Awake in the Night

[LavendarLady]

Hi everyone, not been on here for a couple of weeks or so as still having a lot of trouble with my shoulder. Have been lying awake at nights and seem to wake up at 1.10, 3 a.m. 6.20 a.m. and have difficulty getting back to sleep. Have tried sleeping propped up - not good. Just slide down the bed! And our bed is one that you can raise the head and foot. Shoulder is freezing up at night and extremely painful during the day. Seeing GP tomorrow afternoon so hoping he will at long last, give me a steroid injection as I am fed up with this.

Right Hand started this morning - very stiff and painful and swollen so think it is all part of the shoulder problems., And yet my ESR and CRP have not gone up. Living on Nurofen, diclofenac and Paracetemol. (which doesn't touch it at all although the Nurofen does ease it a bit.

Just cheered myself up by booking 12 days in Cyprus later in the year so at least will get some sunshine. Bitterly cold here again and another heavy frost last night with the temperature plunging. 6 inches of snow on Sunday when we woke up. Berry was hilarious - kept doing dummy runs at the back door and then chickening out from going outside - eventually plucked up courage, dashed out into the garden and dashed straight back in again!

Then got his courage up again and did go out and spent ages charging around the garden, eating the snow, throwing it into the air and generally behaving like a loon. Himself took him through the woods on Sunday afternoon and let him have a run - same thing - charging through the snow and thoroughly enjoying himself. Berry now can't wait to get out into it although we have had a bit of a thaw and there is now a lot of ice as well.

did sprinkle dishwasher salt on the path outside the door which has got rid of the snow and ice just outside the back door.

Tilly is much more sedate but loves the snow and couldn't wait to get out there although after her night time walk, she is very glad to get home again.

We have also booked 5 days in N. Ireland in the summer and hope to meet up with friends there and a week at Cowes in August for the sailing. So something nice to look forward to even with all the doom and gloom about.

Anyway, will stop now as shoulder hurting again and I need some lunch!

[allanah]

Woww, L.L.

Ditto, haven't been on site due to dreadful shoulder and saw GP last week who gave me oramorph but today saw consultant after lots of pleading and tears !!and got steroid injection into shoulder and amitryptaline he says will help the muscles relax and help me sleep. Wish I was going somewhere warm!!

Axx

[LavendarLady in reply to allanah]

Yes I cried all over the practice nurse yesterday who said I must insist on seeing the GP so he has booked me in.

Not like me to be weepy but this pain just gets you down.

Hope you will feel ok soon. Love LL x

[Gina_K in reply to LavendarLady]

Shoulder pain one of the worst types of pain, i think. You have my sympathy. Glad u have hols to look forward to. I am going to Portugal 22/2 forvaweek, then mayb Oxford in march.

Can't really type as had kenalog in wrist today.

Xx

[sylvi]

Afternoon ladies, glad your both back as well. My laptop is now out of hospital and has recovered nicely.

LL, i'm so sorry that you have not been very clever,i hope that the gp can help you tomorrow..We have had quite a bit of snow,i think its waiting for more. The forecast is for some more tomorrow night.

Allanah,nice to see you back as well, we all seem to be in the wars don't we. I will have to think of something to cheer us up. Give me a bit of time and i'll come up with something.

Love to you both,sylvi.xx

[LavendarLady in reply to sylvi]

Hi Sylvi, glad you are back on line. Will let you know how I get on with the GP - I will probably cry all over him and give him rheumatism!

But he is very kind (my usual GP doesn't like steroid injections and would be happy for me to be in agony to avoid them!).

Hope my news of a holiday in Cyprus in the sunshine has cheered you up as well. Love LL x

[sylvi]

I am pleased that you can get away, i have a friend whose son has a place out there and she goes out there each summer with him and his lady. I am going to cornwall in june, it will be a retirement holiday for hubby as he will be finished by then

sylvi.xx

[Hidden]

Hi hope you continue to improve.. what lovely holidays to look foreward too x

[Hidden]

Hi LL,

I had been wondering where you had disappeared to! I'm sorry to hear that your shoulder is still being so problematic

My dogs behave in a similarly loopy manner in the snow - they come back in from the garden with snow beards and moustaches!

Hope you get what you need tomorrow at the drs.

Cece x

[Hidden]

Hi LL, sorry came late to this post - too busy getting artwork uploaded online which always taxes my brain cells to their limit re sizing images, labelling, describing stuff etc.

