I'm having a bit of a tricky time with medication and different practitioner's opinions on how to deal with my PsA at the moment.
The methotrexate I take is a Disease Modifying Drug which means that it is trying to work against the anti-bodies and stop anymore damage to my joints. This doesn't take away the swelling or pain so that has to be controlled with something else, I've tried Diclofenic, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Brufen for the swelling - Paracetamol, Codeine and Diazepam for the pain. Quite a collection for someone who never even took a pill for a headache before this!
*I feel there should be a nice picture here but couldn't think what to put, maybe one of me and the Fella would do?*
I'm on six-weekly visits to my hospital right now after having a bad flare-up earlier this year and although I never see my consultant (and have just heard that he's leaving soon anyway) I see a practitioner nurse 'suggested' that my GP wasn't handling my pain management properly! So after seeing the nurse at the hospital I booked to see my GP the following Tuesday, last Tuesday in fact. She wrote another letter of complaint, described my treatment by the Rheumatology department as 'crap' and referred me to another consultant - she kicks ass!
My GP is amazing, has fought my corner and stood up for me when the hospital have let me down and has held her hands up to say that my condition is outside her field and she's led by the hospital team. It's a very frustrating and tiring process! It annoys me that the only way to get anyone to take any action is to complain but there you go, I was too polite, too trusting and didn't moan which is why I was left in pain for so long before anyone believed me....
The rather jolly looking dayglo pills are another anti inflammatory that my GP is trying me on as the practitioner nurse - it's called Sulindac and is prescribed so rarely that the surgery didn't even have it, the pharmacist had to phone the manufacturers to find out some information for me about it. A google search threw up a few bits and pieces, sounds promising!
According to the nurse practitioner 'the x-rays show no signs of permanent joint damage in the fingers or toes'...hmmm, I'm not convinced and when I thought back the x-rays they are consulting are almost two years old, I queried this and was sent for some more x-rays that day. A lot can happen in two years and I see my hands and feet everyday - they certainly ain't looking any better and boy do they hurt!
I'm off now to bake a couple of cakes for my knitting group, take the pills that almost glow and drink tea till my feet stop throbbing enough for me to hang out washing (who knew that pegs could ever be so challenging!) and cycle down to the allotment to feed the chickens.
It's always a difficult time when the pills change....Nic x
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