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Joint Pain

tonya_n_ky

Senior Member
Hey Ya'll. How's things going? I know joint pain is sometimes a part of having crohn's BUT what are ya'll taking to help it? My dr prescribed me something for pain but of course the insurance company is an ass and it's not covered ( and that was the generic brand). I'm on another pain pill that I take at night but it doesn't help the pain in my joints. It just helps me sleep. I've been complaining about this for quite some time now. It's in my shoulders, back and sometimes legs but lately my fingers and it's a real annoying. I'm walking at work for the 8 hrs I'm there and using every body part I own just about so I'm getting exercise and such. My doc keeps drawing blood to check for arthritis but it usually comes back good results. I'm waiting for the newest bloodwork to come back. I was told not to take Aleve, Motrin or Naprosyn with crohn's. I'm not real sure why because they are anti-inflammatory. But anyways, I'd love to know what's working for any of you so I can suggest it for myself. Thanks.
 
tonya_n_ky said:
Hey Ya'll. How's things going? I know joint pain is sometimes a part of having crohn's BUT what are ya'll taking to help it? My dr prescribed me something for pain but of course the insurance company is an ass and it's not covered ( and that was the generic brand). I'm on another pain pill that I take at night but it doesn't help the pain in my joints. It just helps me sleep. I've been complaining about this for quite some time now. It's in my shoulders, back and sometimes legs but lately my fingers and it's a real annoying. I'm walking at work for the 8 hrs I'm there and using every body part I own just about so I'm getting exercise and such. My doc keeps drawing blood to check for arthritis but it usually comes back good results. I'm waiting for the newest bloodwork to come back. I was told not to take Aleve, Motrin or Naprosyn with crohn's. I'm not real sure why because they are anti-inflammatory. But anyways, I'd love to know what's working for any of you so I can suggest it for myself. Thanks.
NSAIDs are notorious for irritating intestinal lining. They tend to aggravate crohn's. I usually take a few paracetamol tablets. Not that effective but I can deal with it.
 
Both my wife and myself take Ginger and Turmeric capsules. I originally started taking small amounts of both for minor hip pain and for general good health. I did not know I had Crohn's at that time. It works well for low levels of pain but I believe this is more the anti-inflammatory effect rather than a painkiller effect. I have no joint pain now, but I never had a lot of it to begin with. I also take other anti-inflammatory supplements and foods so there is likely a combined effect.

My wife takes both Ginger and Turmeric because her Lyme disease used to give her extremely painful joints. It will not relieve this kind of pain, but they are both antibacterial, so it made sense to use it regardless. She now has no joint pain but her Lyme disease is under control now. The Ginger and Turmeric takes care of any minor aches she may have now.

Turmeric has a specific effect against the inflammatory response identified in Crohn's disease so it is helpful in more than one way for Cronies. Ginger has similar properties. No unnerving side effects either. Really nothing to lose if it does not help. It does take a few weeks to kick in.

http://www.annalsnyas.org/cgi/content/abstract/1056/1/206

D Bergy
 

My Butt Hurts

Squeals-a-lot!
The one time I had joint pain, it felt like a sprained ankle.
This could've been or could've not been Crohn's related, thought I can't remember when I would've injured it.
Anyways - they put me on nambumetone ,whatever that is, 500 mg/2x day and it cleared up rather quickly.
 

Kev

Senior Member
Well, I can't say for sure my recent joint pain flare is crohn's related or not. I currently am tapering my pred.. and with my last decrease, my joint pain has returned, with a vengence. Like, last nite it was so bad, I didn't get to sleep until about 5 AM, then I was up with it again at 7, then I managed to get back to sleep around 8, up at 10:30

OK, OK.. so I lower my pred, and joint pain comes back. So it has to be the crohns, right? Maybe.. But it could be something else that the pred was taking care of for me. Like, I have a lot of other issues, skin rashes, dry scalp, etc., etc., that have returned with the lowering pred doses. Are they all crohns related???

Anyway, the pred seems to have kept my joint pain in check while I was on a high enuff dose. Now, it's back to the extra strength Tylenol (avoiding any codiene) to get me thru future ruff patches. Other than that, I just try to grin and bear it..
 

soupdragon69

ele mental leprechaun
Kev,

Just a thought but joint pain can also be a "side effect" of reducing pred believe it or not... I tend to get it for a few days almost flu like and it doesnt always kick in immediately.
I also get a skin flare when winding the pred back that takes time to settle too which I think is down to the pred "suppressing" everything.

See what you think.
 
D

DarrylP_Ajax

Guest
tonya_n_ky said:
Hey Ya'll. How's things going? I know joint pain is sometimes a part of having crohn's BUT what are ya'll taking to help it? My dr prescribed me something for pain but of course the insurance company is an ass and it's not covered ( and that was the generic brand). I'm on another pain pill that I take at night but it doesn't help the pain in my joints. It just helps me sleep. I've been complaining about this for quite some time now. It's in my shoulders, back and sometimes legs but lately my fingers and it's a real annoying. I'm walking at work for the 8 hrs I'm there and using every body part I own just about so I'm getting exercise and such. My doc keeps drawing blood to check for arthritis but it usually comes back good results. I'm waiting for the newest bloodwork to come back. I was told not to take Aleve, Motrin or Naprosyn with crohn's. I'm not real sure why because they are anti-inflammatory. But anyways, I'd love to know what's working for any of you so I can suggest it for myself. Thanks.