I had shoulder pain last October and it was definitely the worst place I've had RA to date - very thankful it has never returned - lasted about a month for me I think and you have my wholehearted sympathy. Let me know how you get on at GP. Do you never take a stronger NSAID such as Naproxen that I've just started on? I had to ask for it and only knew about it from being on here but it's easier for me to take than Ibuprofen because I found the midday dose really difficult to remember and then I'd think "did I or didn't I?" and end up underdosing. Somehow one at night and one first thing is much easier for me. I would have thought Amitriptilyne and Naproxen might be more effective for your shoulder and help you sleep better when things are bad. They always feel worse if you haven't slept of course and when it's in your shoulder it's almost impossible to get comfy - the weight of the world is upon you or so it feels! Take care and good luck with GP today.

TTxx

[LavendarLady in reply to Hidden]

Hi Tilda. Have tried both Naproxen and Amitriptyline which the hospital put me onto to try and relax the muscles overnight. Neither suited me - the Amitrip had me behaving like a zombie all the next day even on the lowest dose possible and the Naproxen upset my stomach too much.

I am one of those who react very badly to things like sleeping pills, relaxants etc so tend to stay clear of them. Will see what the GP says this afternoon. Can't carry on like this. this shoulder has been bothering me on and off for months - it had a steroid injection last November which worked up to Xmas and then the really cold weather has triggered it off again. This time it has been over a month of constant pain which does get you down. thanks for your support.

LL x

[helixhelix]

You poor thing. I was wondering how you were getting on, so sad that you've been quiet because of pain rather than excess pleasure. I really do hope you get a steroid jab as sometimes it's the one thing to calm down the inflammation enough for other things to be able to kick in. But no hanging on to dog leads for a bit for you! You'll have to tell your dogs they need to behave perfectly to help you out.

And yes, cry & howl over the doctor - a little artistic licence can help from. Although it sounds as if no exagerration is needed at all. Really hope you get some relief soon. Polly

[LavendarLady]

Seen the physio this morning who has done some very gentle manipulation of the shoulder. She thinks the tear in the muscle has opened up again and all the surrounding muscles are swollen trying to cope. She has given me some very gentle exercises to do to try and get the surrounding muscles to take over the job of the damaged muscle. She also said she would see the GP to make sure he was going to do an injection this afternoon!

Now going to have a coffee, a cold pack, some Nurofen and a couple of Marie biscuits (allowed on Slimming world!). LL x

[Hidden]

Ah you are brave LL. I understand perfectly what you mean about drugs not agreeing with you. I've been on Naproxen for 2 days and am already suffering from sore gut despite all the stomach things - or perhaps it's the Omazeprole that is blocking me up not sure - either way I think I'll lay off again for a few days as GP advised.

I can take Amitriptyline but was so tired all day today despite sleeping well last night. I realise that various medicines make me very low too so like you I feel they are best avoided unless strictly necessary. I really do feel for you with the shoulder - wrists and hands are all aching tonight and knees are very stiff and that is nothing to shoulders I know having been there. Big extremely gentle hug wending it's way down to you with some nice relatively mild Orkney air - no snow or ice here for us isn't that such a strange turn about? TTx

[LavendarLady]

Hi everyone, saw the GP yesterday who wouldn't even shake hands as he said he knew how much pain I was in! Gave me a mega dose of local anaesthetic in the back of the shoulder and infiltrated the whole area - I could even feel it going through - very weird. Then he ran in the steroid and after a few minutes asked me to move my arm and let him know how it felt. Much better and more movement in the shoulder.

Today (Friday) had a really good night's sleep last night, as relatively free of pain for once. the injection site is painful and there is still the odd twinge. Doing the exercises the physio gave me which does help.

GP said physio had marched along to see him (she is a formidable lady but really lovely and kind) and told him how I had been in the morning having wept all over her and confirmed he would be doing the injection! Also got a bit weepy with the Doctor as well but he really understands as he suffers a lot of pain himself with his foot.

So will see how things go for the next few weeks - hopefully I will be able to function normally again. Also see the podiatrist next Thursday for my feet to be looked at. Physio was surprised I hadn't been referred earlier. It was the chiropodist who suggested I ask to be referred and I have waited since before Xmas for an appt.

More snow last night - 2/3 inches, just when we thought the lot which fell overnight Saturday was beginning to thaw. -10 degrees last night, and another minus tonight as well. It is bitterly cold. LavendarLady x

[Hidden]

Dearr Ll, So very glad you got that shoulder taken care of! Sounds like that should carry on for awihile.

I also need to see the Podiatrist. My foot remains the same, just puffy, pink and sore on top, at the base of the two toes next to the big toe.

But also, it has become very difficulat to use the clippers on my toenails, as my rt hand and wrist would prefer not to, and I will be having some major surgery on my rt wrist and thumb, so it will be some time before I can try to do that again.

We are getting a winter blast right now, wind chill at 5 below zero. Only should get 3-4 inches, but windy and drifting snow tomorrow. Have a nice, warm, quiet weekend. L.xx