Further adventures with Imuran

The intermittent, agonizing stomach cramps continue. I've now had 3 separate incidents. The cramps are not what I normally would think of when I think "stomach cramps," sort of a brief pain like you might have along with indigestion or other GI issues. This is more like a stomach charley horse, so bad it makes me double over, makes my back hurt, and makes it impossible to do anything at all, including sleep, and it is unrelenting, for 4 hours or more.

The last episode, I resorted to my prescription pain pills (Tramadol), which actually worked like a charm. About 20 minutes after taking the tramadol, I literally felt the cramp relax. I felt the release roll across my back from one side to the other; it was really rather strange.

I don't know if narcotics are really the way to go with this issue, but I'm glad to have something to fall back on until I'm able to consult my rheumy about it.

I can tell how well it's working, though. Last week's traumatic thunderstorms made my fingers look like bratwurst, they were so swollen, but that was the first significant problem I've had since going on the Imuran. And interestingly, they didn't hurt much. Stiff, kind of wonky feeling (the same kind of feeling I used to get in my bad knee that told me it wouldn't support my weight), and swollen, but not particularly painful.