Woke up this morning with really bad pain in my right hip and struggled to move from room to room. I've had the odd problem with my hip in the past but nothing like this. Took my usual pain relief - paracetomol/tramadol combo, which did ease things a bit for most of the day, but pain has returned with a vengeance this evening and is even more debilitating - finding it difficult enough to handle the pain getting up off the sofa let alone walk. Parecetomol/tramadol has had little effect so have just taken naproxen, which I only take as a last resort due to a heart condition. I won't take more than one anti inflammatory so can anyone suggest something else to help ease the pain which is excruciating on times? Don't think I'm going to get much sleep tonight if the naproxen doesn't do much, even if it does I may need something to help after it's worn off.
Blinkin' 'eck..I can bearly walk!: Woke up this morning... - NRAS
Blinkin' 'eck..I can bearly walk!
Just had a eureka moment and put a hot water bottle on my hip..it seems to be helping a little or is that the naproxen starting to work. Other suggestions still appreciated?
Wishbone this sounds very much how I felt with my hip, I could be walking along quite happily then all of a sudden my hip would lock and I couldn't move , had it happen and was so embarrased a couple of times, once on the bus, got to my stop and couldn't get up off the seat, another time when we had gone to our bank and was speaking to one of the staff , again got stuck when I tried to get up, that persuaded me to get it checked out and I had to have a new hip, it was such a relief and once healed I returned to my normal self, so if that happens to you don't be scared to get it checked out. Good Luck.
No locking yet, so that can't be a bad thing I hope. Pain seems to travel down into my knee. Pleased that a hip replacement sorted things for you, just hope to god that I don't need one! Haven't mentioned my hip prob to rheumy but will do so next time I go, which should be some time next month.
Good luck , for next month, but if it does come to it, don't be worried it really isn't as nasty as you think.
Have you ever experienced bursitis pain Wishy? I have trochanteric bursitis which emanates from my hip down my outer thigh & down to my knee. It's eased with my OA pain relief.... BuTrans 20mcg/hr & amitriptyline 50mg a night. Heat helps with the duller, nagging pain I still have, I use an electric heat pad, but it's always worse in the mornings or if I've walked that bit too far, which isn't often at the mo as my feet are rubbish. Definitely mention it to your Rheumy next time.
Bursitis?..afraid you'll have to enlighten me on that one heelsy.
Just googled bursitis, getting lazy in my old age asking you. Could well be that I suppose.
If it's reacting to naproxen it's a possibility. I already take a COX-2 inhibitor & an increase wasn't an option, hence the pIan relief helping somewhat.
These two NHS choices links should explain better than me just now Wishy, not concentrating, amitriptyline has kicked in!
nhs.uk/Conditions/Bursitis/...
nhs.uk/Conditions/Bursitis/...
Thanks for that heelsy. I can't detect any swelling so maybe not bursitis, then again who knows. Will probably phone rheumy help line in morning if there's no improvement.
Nighty night
I've never had much swelling with it but I certainly had the pain. I think phoning your Rheumy would be the best plan. Hope it doesn't disturb your sleep tonight.
Think it might be best to phone my GP - see my reply to allanah. I was only speaking to him on the phone the other day..seems like I may have kidney stones added to my ever growing list of health issues. It never rains......
Will keep you informed regarding my hip thing
As you think best....he seems clued up on what you can & can't take so probably as you say the better option, particularly as your other conditions need to be taken into account. I do hope he can help in someway & yes, do let us know what he thinks. I'd mention though if it's still painful when you see your Rheumy if your GP thinks it comes under his remit.
Thanks heelsy
Sounds like you need better pain killers to get you to op time, why don't you chat with the gp tomorrow ?
Rheumy help line is open in the morning, do you think it better to phone them rather than my GP? Naproxen has kicked in and taken the edge off things, but I'm still in pain and struggling to walk. What type of pain relief do you think would help?
Well it is really really what you are most comfortable with. I always find my gp us the pain relief expert and if it doesn't work they will give me another one.
I have an array depending on type of pain. I take two (500 I think but dont quote me!) naproxen per day . And it's difficult to get a prescription from a hospital, easier from Go I think .
Then I take paracetamol as my Rheumy always swears it is the best ..... If u take it regularly.. It has an optimum amount that will help( as prescribed and don't go over the limit) which kicks in but if u don't take them regularly they don't work. Obviously take their advice as some folks can't take it!
He also gives me paracetamol with codeine for short periods as it is possible they can cause addiction though I haven't had that.
Then on the real bad days I have morphine slow release , I can tolerate 20 mg tablets as prescribed but he adjusted the dose to get me more comfy but not too drowsy. You need to stick to the prescription as there is a new law out tomorrow and if u are over the limit whilst driving you can be prosecuted.
I had amitryptalline too which a lot of people on here like but it have me extreme awful nightmares.
My favourite painkiller is Tramadol( zydol) but it's I believe only on prescription and some countries won't let you take it in and you can get drowsy on it!
So a little run down of what suited me, but of course they are individual and must not suit you eg I won't ever touch a Butrans patch , it made me ill !
But you it's chat to a expert eg GP to get the right drug and dose for your situation, good luck tomorrow and leg us know what advice you get.
