Pain—the Great Inhibitor

Pain—relentless and unpredictable—is an obvious obstacle to sexual enjoyment. Not only does it make certain positions difficult and/or impossible, pain also limits desire, sexual response and function. Equally inhibiting, though, is poor self-image. Few of us with RA remain physically unscathed. Many of us have visible deformities; some of us have surgical scars. In a country that bases an almost impossible standard of beauty on youth, health and strength, it is no wonder that many of us feel “sexless”.

So Why Bother?

Because sex is the life force! It is our greatest intimacy, that which links us to humanity; it is how we show our love and vulnerability to each other. Orgasm releases endorphins, reducing pain and stress, relieving fatigue and depression, making us feel alive and desirable. And making love with our partners is a way of reassuring each other, of letting him or her know that we still find them attractive. It’s joyful, rewarding and free. Sure, you could conceivably live without sex. You could live without laughter, too, but why would you want to?

“Lowered Expectations” v. Redefined Expectations

Recently, I came across an article on RA and sexuality in which the author suggested that if you have RA, you should “reduce your expectations”, sexually speaking. Although I’m sure the author meant well, I felt like screaming. Reduce our expectations? Why? Haven’t we reduced enough of our expectations? Granted, if your expectations are based on gratuitous media images in which trapeze acts, hurling each other into walls and being double-jointed in general seem to be the norm, then perhaps you might want to reduce your expectations. The rest of us, though, should be able to use a little creativity and redefine—rather than “reduce”—our expectations.

Redefining Our Sexuality

Physical Obstacles

Obviously, if you are in the midst of a five-alarm flare you should postpone lovemaking until your symptoms subside. On the other hand, it probably isn’t necessary to wait until you are pain-free before making love (for some of us, that would be a very long wait). In fact, sex—like exercise—may be just what you need to relieve moderate stiffness and pain. Here are a few ideas you can use to prepare your body for lovemaking:

* Try to limit extra activity
Postpone extra chores or errands for another day or delegate a few of them to your partner.

* Plan sex for the time of day you feel best…and time your medications accordingly.
Some of us feel stiffness in the mornings; others feel fatigue at night. You know better than anyone when your peak time is…and how to time your medication for maximum comfort.

* Trade spontaneity for anticipation
True, spontaneous sex might be harder to pull off. But don’t discount the fun of anticipation! (e.g. catching each other in the hallways and whispering, “Just two more hours until you-know-what!”)

* Take a warm bath or shower beforehand
Better yet, take one together!

* Warm up with range of motion exercises
Yoga, tai chi, qui gong, Pilates or any range of motion exercise recommended by your doctor or physical therapist will reduce stiffness and enhance enjoyment.

* Create a relaxed atmosphere
Put the kids to bed, turn on the answering machine, light some scented candles, and—if your medication allows you—have a glass of wine.

* Incorporate massage into your foreplay
Scented, flavored massage oil can be warmed and worked into stiff muscles. Therapeutic and erotic!

* Develop subtle signals for your partner
Use a light tap or tug to let your partner know if he or she is hurting you…by the same token, let them know when something feels good, as well.

Positions

It is possible that some positions will cause too much discomfort, but instead of seeing this as yet another limitation, treat this as an opportunity to add some spice to your love life! Buy a copy of the Kama Sutra or Alex Comfort’s Joy of Sex . Experiment with oral sex and marital aids. Arrange pillows to support sore joints.

My husband does most of the shopping, cleaning and care taking of our daughter. Some days is mom and dad and those are the ones I feel bad about but there isn’t a thing I can do to change it.

I have asked others these questions and they have answered more than likely the same way you will. If you take the basics in life for granted you will know what I mean.

Do you get up early just incase you need help getting out of bed or getting out of the shower? Do you plan everyday what you are doing depending on how one person feels? I do. Do you get disappointed because one family member cancels at the last moment because they don’t feel up to it? I know that my husband and daughter do.

In the last two years I have felt responsible for so much lost quality time with my family, broken promises to go places with my daughter and them being angry or upset because mom is sick again. Seven year-olds don’t understand all the time.

