So Much Pain

[Nanabrodie]

I was diagnosed with RA about four years ago and I’m still not sure what I’m feeling is just age related arthritis or RA, I also suffer with Fibromyalgia. At the moment my lower back keeps giving off terrible spasms that makes me cry out and brings me to tears, my pelvis is aching both sides and is so tender to touch, my mid low back is also tender to touch and feels really hard and my coccyx is so uncomfortable to sit on. To top it all off I keep getting the most excruciating pain internally from piles, well I guess that’s what it is because when I use suppositories it settles down. I’m not even at home at the moment I’m over 100 miles away supposed to be helping look after grandchildren during half term . I’ve managed to get an appointment with an osteopath tomorrow morning and fingers crossed he can ease my pain and help me get a bit mobile in one session. I am generally fit and walk quite a lot and would normally have no trouble playing with the children and picking up the baby so this is all very frustrating. My back and pelvis hasn’t been quite right for some time but nothing like this I think it was sitting in the car for over two hours just finished me off. I hope I haven’t bored you with this long post but am so fed up just needed to let of steam I just wished we could at least visit a GP and be examined but all they do is send you for physio before they even consider a scan or anything, it all takes so long!

[Wobbies]

Go and see a rheumatologist privately if you can afford it. I did and it was the best £250 I have ever spent. He then wrote to my GP asking for an NHS referral which my GP did. Had been fobbed off for years before that.

[vonniesims in reply to Wobbies]

Me too

[Nanabrodie in reply to Wobbies]

I do see a rheumatologist through the NHS, she says my bloods are all okay but did recently increase the MTX because of pains in my hands.

[Wobbies in reply to Nanabrodie]

Luckily my rheumy does not go by my bloods but on the basis of my description of my symptoms. If I were you i would nag my rheumy as you cannot be left in that much pain.

[Madmusiclover]

Try the NRAS helpline. I’m sure they will help you. X

[Nanabrodie in reply to Madmusiclover]

Thank you

[Blackberrywine]

Have you had your sacroiliac joints looked at? Inflammation there can cause awful pain in back and hips etc. I would insist on having a scan if I were you. It's not reasonable to leave someone in so much pain.

I'm sorry you are suffering.

[Nanabrodie in reply to Blackberrywine]

Yes the physio has said to me in the past the sacroiliac joints are a bit unstable so probably not helping

[Deeb1764]

Fibro pain is absolutely awful I suffer this with RA and few other friends. I have been given an MRI which I pushed for with my GP and now having to go to spinal trauma clinic and waiting for this to happen. Fibro just makes you hurt some days all over other days specific areas and on top Of this weather can really bring out the big guns and it’s hellish.

Then you throw on RA issues and you feel like your body is in meltdown mode.

Keep talking to your GP as well as your consultant as some consultants don’t touch the Fibromyalgia side of things they offer advice. I am on pregabalin and co codamol but even this some days does not help a huge amount apart from pregablin and sleep.

Pressure points is worth a look at my husband does this for me on bad days it does help reduce the pain.

Big hugs as I am having a bad week too and feel your desperation x

[oldtimer2]

I have found that the physio is much more help than the GP. Examined me carefully & explained her findings. She was able to refer me for a MRI (which the GP can't without a request from a spinal surgeon apparently in this area) and can refer me to an orthopaedic or radiologist specialist. But I did find that I needed to be a bit assertive initially to get more than a standard assessment and list of exercises.

[Happy5]

Poor you hate it when I'm in pain so debilitating. I suggest you get in touch with RA advice team sounds like you need to have a proper review.

Also through the GP get an referral for hip x-ray and checks, at times along with RA there can be osteo arthritis, causing pain.

All in all thing you should get everything properly reviewed , and discuss proper pain management.

All the best.

[Nanabrodie]

Thank you all for your responses. I managed to see the osteopath this morning and has loosened me up a bit and I feel a bit freer it’s still catching me and coccyx is still not happy but so much better. Fingers crossed it will carry on improving.

[weymouth321]

Diazepam 5 mgs , was the only medication to stop / relax the sciatica in my left hip last week