Today is the last day that I am allowed to take my arthritis meds. At the moment I am just on the anti-inflammatories, Voltaren (Diclofenac). I have been on these for over twenty years now. Throughout that period I have been prescribed other drugs in addition to, or to try instead. When I've tried other things, there hasn't been any great success and management has primarily been with the Voltaren and Prednisone. I don't recall everything that I was trialled on when I was a child as other things didn't last very long (I'll go through what I can remember another time).
Side Note: Over the last decade, I've never really needed anything other than the Voltaren. Disease modifying drugs aren't suitable for me, the pain comes from the damage that was caused in the early days and a slow degradation as the bone grinds on the bone and the associated inflammation caused by this. (My CRP and ESR are on the high limit of normal - which are one of the diagnostic tools used to indicate that it is still something alot more than that. In the old days - there was no such thing as single digits - I really should try to get a hold of my children's hospital records to document all of that). Though I have damage in other joints (fingers, ankles, knees, tmj and probably shoulders and elbows but they haven't been xray'd so I don't really know), none of the rest of them really give me too much difficulty. There are range limitations, though no pain.
Back on track: The reason that anti-inflammatories need to be stopped a week out is that they can act as a blood thinner and result in excessive bleeding (which is something that you definitely don't want during surgery.) I am allowed to take Panadol Osteo which is going to be *fun*. I've tried this before when I had a minor procedure last September, and it was only three days then and that really was enough for me. So it's not likely to be a fun week but it should see the end of needing meds to manage pain (well once the surgical pain heals).
Seven sleeps to go.
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