They lovingly say its ok most of the time, but I know that they are hurt because our plans are cancelled or they have to go without me.

I have missed some of the most important things in in my daughters’ life because of MS. Some examples are when my daughter had her first school trip her aunt went because I was too tired and couldn’t walk around and supervise 3 rambuncious 4 year-olds.

On her first day of Grade One I didn’t have the energy to take her to school so her daddy had too take the time off work and take her. There was her first Christmas recital in the primary choir, I couldn’t go because the weather was bad and my legs were really weak.

I couldn’t go to some of her activities or her daycamp in the summertime because the places they were held in weren’t accessible by wheelchair. Then there was also the fact that sometimes just getting up and doing my own daily things tired me out.

I know this is a disappointment to her a lot of times and it breaks my heart when I have to tell her again that mommy doesn’t feel well. Today I try to rest more when I have something I want to do with my family. My husband is better at telling now when I need to slow down or rest to. If we are going out of town I rest up for a few days and don’t plan a lot of visits at the same time.

Always before I use to been one to just pick up and go when I wanted to not thinking about consequences. That has all changed in the last five years. My multiple sclerosis has made me slow down. I try to plan things now so that I relax and enjoy myself and everyone around me does too.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis refers to more than 100 rheumatic diseases. Arthritis is characterized by joint inflammation, pain, heat in the affected area and reduced physical function.

The most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Osteoarthritis is caused by the “wear and tear” of joints and commonly affects the knees, hip and back. Approximately 20 million Americans have osteoarthritis, making it the most common form of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that typically affects people aged 25-50, and women two to three times more often than men.

What causes arthritis?

The causes of some types of arthritis are known, but the causes of most remain unknown. Researchers continue to investigate potential causes in the hopes of finding new treatments. Some types of arthritis, such as RA, seem to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Other types, like OA, may be caused by injury or gradual cartilage damage. Still others may be caused by infection.

How do I know if I have arthritis?

It’s estimated that over 40 million Americans have some form of arthritis, with the numbers expected to increase dramatically in the next 20 years. Different types of arthritis have different warning signs. Some of the more common symptoms include morning stiffness, heat around the affected joints, joint stiffness, swelling or pain.

Physicians diagnose arthritis based on history of symptoms, physical examination, and x-ray and other lab test results. Blood tests may be used to diagnose some forms of arthritis, such as RA. If you suspect that you may have arthritis, keeping a journal of your symptoms may help your physician look for patterns and aid in diagnosis.

How is arthritis treated?

Treatment of arthritis depends on the type of arthritis identified. Most medications available now are used to ease the symptoms of arthritis. There are also several drugs designed to slow disease progression or prevent further joint damage.

The most common drugs for relieving symptoms of artritis are analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Analgesics are used to relieve pain, while NSAIDs are used to limit swelling and joint inflammation. Some NSAIDs have harsh side effects on the stomach, and a new class of NSAIDs called cox-2 inhibitors, without the gastrointestinal side effects, has been developed.

Other treatments for arthritis may include heat or cold therapy, surgery, exercise and physical therapy.

Muscle relaxants are used for acute back pain to make you feel better by decreasing pain signals, muscle stress, and make you more mobile. They have been verified over and over to work better than placebos do. The main thing is to relieve pain; according to many doctors this is the first step that will basically make a patient’s condition better. However, one must still contend with side effects. The onset of these effects can be different, when it comes to frequency, and the intensity, considering various issues.

Antispasmodics, a form of pain medicine, are taken to lessen muscle spasms that are usually connected to ailments that result in back pain. These medicines are usually divided into two main groups: benzodiazepines or non-benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are mainly sedative drugs, which include anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, besides skeletal muscle relaxants. Another variant is medicine that affects the spinal cord, but it isn’t completely understood how.

Both medicines, Carisoprodol as well as metaxalone, have basic antispasmodic abilities and are somewhat sedative. This medication works by obstructing the brain and spinal cord’s interneuronal activity. As it is absorbed, Carisoprodol changes into an anti-anxiety substance called meprobamate, which is verified to help muscle spasms connected to anxiety attacks.