Thanks for that allanah, plenty to consider there. Until recently I had more faith in rheumy than my GPs, but they finally appear to have become familiar with the complications regarding meds etc because of a variety of health conditions I have, so will probably phone GP in morning if there's no improvement. I still would have stuck with rheumy but what you said about it being akward getting a hospital prescription makes sense. I don't drive anyway so will be easier seeing my GP.
Will update tomorrow
I could not be without the Fentanyl patches for my hip pain at the present time .. what suits one doesn't suit another! I always find my hip freaks out when the temp really drops as it has today. Do you find it co-incides with this, Wishbone? Also if I have to sit on harder seating than I normally would and I have had to this past month . . despite taking a car seat riser/wedge with my it wasn't enough to stop the hardness of many seats coming through to my hip. I self massage the hip/top of leg and let a hot water bottle or heat pad get the blood flow back but when it goes rigid .. it is hard to get it back to somewhere half decent. Good luck. NK 
Thanks kitty, can't say I can relate my hip pain to temperature drop, but have only had the odd twinge previously so can't say for sure. Just hope i don't get this thing again to find out.
Let's hope not. Maybe you laid in an odd position in bed? Can happen .. if you don't realise you are locking or stretching round a joint.
I'm in dire straits now! Despite taking oramorph, I've got some left from a bout of sciatica I had 9 months ago, things have got worse. I haven't slept a wink because of the constant toothache type pain in my hip and knee. I can't lie down as it is too painful so have been sat up on sofa all night. I only have to move my leg a little and it's like someones twisting a knife in both places, hip is the worse though. Walking, if you can call it that, is is nigh on impossible. My wife helped me to go to the loo earlier but it was so difficult I was scared I was going to fall over taking her with me. The bathroom is upstairs so have had to improvise out the kitchen..dreading having to go again. I thought I was in trouble when I had a 3 month bout of sciatica, but at least the pain would ease from time to time so had some semblance of mobility back then, unlike this thing where the pain is just as bad but continuous. The sciatica was caused by a bulging disc, the pain is in different spots now but am wondering if this could be linked to my disc problem or can bursitis be this painful?? Can't wait to see GP but he'll have to come to my house as there's obviously no way I can vist the surgery. Oramorph helped with sciatica but isn't doing much for this.
Need to sign off now, will update once I've seen GP, which could take some time.
I hope you're seen quickly Wishy, it sounds as though you need attention pdq.
Sorry you are having so much pain. I had something similar and after an MRI scan I was told it was a disc in my lower back that was causing the problem and nothing to do with my hip at all! It was referred pain. I do hope your GP can prescribe something to help you. Take care.
Thanks Vandt, been speaking to out of hours nurse on phone and she suspects that I have a hip infection, which makes sense as I think I'm running a temp as well. She told me to phone GP ASAP and I must be seen within 2 hours. My wife is on the phone at the minute.
Really pleased that you are being seen quickly. The last thing you need is an infection.
Hi it really does sound like bursitis. I've just been diagnosed with it by my rheumy and am having steroid jabs on weds. I'm very worried if it doesn't work does anyone know what the alternatives are? The excruciating pain has really knocked me and my RA keeps flaring. I can barely walk and I'm getting v down. I work full time but am off work as I can barely move . Any advice would be much appreciated xxx
I've heard that bursitis can become infected, so may well be that then. Whatever it is it's extremely painful and is making it very difficult for me to treat another health condition. Feel for you Maud and sorry to hear that you are also having similar problems. Life can be real crappy for us on times.
Hi wishbone
I've had exactly as you are describing as an acute occur acne a few times in my RA history. I remember once not being able to get downstairs to an emergency rheumatology appointment and had to wait for pain killers to kick in and I got down on my bottom! First time oral steroids sorted me out second time a depo of steroids in my buttock was sufficient. It's excruciating isn't it. Rheumy should sort you out, they will probably do an X-ray to rule out anacular necrosis.
Let us know what they say
K x
Ohoh, anacular necrosis doesn't sound good! Not sure I want to know what that is so shall stick head firmly in sand regarding that.. typical alpha male aren't I! 
Thanks Kiki
Thanks Kiki. All the best Wishbone its rotten always being ill 😢
Hi so sorry to hear the pain you are in I was like that in my early stages and can remember how awful things were . I don't think people realise the pain until they have been there . I'm not sure if you are able to take these because of your heart condition but I was given voltarol suppositories these saved my life as I was so not mobile without them . I also took tramadol and diazapan but I actually believe it was the voltarol suppositories that helped . I did not take diazapan for long once I knew it was addictive and tramadol made me feel like death .please excuse my spellings. I sincerely hope you find some reprieve as I remeber what it was like I was left for approx 5 years like it in my late twenties. Wishing you all the best x
Hope you both got sorted a bit today, how's it going, thinking of you x
well how did you get on?
It sounds the same as I have had in the past, bursitis, as others have said.
I am waiting for another steroid injection in my left hip as the Bursitis is rumbling again.
What can I hope for?
skin flare up - drug side effects? Or just auto immune? 
Tapering off Naproxen 
New to this....
