Are you on a pain medication? Doesn't look like I see one in your signature.
I will share that pain has been a steady component of my disease from the very beginning... almost a constant, so not really a reflection of the progression. It was as bad 15 years ago as it is now.
I cannot tolerate a very high dose of morphine, but a low-dose is the difference between being able to mentally cope vs. not. I worked in a demanding career for over ten years while being on a low dose of extended release morphine. I was not mentally impaired at this dose.
With any opioid, there will be a trade off between pain relief and energy level, especially as the dose increases, so there is no way around that.
I'd like to think that you can find a doctor who would be willing to explore some pain meds with you to see if you can find something that helps. I don't remember if you've said you've tried any, and what the results were. I know there is widespread paranoia about them now, but the truth is that many people simply need them.
Just something to think about- there really are only a few ways to hit this disease- the DMARDs, the anti-inflamatories, steroids, pain medications, muscle relaxers, and then after that, antidepressants/ anti-anxiety meds can have some benefit to overall pain perception and coping.