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Now, here’s the problem. Since bacteria are living creatures like us, and because there are zillions of them inside your body when you have an infection, when you take your prescription antibiotics, you begin to kill them off by the thousands. Thousands gone, zillions left. Like any other organism, bacteria have diverse genetic material. Not every offspring of every strep bacterium has the same genetics. They evolve, they mutate, they change. One in a bazillion will have some genetic mutation that protects that bacterium from death by penicillin.

Here you are, taking your antibiotics and you start to feel better and you quit taking the pills. Bad decision. Not all of the bacteria are dead yet and besides, one or two of them have figured out that this stuff can’t kill them. Now, most of the time your own defenses will kill those few super-bugs. Sometimes your infection will come back because you didn’t take all of your pills. Other times you will not feel sick but you will be going through your day sliming your friends, acquaintances, and co-workers with antibiotic resistant bacteria from your skin. Think about that the next time you shake hands with your new client.

We now have super bugs that are resistant to not one, not two, but a whole host of expensive products of the pharmaceutical industry. Now we can look forward to the day when we are elderly and debilitated and suffer a simple infection with a bacterium that causes pneumonia and THERE WILL BE NO ANTIBIOTIC TO FIGHT IT. The reason there will be no treatment will be because people did not take all of their antibiotics in years gone by, or they saved them and took them a year later, or they passed a partial prescription to a family member, and the resistant bugs reproduced themselves by the millions.

The point here is to ALWAYS take all of your prescription antibiotics even though you feel better. Do not save pills for another day. Do not give antibiotics to anyone else. And finally, never buy those “antibacterial” soaps and cleaning products. Bacteria are everywhere and they should be. A high school girl in California performed a Science Fair project a few years ago that proved that the use of such soaps and cleaning products produced antibiotic resistant bacteria in a very short time. All of us should be very frightened by her conclusions. Every home in America has been turned into a laboratory that is cranking out killer bacteria and lazy immune systems every day. Don’t add your body and your house to the growing list of killer bacteria factories.

In the 1800’s, pneumonia was called “the old man’s friend” because so many elderly people afflicted with other horribly debilitating and chronic diseases died mercifully of pneumonia instead of wasting away from cancer or suffering for years with the effects of a stroke or crippled with arthritis.

Antibiotics can now cure many infections from pneumonia to ulcers. Different classes of antibiotics kill infectious bacteria in different ways, but the results are that the bacteria die and you feel better. There are bacteria in and around us at all times (one bacterium, two bacteria). Species of bacteria are much more numerous than there are people on this planet. Not all of these species of bacteria are harmful or infectious. Over millions of years, people have learned to live with most bacteria and in fact, some bacteria are the “good guys” and help us digest food or fight off the “bad guys”. Our bodies have evolved wonderfully complex and effective ways of killing bacteria and most of the time our immune systems are quite happily killing off invasions of bacteria every day.

Antibiotics are needed to kill bacteria under only a few conditions: first, when a really bad kind of bacteria like the “flesh-eating” staphylococcus gets past our defenses and gets started growing in a wound, for example. This bacterium is hanging around all the time but we fight it off routinely. If it starts growing under your skin, you need antibiotics and you need them very quickly and in large doses. Secondly, when someone’s immune system is compromised or not working very well for some reason or another like disease or surgery, then a normally friendly bacterium can start growing like crazy and completely overwhelm the body’s ability to fight it off. In that case you also need the right kind of antibiotics and lots of them.

The most common reason for a prescription for antibiotics is an invasion of a garden variety everyday bacteria like streptococcus, the kind that causes strep throat in your ten year old. Strep is everywhere. We could never hope to rid the planet of these bacteria. Most of the time when it gets into the throat of your ten-year-old, her saliva kills it. But sometimes it gets going and doesn’t stop. When this happens, she needs a prescription for antibiotics; most commonly some sort of penicillin.

…see part 2 to continue

Cefdinir, an antibiotic, has been approved by the FDA in its generic form in an effort for the improvement and to remedy these infections that are resistant.

