Ahh joint pain.

[GirlFriday]

What fun. So, another fun symptom of a (never ending?) flare. It currently feels like my right hip is in a vice, and it's traveling down to my knee now. It is so stiff, and getting too painful to walk or stand on. This has happened twice before - they did an ultrasound and diagnosed me with inflamatory arthritis. Anyone else get this? What do you do to relieve pain seeing as anti-inflamatory's are out?

 

[Agent X20]

Hi GF!
I was dx with crohns when I was 16, in 1972. At the same time I started to get pain in my left hip which affected me for years, but I was much too young for a hip replacement. I got by most of time and lots of exercise helped (but not too much high impact stuff)
Nobody ever made the connection with crohns disease... or the fact that I was taking pred from age 16 to 18... and high doses at the start. Now I'm sure there must be a connection with one or the other.
I still did a lot of active things - like diving and martial arts (that was very good due to the strectching exercises and extensive warming up we did) and it was only in the last few years that it really degenerated... I ended up being housebound for a couple of months and in constant pain, and had a hip replacement about three years ago... hardly had a single twinge since then
I didn't have a regular hip replacement, but what is known as a "Birmingham Hip Resurfacing" which is better for people who are younger and more active (at 50, I still counted as younger and more active). Google it if you want more details.
I'm not intended this post to be alarming... just trying to put the whole story in a nutshell. I was bad, but not THAT bad. I had long periods (years) without many problems at all, apart from restriction of movment... so the lotus postion will be out of the question. Some of my other joints are a bit creaky, but it was only my hip that was a real problem, and the hip resurfacing (if it eventually comes to it) represents a 100% cure. The operation itself was not a problem... I've had worse visits to the dentist!
Other people have had joint problems related to pred, but it's so long ago for me I can't remember... may just clear up on its own
Good luck

 

[Agent X20]

Forget to mentrion the pain relief. If it got bad I'd take Ibuprofen... nobody told me it was a bad idea if I had crohns!

 

[kello82]

hey girl
yeah i had some joint issues last fall, was my first experience with arthritis in all my CD years. not fun at all!
a doc put me on celebrex which was BAD, pen will tell you that lol! so i stopped takking it.
it kinda seemed to go away on its own after awhile, no reasons for doing so. nothing really helped it, sorry to say. for me it was my hands a bit, and my feet and ANKLES were the worst. they were so fat and purple they looked broken and like you with your hip, barely able to walk or stand.
i found that moist heat helped a bit to take down the swelling and increase mobility. i would put a damp washcloth on my swollen spot, then a heating pad on top to keep it warm.
that and extra strength tylenol. but still it was bad enough that i left work as soon as another employee arrived for their shift so that i didnt leave the manager totally alone. i wanted to get off my feet asap. they were great, very understanding thankfully.
i hope it goes away soon gf. keep it warm and rest it as much as you can

 

[GirlFriday]

Thanks guys. Agent X20 - I'm so glad the surgery worked for you and your hip pain is now gone. It must have been such a relief once the recovery from surgery was over. Kello I'm glad yours went away by itself - the two other times I have had his joint pain (in my knee) it was terrible - I was in shocking pain but both times it went away by itself after two days. Fingers crossed it will again! Good to hear from you both..

 

[la la]

So sorry to hear about your joint pain..ouch! I have had the joint pain way before they diagnosed my crohns. All of the doctors have said the two are very much connected. Mine is in my knees and sometimes pinky or toes?? If my GI is flared it is just days before the joints will flare or vise~versu.. One thing they did say is my meds for treatment should be the same ones used for CD and RA. Like..Humaria ,Remi ,tysobri and unfortunatly no nasids hmmm. So in all that rambling what else? Oh.. sometimes my doctor have given me various pain meds tramadol, vicodin etc... Just really try not to take them for too long of a stretch... I almost forgot I use the Votaren Gel also. It's gives me some relief as long as I am not way too swollen. Thats kind of nice because it's not ANOTHER pill. Yeah~ anytime you can cut down on one of those it's so nice!! I hope something workds for you...take care