My joints still hurt, especially this week with the cold weather in my hands. I have just learned to deal with the pain. I would start gagging at the sight of the methotrexate bottle when I did take it. I am at a 10 of pain today, but I would rather hurt then have the side effects of that medication ever again. It is a chemotherapy drug, my hair never did recover to what it was before that drug. I do have Vicodin to take when the fm pain gets really bad.

Popping, cracking, creaking... squelching (yes, squelching) joints are a definite thing here. My right shoulder has been like that since before my teens and I used to be able to pop my right hip in and out if I stood in a certain way... There's times my lower back makes a sensation and sound like two bricks or stones being tapped together and scraped along each other with each step...

My hips pop out of place all the time. I've even popped a kneecap all the way over to one side and had a few moments where I am sure a shoulder has popped. There isn't much I know to do about it. I love my heating pad other than that I lie flat and try to lift my hips to get them to pop back in. I make sure i don't miss my pain meds when i feel this. This was my first symptom of fibromyalgia.

I have very painful joints...hip, fingers, knees, ankles, etc. They don't pop, but they do hurt a lot. I take Lyrica and Tramadol. I am also prescribed Meloxicam by the Rheumatologist.

So how did you deal with it after you stopped the meds?