Teva Pharmaceuticals distributes and manufactures the generic form of Omnicef which is Cefdinir. Cefdinir is a partially synthetic drug that takes a two-pronged approach to battling bacterial infections. It prevents bacteria from replicating and it breaks down the protective walls surrounding the bacterial organisms. It belongs to the group of antibiotics called cephalosporin; Cefdinir currently offers adults and children a more affordable method of handling antibiotic resistant infections.

Cefdinir dosing additionally adds to the benefit of this FDA verified drug. Because the medication is administered orally, either in pill or suspension formula, kids and adults need only take one or two daily doses to treat their ear, nose and throat bacterial infections. It is common for 300 to 600 milligram prescriptions for adults, with children usually receiving 125 to 250 milligram doses.

Cefdinir has side effects, as do most FDA authorized medicines. For the most part, side effects include mild conditions such as headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Since Cefdinir might change the blood glucose levels, people with diabetes should make sure to watch their sugar usage when taking Cefdinir to battle a bacterial infection.

Although Cefdinir is not known to bring about complications in pregnancy, it should be prescribed with caution to pregnant women because we do not know if it will put the fetus at risk. In addition, people in kidney failure should not use Cefdinir to battle ear, nose and throat bacterial infections because the medication is excreted through the kidneys.

When afflicted with the flu, common cold or a viral sickness, Cefdinir should not be used because this FDA verified drug doesn’t work for viruses.

You may not be able to take Cefdinir if you have allergies to penicillin products such as Keflex and Ceclor.

Obtaining treatment as soon as possible is the key to ensuring a quick and satisfactory resolution to the problem, as is the case with any resistant bacterial infection. When infected with bacteria in the ear, nose or throat, ask your healthcare expert if you can use Cefdinir.

It is the most common infection in humans. By now you must be asking yourself how you can keep yourself from getting a UTI, the symptoms, and causes.

Urinary tract infections, also known as UTIs, can create the urge for people to frequently use the bathroom. The most typical kind of bacterial infection is a urinary tract infection, mostly occurring in females, and actually one out of two females will have a minimum of one infection in their life. It is rare for males and children to get a UTI; however, when it happens to them, the problems and outcome can be very bad. Pregnant females have a higher risk, and they must be watched very carefully for signs since being infected could cause bad problems for the mother as well as her infant, resulting in early delivery and low birth weight for the baby.

Why does a UTI happen and why does it happen so often? Generally a UTI is a urinary system infection, which includes the kidney, ureters, bladder as well as the urethra. Kidney stones, which can occlude the urinary tract, may cause the build up of toxins in the body and lead to an elevated risk of contracting a UTI. People who are immunocompromised due to a virus, diabetes, cancer or certain drugs have an increased chance of developing a UTI. Women who are sexually active face a higher probability of becoming infected, as well as men with an enlarged prostate.

What are the symptoms of a UTI? Many people have certain symptoms, but these problems are somewhat different based on if the bacteria is located in the bottom or top area of your urinary tract. You might wonder if you have a lower UTI if you feel any of the discomforting signs; it burns when you pee, you feel pressure like you have to go to the bathroom, but when you go only a little pee comes out, a lower belly ache, and maybe a slight fever. Characteristics of upper tract UTIs are worse and people who have this might have a fever with chills, vomiting, and backache.

Visit your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. If you look at your urine, it will look unclear and maybe smell bad. A midstream pee specimen should be taken and forwarded to the microbiology laboratory for proper diagnosis of the causative organism. Once the organism has been identified, antibiotic sensitivity assays should be run to ensure that the best antibiotic to kill that particular infection will be employed. If someone has an infection that is resistant to antibiotics, it is useless to prescribe them medicine to treat the infection.

Treatment depends two things – first of all using the right antibiotic for the entire course, and secondly, doing what you can to decrease UTIs in the future. You may buy Amoxicillin and nitrofuratoin are two typical antibiotics. If problems continue, another method may be required. It is basically not possible to avoid a UTI, but there are a few things that you can do to avoid or decrease becoming more infected, like drinking a minimum of 1,5L of water daily to wash away toxins and bacteria, plus empty your bladder completely when necessary instead of “holding it” for a later time. It is advised also that you regularly clean your genitals before you have sex as well as following sex. UTIs have to be taken care of promptly, since if they are not treated, it could damage the kidneys and poison the blood.