Glucosamine, live by the stuff, takes away practically any joint pain i ever have, but u have to take it regularily for it to work. Its good for me since i do not take pain medication whatsoever
 
R

ruthymg

Guest
I always take codeine phosphate as its great as a pain killer but it also slows loose bms x

Ruth
 

tonya_n_ky

Senior Member
I'm allergic to codiene..:( My family dr. has put me on something for the pain but it makes me sleepy so I take it before bed. Crohn's just pi$$es me off sometimes, like the big D is not enough to deal with on a daily basis, now I get to feel "hot pokers" through my knuckles too. UGH!
 

Kev

Senior Member
Hey Soup... What u said gave me pause for thought... As I have cont'd to taper off the pred, I've noticed not only an increased joint pain thingy going on, but my joint pain is now in joints where it wasn't before... I know that the long term side effects of pred does include joint deterioration... but I've only been on it since last Nov, and only in moderate amounts... But, still, I wonder if the fact that as my pred decreases my j/p escalates AND spreads IF some of it is the early form of joint deterioration due to same... If it is, (and that's a big IF), then I've paid for my pred in more than 1 way.
 
H

hanaa al baydany

Guest
hi collegues
for joins,and back pain ,i put hot water, or hot bag or electric pillow on the pain. it 's help some how. also keep the pain are worm as much as u can.
i hope this will help.
 
M

MarkyB

Guest
Tonya, I've been diagnosed with Arthritis (specifically Enthesitis - inflammation of the tendons around the joints) which gives me very painful knees and hands (not knuckles but main joint). On Saturday I went to a therapist to try hot paraffin wax treatment for the hands. Basically you keep dunking your hands into melted wax, building up a thick layer around them. Then they are put into plastic bags and wrapped in towels and left for 15-20 mins. It feels great and the benefits for me have been superb. My hands are not stiff in a morning or painful. I don't know how long this will last but the treatment was very inexpensive and you can buy your own 'bath' and do it at your leisure at home. You can treat feet in the same way and other joints like knees can be 'painted' with the wax and wrapped in cling film. I would give it a go!!!
 
This is a treatment I have never heard of. I assume tha hot wax causes hyperthermia in the area covered and the heat makes it feel better.

Very interesting. I am curious as to how long the effect lasts.

Dan Bergman
 

Kev

Senior Member
I've heard of it, never tried it personally. someone I knew with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, esp. in the feet & hands, used it regularly and swore by this simple method.
 
M

MarkyB

Guest
Dan,

I'll let you know how I go on with it. I have to say that so far I am a convert. The relief I have felt in my hands since Saturday is remarkable!

Kev,

You are right this treatment has been around a long time, used by people with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
 
S

Stuffette

Guest
joint pain

I suffer from joint pain but mine is more of an annoying thing rather than a real bad pain. Luckily I can live through it. I do take advil when it gets bad and that was suggested by my Gastro.

The parafin wax thing is awesome. I had severe joint issues when I was pregnant. I wasn't officially diagnosed with Crohns yet but now it all makes sense. The nail salon down the street became my new best friend. I would get pedicures and hot cream manicures every week. It really helped the circulation. I go every week now and pay extra for the hot towels and creams. I also broke my hand a few years ago and the only thing that helped for the year of healing was a soak in hot water. That worked better than Vicodin.

I also take lots of baths and hot showers to loosen up my joints. Again, I have more of a tightness and throbbing as opposed to severe pain.

Let me know how the hot wax works.
 
M

MarkyB

Guest
Update on the wax treatment. My hands have just started to become painful again, so it's time for another dip. The first session has lasted eight days. I have just received my own wax spa (bought secondhand off Ebay) so this weekend I will give it a go and try it on my feet as well.
 

Kev

Senior Member
Good luck MarkyB. You are not the first person I've heard of resolving aches using a wax treatment. The only thing that puzzles me is why so many kids get earaches??? ;-)
 
Eight days off of one treatment. Makes me think that the cause could be a bacteria of some kind, that is temperature sensitive. I would think it would only last for hours otherwise.

My wife had a high fever from the flu a while back. It resulted in her losing all of her Lyme symptoms for a little over a month. The fever killed a lot of the bacteria.

I am always looking for causes since it seems the medical community is slow to do so.

I do like that wax treatment. No side effects and works for over a week. Cool!

Thanks for the report.

Dan Bergman
 
I had joint pain, it was mainly in the morning like I had pulled something. I thought that I had slept funny.

For a while I was also getting some real dry skin and red blotches on my arms, I decided that I wasn't drinking enough water. Both problems have gone away and I'm not sure what the real problem was.

For pain you might try acetaminophen, supposedly works on just the mind.
 
K

kpratte

Guest
Tonya, I'm guessing you have been on prednisone before? I've had issues with the nodules in my hands and feet that the tendons run through. When they toss me on prednisone it goes away till I get down to 15 - 20 mg then ouch. Luckily for me, it eventually goes away. It's usually a mild ache in my feet but my hands is like a knife stabbing when it happens.

I've tried a cortisone injection and that was a mixed bag. It hurt like holy hell for several hours, then was awesome for about 3 weeks. Then instead of a knife when it happens, I got a burning sensation all through my finger.

For the achy feet, I change my shoes around and grab ones with a very hard sole, preferably a vibram one (my Merrell's). The harder sole help distribute the load when walking because it doesn't flex as much. I guess the theory being that the more I use the tendons in my feet (flexing shoe), the more they get irritated against the nodules and the more pain.

- Ken
 
I get join pains in my hands and knees and sometimes my elbows. I also a very unpleasant pain in my face (jaw?) that radiates down my neck and arm when it's really bad. Last time I talked to my GP about it she said she wasn't comfortable prescribing me anything for pain.
 

Kev

Senior Member
Yeah, a lot of pain meds are addictive, or do naasty things to your GI system. also, a lot of GP's are reluctant to prescribe for anything remotely possibly ascribed to a disease you are seeing a specialist (like a GI) for. Professional ethics or what not.
 
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