Another refracture

[fraid]

Seems I have redone fracture( s) between my shoulder blades! Pain was getting worse then I coughed, sheer agony, now scared to move as pain is just too much. Managed the quickest shower in history but made it worse. Problem is I have a cold/ cough but daren't. 😱

Heat pad, extra Tramadol on top of fresh Fentanyl 12mcg patch, even tried icepack, ibuleve but can hardly dare move inc. my head, arms too much and even resting the pain is extreme. Having already refractured L4,5 months ago wonder if this will just keep happening? Had hoped once healed that would be it. 😢 Sick of all this pain! 😖

[Sleeplessinlife]

I empathise with you so much, if I feel a sneeze or cough coming, I try and grab a cushion to place over my abdomen. It really does reduce the pain, but cushions are not always close at hand. How do you find heat pads ? I'm using hot water bottles with varying degrees of help. I've weaned self off strong meds. But discomfort is so debilitating every day. I can walk upright for about 45 mins, then my back says..lie down! I'm a year on now. No change. 🫤

[fraid in reply to Sleeplessinlife]

Thanks for your response, sorry you have similar problem. I finally got rid of huge mucous plug, yuk, after stifling cough all day but oh the back agony! More Tramadol, ibuleve, icepax.Have fractured 6+ vertebrae but this is the worst longest pain of them all as coughing too. Finally settling down a bit, heat vest brill, covers back neck and top of shoulders, central heating for one and cheaper than heating whole house! Started ap. 4 years ago seems it's all happening again! 😱🙄 Hope you improve soon or at least get some respite now and again. 🤞

[Heleniumand]

Hi fraid, have 5 thoracic fractures and 1 lumber. I use either ibuprofen gel or Cura-Heat patches and find them both really helpful. The patches are particularly good as they last all day and evening. My worst pain is around the base of my shoulder blade close to my spine and they relieve it brilliantly. They work well on my lower back pain too. You wear them on a t shirt or vest but this isn’t practicable in warm weather so I switch to the ibuprofen gel then. When the pain is at it worst, I use these plus 2 paracetamol . Pregabalin affected my balance and I couldn’t walk in a straight line, they didn’t make me feel good either. Opioids had negative effects on me, so the methods I’m using suit me.

Amazon is the cheapest place to get the patches I’ve found. I order 6 boxes of 7 patches at a time. I still find 2 1/2 years on that I have to lie on my back for half an hour hour in the afternoon and it’s difficult to come to terms with the pain and the horrible change in body shape but there it is, it helps me to think back to how it was at first, trying not to scream when getting in or out of bed etc and how the level of pain has reduced since then

Hope you get lots of positive advice

[fraid in reply to Heleniumand]

Thanks, I use a heat vest which covers my whole back, neck and top of shoulders. Atm I've got an ice pak on worst bit, problem is it goes from spine all way along to end of rib on right. Resident Osteo puts ibuleve on but not here today and I can't reach it. 🙄All that helps is keeping very still once it settles into just spasms, though should move re DVT. I'm already on Fentanyl patches but had to take 5 Tramadol on top yest, worst agony so far, hope it lessens soon!😖

[Ketchican]

I am so very sorry to read your post and to learn of the very significant pain that you are experiencing. This wretched situation is just dreadful and I do hope that you will get some relief soon. Are you taking drugs for osteoporosis or just to try and relieve the dreadful pain?Re-fracturing is the nightmare that we live with and it takes over our lives in a truly horrific way. I so hope that you get some relief soon.

[fraid in reply to Ketchican]

Thanks. Refused AA and Prolia re side effects, just on AdcaD3,Fentanyl,Tramadol but this is worst pain ever and I've had a lot as if I even move my head, right arm it's agony. Just hope it lessens soon! Dying to cough clear chest from cold but daren't. What a state! 😱

[Ketchican in reply to fraid]

Thinking of you and hoping you will find some relief soon!

[Heleniumand in reply to Ketchican]

I hope so too 😊

[Southerngirl2787]

So sorry for your pain! I have 10+ fractures, thoracic thru lumbar. Coughing is the worst with fractures. Have you tried wrapping an ACE stretch bandage around you? Sounds odd, but I have a dozen of these things, as I can't use medical tape, so post surgery I use gauze pads held in place with ACE bandages. I found after one surgery that they helped the pain of fractures! Wrapped it really tight, and it holds it all in place, so when I'd sneeze or cough, it was contained. So I've used them for many of the fractures before kypho since you usually have to wait a few weeks to get on the schedule. If you can't get an ACE bandage, anything long enough to get around you, and pin it will do, keep it snug. I once used a winter wrap, it is silk, and can be folded and then wrapped.

[fraid in reply to Southerngirl2787]

Thanks but couldn't bear the pain of pressure plus have osteo tum so would end up under my chin! I'm not sexist but I bet if men got OP fractures they'd have it sorted by now! It's sickening how many of us suffer so much yet just have to bear it, no help from medics etc. 😖

[Southerngirl2787 in reply to fraid]

I'll add that mine are from T6-L3...and if you lie down on the bed, put the Ace bandage flat underneath you, then it's easier to put on and not cause pressure. I have even used a very long towel, wrapped it around me and it provided relief. I could not wear a bra for a year after they started fracturing. Yes, the thought of pressure hurting is real...but it actually does the opposite. Yes, I had to bind the girls with it too, but my girls are tiny creatures, and well used by two girls years ago...so they aren't a problem. I can see if you have big girls, that could be an issue. I know a few men who have had fractures, but I think we are the majority....I'm lucky to have a most gracious and caring neurosurgeon, who has repaired every one of them, and four of them 2 or more times. He also got me on Tymlos, and continues to research how in the world this can be fixed safely. I had a parathyroid tumor start this mess...and an error in my prescription of estradiol from 4mg to 1mg, didn't help either.

[MnMTwo]

I haven’t anything to add to what’s already been said , but just wanted to say how sorry I am that this is happening and hope the awful pain subsides soon x

[fraid in reply to MnMTwo]

Thanks, just hope it eases soon, am thinking of ordering a gun! 🤭

[Posy-White]

Sorry to read you news fraid, kind thoughts and a speedy recovery from the cough and cold so you can cope better with the longer recovery time these horrid fractures take.

Best Wishes Posy White x

[fraid]

Thanks,am going to brave a shower next, dreading it and the inevitable agony.😱

X will help plus lots Tramadol I hope! 🤞😬

[fraid in reply to fraid]

How long does healing take?🤔