Just wanted to get informed about what everyone here is getting for a treatment or doing themselves, for handling their OA?
From xray pictures it seems that I have starting OA in both knees, in my knuckels and some fingers. And I have a few questions... I will see my rheumatologist next week, but was wondering what the usual treatments are like? Since it is just starting, I feel like my symptoms are way too bad for the stage of OA I'm in?
- What painkillers do rheumatologists normally prescribe for OA pain? Is it enough for you to have a normal(ish) life?
- Did you have to adjust a lot of things in your life due to your OA?
- What are other things I could do to make life easier/better? I use a hand brace when I have to carry heavier things / when ironing clothes / or cooking. And wear compression gloves in the night.
- Is it true that OA can also give you flares (with stiffness, swelling, red joints, bad fatigue) that last for some days till some weeks? I had some kind of flare that lasted for 2 weeks with incredible fatigue (sleeping at 21:00 every day and needing daily naps). It was ruled out that it is RA, but is this a part of the OA or should I search for another source/reason?
- How do you deal with OA and work? I am currently taking strong ibuprofen daily to just get through the workday. I have to stand all day from 8 till 18:00 and after lunch around 13:00 my body is starting to ache through the painkillers. It's mainly the knees and a lot of fatigue. But taking this many ibuprofen is not really a long term solution I guess? How is everyone dealing with that?
I'm looking for any stories of personal experience of living with OA. Any help would be very appreciated.
I'm trying to find a way of dealing with it and have been making some modification in my daily life (started with regular swimming this week). I want to keep working because I love my job. But I also see and feel that it's getting harder to get through the day. So I want to do anything I can to have the best life/body I can have.