– Energize your sexual encounters. Check into a motel or hotel. Purchase new lingerie for your wife. Do not let sex become part of a routine.
– Turn sex into a less threatening experience. There is no point in obsessing over past erectile problems.
– Masturbation may be one way to ease your anxiety regarding your sexual performance.
– Marital or relationship problems are significant factors that cause sexual problems. You must find a non-accusatory way of verbalizing your emotions.
– Do some reading of relevant materials regarding sex. They have useful knowledge to share.
– Stress can have a major detrimental impact on your performance. Get a good night’s sleep and try to find time to relax each day.
– Communicate with each other so that you are each aware of what the other would like sexually.
– Having your sexual partner become more involved in love making may provide a solution to your sexual problems.
– Avoid alcoholic beverages prior to sex because alcohol can interfere with sexual function.
– Self-confidence is important in order to have successful sexual experiences.
– There is no reason to experience guilt over sexual problems. There is nothing wrong with you.
– It doesn’t make a difference how big or small a penis is. Creativity during sex is what brings satisfaction.
– Make use of sexual fantasies during sex to enhance the experience.
– Give Viagra a try. Viagra, citrate salt of sildenafil, is an effective treatment for several health conditions.
– Seeking professional advice can be really beneficial.

A debilitating condition afflicting 18% to 21% of the American population, migraine headache pain can have a negative impact on society. Negatively affecting job performance, day to day routines and familial and social relations, migraine sufferers are on a ceaseless journey to find relief and to stop migraines from ever happening.

Doctors use a wide range of prescription drugs such as serotonin agonists, vasoconstrictors, anti-depressants, calcium channel blockers and basic prescription narcotics, to treat migraines. However, there is not one known treatment to cure the massive amount of people who suffer from migraines. Consequently, migraine sufferers are trying these alternative medicine strategies in an attempt to both aid and prevent migraine headache pain.

Acupuncture: While acupuncture is not a mainstream treatment for migraine pain, many find that needles applied to key nerve sites does help relieve migraine pain and seems to reduce the number of migraine episodes.

Vitamins and Supplements: In a lot of scientific studies, the link between migraine pain and digestive well being has been examined. The fascinating thing is that evidence suggests that poor digestive health might lead to a rise in the occurrence of migraine pain. Consequently, migraine sufferers have started to improve dietary amounts and now add in magnesium and Riboflavin supplements along with the herb. A non-prescription medication called MigreLief has been developed by Akeso Health Sciences which uses this triple therapy method, and should be taken every day to help prevent migraine headaches. Also, the utilization of the herb, Feverfew, in prevention, has been shown to inhibit the role of platelets in the bloodstream, lower serotonin release and slow down swelling. This, by itself, might be an effective therapeutic method to help avoid migraine pain.

With a long reputation for relieving headache pain, the utilization of cool ice packs is a familiar method to get rid of migraine pain. The tried and true method of putting ice in a bag and wrapping it in a towel has become more modernized. Two items, Migracap and BeKool are available without a prescription and offer the cooling and helpful effect of the familiar ice pack treatment. BeKool is an easy to use gel-type pack that may be applied to the forehead or nape of the neck, but MigraCap provides greater effects. You can place any of the several colors of MigraCap on your head when you have a migraine. In addition to the black lining that blocks out light, the MigraCap includes strategically positioned cool gel packs to help cool and soothe the areas that are usually affected by migraine pain.

No matter how you decide to treat your migraines, don’t overlook alternative medicine. Prescription medications are offered by online pharmacies to treat migraine pain, but using over the counter remedies may help enhance the effects of these drugs and could possibly allow a person to stop taking prescription migraine medications completely. No matter which road you choose, the final outcome could stop pain and make everyday life better for a migraine sufferer.