Anything that can help joint/muscle pain?

Morning all!

Does anyone have any tips on how to help joint/muscle pain?

I am in an active flare, have been for about a year now. New consultant has started me again on azathioprine, which has really settled my bowels, and has sorted nhs funding for humira, which I hope to be starting soon. I have also had surgery for rectovaginal and perianal fisultae twice in the past 6 months. I also have a bowel to bladder fistula (disgusting! has me leaking allsorts from all the wrong places, have had to wear a sanitary pad everyday for almost a year now!) we're hoping humira will help that, if not it will be more surgery.

Since coming off prednisolone completely about 2 months ago, the pains I have been having in my body are ridiculous. I cant pull myself out of the bath, getting off the couch or bed is a nightmare, and exercising is just about impossible. I suffer from erythma nodosum when I'm not on prednisolone, and while I do not have any nodules at this precise moment, I still have the pain.

My consultant wants to wait and see what happens when I start humira. I also have an appointment with a rheumatologist next month, but I know he will probably just say its crohns related and wait to see if humira fixes it.

Is there anything I can be doing in the meantime to help ease this pain? I'm only 27 yet feel like a 90 year old woman I cant do anything!!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi Aphrodite..
I'm way older than you are, but have a definite Crohn's diagnosis..
My intestinal CD is pretty unremarkable - officially diagnosed, officially in remission..
BUT.. Still get a variety of EIM's.. (Fortunately my eyes seem to follow my colon..)
My approach to grumbling joints is topical anti inflammatory gel (Voltaren, etc) plus/minus topical steroid cream (diprosone, etc).. Applied daily after my shower. (I am also prone to sensitive skin, so am cautious with anything new...)
Topical treatments have the advantage of minimal side effects.
Worth a try for a week or 2.. If it helps, great.. If not, then no great loss in stopping..



HD

Hi Ellie,

Thank you for your reply

Do you apply the gel to specific areas that hurt? I was considering trying a gel or cream, but I cant quite put my finger on where exactly hurts, if you see what I mean. I just know that everything is sore.

I have days where my wrists and ankles hurt the most, other days its my heels etc so I might try some gel for when I can pinpoint the pain.

Do you think exercise would help or make it worse?

Seem to be living on tramadol these days so anything is worth a try thank you. So glad you are in remission, hopefully it stays that way for you <3

cannabis oil makes all the difference in the world for my RA pain...

Ah cannabis! If it were legal here in UK I'd be tempted to try it. I'd try anything for some relief

I finally got to the point that I decided I'd rather break the law than be in misery...it really is an injustice that its illegal anywhere.