Quick health update (following on from Friday)

On Friday I wrote about being in pain again. I’m sharing these little ups and downs so others on this journey can see what may happen, even after diagnosis! Today is Tuesday and I have just got back from the GP. I got home from work walking stooped over. Everything from my waist down is painful – lower back, hips, knees, ankles. I lay on the bed with NO energy at all. Enough was enough and I headed to the doctor. This lovely image is my spine. Certainly not a bad case of scoliosis at all, but enough to be just an added complication given my other conditions!

My Spine

I spoke to my endocrinologist yesterday about could the reduction in my thyroid medication be the cause of this flare-up. He believes not. I think I should have stressed this pain more when I saw my rheumatologist on Friday, but I got carried away in the discussion of the relationship between thyroid and rheumatoid arthritis and probably didn’t emphasise I was IN PAIN! It also got worse later in the day, I have to say.

My GP has given me some Endone and recommended I take the predisolone again for a few days to see if that helps. The last time I took it for a five day trial, I think I was so sick anyway I wouldn’t have noticed! I stocked up on my trusty Osteo Panadol with is great for the osteoarthritis knee but I find it not so effective for the RA. NSAIDs like ibuprofen are a no-no for me per my gastroenterologist’s instructions.

I am also wondering what I may have done to bring this on. Since the thyroid medication has slowed my metabolism, I’ve gained a couple of kilos, which I am grumpy about after working so hard to get ten kilos off. I also know I haven’t kept up my water intake the last few days. Has that contributed? I am desperate to get back to swimming, but each time I try, something happens (like this pain flare-up). Saturday I had the abdominal pain and the fatigue. I ran out of Yakult last week and it was a few days until I stocked up. Is that part of the problem? A combination of all three things perhaps?

The GP said rest. Yeah, right – like when? I worked from home yesterday on some data analysis and got so involved in what I was doing I forgot to get the ergonomic chair and I paid for that stupidity last night, let me tell you! I was in the office today and I need to be there tomorrow. He specifically asked about stress. Yes, there is a bit of that in my life at the moment.

While I am VERY glad I am on treatment now and my TSH levels are creeping up, these last few days have been a reminder that achieving balanced management of all three conditions doesn’t happen overnight and not to rush it. At least the Endone is starting to kick in so a bit of relief!

Edit Thursday 12 – I took the GP’s advice (apart from the resting bit, not possible) and the pain subsided considerably. So I’ve added the predisolone back into my routine since Tuesday night. I’ll do the same thing as originally requested: take it for five days then stop. If the pains come back, I’ll stay on it. I was good during the day yesterday, but a bit sore by the end of the day – nothing like Tuesday, however. Today has been even better. I have also drunk more water.

The below list of back story articles is getting a bit long, so I’ll design another solution before my next rheumatoid arthritis article.

Back story articles (in chronological order)