Just my two cents.
So is anyone interested in a Fibro/Arthritis group or do we just want to keep it here on the main boards. I feel that the ones who are here due to injury are sooner or later going to get the arthritis dx, who knows what kind! I'm not really sure how many kinds there are. Lets see what I can find on that!
Wow, there are things on this list that I NEVER considered to be under the Arthritis umbrella!
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/search/search Here below are even more!
http://www.arthritis.org/types-arthritis.php This lists over 100 from the Arthritis Foundation!