Arthritus Rheumatoid

[Buck52]

I Have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis  just as about as bad as you can have it in my right leg just above the knee and just below knee  just above the calf.

Has anyone had amptutions because of it  and the pain?

This is crippleing me  I can't do anything   ..I can barley walk   with a cane or walker.

If Ampution is a relief ?   > I been tinking about it.

I have all the below  and this is not my service connected disabiliity's

 

Osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Psoriatic Arthritis.

Gout.

Lupus.

[brokensoldier244th]

I don’t know, Buck. A friend of mine has their leg amputated below the knee due to an opportunistic infection and between the phantom limb and the prostheses pain sometimes she says the infection was better. Plus learning to ambulate again…

 

might help with the pain but there are some changes that you’d need to account for, too. 

[john999]

Buck

 

        Have you tried all the modern medications for the RA?  I have it in my knees and it hurts. At night I toss and turn due to pain in my knees.  VA has not been all that helpful.

[Sgt. Wilky]

Buck,

I too, have every one of those conditions. Some folks don't like them, but I'm on a wide range of medications including cosyntex (most insurance, and I highly doubt the VA, pay for these [it is for psoriatic arthritis and almost $8k per shot]), Enbrel (not currently on), sulfasalazine, methotrexate, hydroxacholorquine (not the fish tank cleaner), and others. I am not a current patient on VHA, and I don't know if you are. But these are just some of the medications I've been on for about 5 years. Granted, I'm 41 so there may be a little more long term benefit that I will experience. 

I don't envy you, but I would try to get on some of these or talk to your doctor about them. Also, I have tried altering my diet, that helps. Anything dairy and tomato based, can be highly inflammatory. Wheat products especially (although much harder to control the intake for me), and anything with sugar.

Semper Fi,

Sgt. Wilky

[broncovet]

I have arthritis, but I control it with diet, and take "very few", if any, meds for it, unless I have a major flare up.  

This is what helps my arthritis:

 1.  Exercise.  I do "seated exercises for seniors" which is a free utube exercise that most seniors can do.

2.  Drink plenty of water, and avoid most carbonated drinks.  I do drink herb tea's..green tea is one that has anti-inflamatory properties.  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/anti-inflammatory-tea

3.  Avoid most processed foods when possible.  I try to get foods "not in a box", but rather an apple, orange, banana, etc., in the produce aisle.  

4.  Polyphenols.  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/polyphenols#food-sources.  These are kind of like antioxidants, such as vitamin C, etc.  Is here how are you   Cook with "good" oils, such as:

Olive oil

Grape seed oil,

Avacodo oil.  

   Never eat foods with hydrogentated oil.  (Twinkies, and many processed foods and chips..read the label.) On the label they are called "trans fats".  

5.  Herbs, vitamin rich food choices, such as purple rice (aka "black rice".  Also, generally "colorful" foods such as sweet potatoes, Oranges, beets, etc. are rich in vitamins and minerals that help with inflammation.  

     I avoid sodium nitrate (found in cured meats such as pepperoni).  I go for the uncured (no sodium nitrate) varieties.  

[GBArmy]

Buck52 I have arthritis in my spine and hands. For several years the VA prescribed Diclofenac Sodium cream which helped take the edge off the pain. I recently got a new VA doc; seems to be on the ball. When they removed it from my re-order list I asked the new doc if he could add it back on. He said no, it is not a good choice for anyone with heart issues. So the lesson here is if a new condition shows up, it is important that you double check ALL your meds and see if there is any adverse medical reactions. They now provide lidocaine; not nearly as effective.

[Buck52]

Thanks Everyone.

I have tried all the pain meds there is  but not the expensive injection (8000,00$$

I know I have not been eating right since my wife passed  I eat just about anything   all the junk foods   fast foods, I been getting those healthy meals that you heat up in the mocrowave  I don't drink much coke/beer I may HAVE A Glass of whine ever now in then. 

It's more than likely the foods I been eating   I don't eat enough veggies,   mostly hamburgers & fries I don't get good home Cooked meals anymore unless my chruch has a event or something where the women all cook and bring it to the church  pot luck foods

I eat a lot of pasta  speagetti  in the can  with meat balls  ...and those bags you can throw in the microwave and it makes its on sauce alfrado noodles ect,,,ect,, for a good meal  easy to cook I cook bake patato ever now and then,   fried eggs becaon sausage for breakfast  or those ready made biscutts with beacon cheese and sauage  (Jimmt Dean)

So it maybe the foods I been eating   this artritis is killing me  in the mornings I can't move my right leg it just flat hurts to bad  there for a while I made myself get up but the pain has seem to incrase  way up there  feels like my leg is being torn off.

My Doc is going to do a MRI  THE X-RAYS  SHE COULDN'T TELL TO MUCH ABOUT, ITS WEIRED  THE PAIN IS COMING FROM THE BACK OF MY KNEE AND SIDE..NOT ON THE KNEE CAP ITSELF...  I think the Dr said she was checking for a craked bone  or any type of fracture   but cold pack does seem to ease up the pain and inflation some  after I get going in the day its not so bad  but in the evening is when it flars up the worst  and then bed I hurt so bad  no sleep I just toss turn trying to get rid of the pain or lay where theres no pain

I can't do the things at my church they ask me to do  although they know I have a leg/pain problem  they just ask someone else  until I get better , I walk with my right leg always strait I CAN'T BEND IT sit in the chairs with my right leg out in fron of me and getti ng up is hard  but I manage.

so I am going to try to eat the right foods as broncovet mention ido eat a lot od dairy products  milk choloate milk &sweet tea   ect,,ect,,, 

Thanks everyone this helps me   becuse I have no one else to ask...church folks but most of threm are fairly healthy  the ones my age that is &  the younger generation all look healthy.

I been going to Grief share classes at my church,  theres about 12 of us that have lost our wifes and husbands   so there widows and widower's

Don't think anyone has arthritis tho.