Osteo arthritis

[dinger]

My husband has this in both of his knees. he has been in so much pain and ca't sleep with them he has had to go to the doctors tonight . The doctor has now given him patches he has got to put one on his shoulder tonight and keep it on for a week then put a new one on . has anyone else had these.

[sandybay]

What are they called Dinger ?

[dinger]

They are called BuTrans patches

[sandybay]

Is this the first time he's had medication for this problem ?
BuTrans seems an odd choice for first line treatment- its a heavy duty pain killer.

[dinger]

No he has had other forms of medication but none of them eased the pain . he is hoping he can sleep tonight.

[sandybay]

Hope they work for him Dinger.

I only asked because I used to work with medication prescribing in the NHS [budgets, checking patient data etc]. BuTrans comes in lower dosage than Durogesic or Fentanyl which are the same drug generic name buprenorphine.
Quite a lot of potential side effects etc. but if nothing else has worked then hopefully it will.

Make sure he's careful about driving - insurance companies can be difficult in paying claims if medication involved.

[dinger]

It does say Transdermal patch Buprenorphine on them. I feel concerned about him having them.

[sandybay]

His doctor wouldn't have prescribed them if he didn't think they were necessary, and you say other medications haven't worked so the doctor is working according to the guidelines by using it as a second line treatment.

There are issues of dependency/reliance/addiction but in the smaller doses that BuTrans comes in its much less of a problem.

If your husband's pain is making him miserable, sleepless and affecting his life then taking this medication may make things much better for him.
As with any drug though monitor any side effects and follow the instructions to the letter. Only use the stated dose [ and do not use a new patch early] unless directed by the doctor.

Don't worry Dinger - it is a very effective pain killer - fingers crossed that he finds relief x

[dragonfly]

My son has a lot of arthritis like pain so I will be interested to see how your hubby gets on with the patches Dinger.

[dinger]

Pleased to say he had a better night but did have a bit of a job getting off to begin with .
thank you for your advice sandbay and we will follow what you have said regarding side effects x

[sandybay]

So glad he had a better night Dinger.

I suffer with arthritis myself - mainly hands and hip - my right hand looks pretty gnarled and left forefinger starting to mishape.

I get aches but it's livable with so I don't take medication apart from Ibuprofen or paractamol.

What I do notice though is that certain things set off the pain;
white wine, tomato, potatoes seem to make the joints zing horribly.

Has your husband found any food connections?

[dinger]

Not that we have noticed Sandbay but then to be honest have never really thought to take notice on that aspect.Will do from now on as he does eat big heaps of potatoes.

[sandybay]

"This is fact, it’s been found by researchers that some patients suffering from arthritis can avoid symptoms altogether if they watch which foods tend to cause an increase in inflammation and suffering.

Many patients have been known to experience symptoms or osteoarthritis after consuming “nightshade” foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. When these people avoided such foods, their symptoms disappeared or lessened to a great degree.

Orange juice has also been mentioned repeatedly as a stimulant of osteoarthritis pain. When avoided, you may see a reduction in the symptoms of osteoarthritis. If you think certain foods are affecting your lifestyle in living with the disease, try an elimination diet where you single out one food at a time to decipher which cause more pain and which are neutral. If you can follow this prescribed diet for your osteoarthritis, you'll be much better off."

This is from www.glucosamine-osteoartritis.org/arthritis - you may find it useful.

It's better to try an tackle some of the underlying causes of illness rather than rely on medication with potential for serious side-effects isn't it.
Not easy though - it requires an awful lot of discipline. Something we humans are not that good at !

The problem with the NHS is that it is often quicker and easier for a doctor to prescribe a drug rather than keep up with research or ideas on dietary benefits. Maybe they think they'll be out of job if patients start determining or affecting their own treatment.
Having worked with doctors I saw an awful lot of closed minds. Sad really.

[dinger]

Thank you for the info Sandbay . I am pleased up to now he is doing much better on the patch . just praying no side effects crop up .