CRPS how did this affect your life in the long term?

[Unsure48]

i have recently been told i may have crps and recieved a pain managment appointment and physio appointment..all this after a fractured ankle

[Bananas5]

Hello Unsure48

You don't say if the fracture to your ankle is recent or what type of surgery you have had. How long you have had the pain.

Physio after surgery is the first port of call and it isn't usual for a referral to the pain clinic at this stage,

Have you been prescribed any pain meds by your GP or been seen by your surgeon regarding the pronlem.

All too often people are referred to the pain clinic when other avenues should be explored first.

Pat x

[Unsure48 in reply to Bananas5]

hello paton, i fractured my Ankle 3/8/13, i havnt had surgery..but to put more light on my Fracture they mis diagnosed my fracture as a sprain at A & E.. so i was limping on the ankle for 3+ weeks..i went to my local gp every week in that time and eventualy sent back to A & E for another X-ray...to cut a long story short the consultant at the hospital refered me to physio and the pain clinic.

[Bananas5 in reply to Unsure48]

This is appalling. I broke my ankle over 3 years ago, badly, and had pins, lates and scres in it. The right one was sore too cos of soft tissue damage. After 18 moths I had a second op and now everything is fine. It can take months though for ankles to heal properly.

It sounds like someone is not looking after you properly and your GP should at least provde some pain relief.

The pain management clinic are very good and will give you exercises, tell you hoe to pace yourself amd a cocktail of pain relief. it can however take a long time to get the pain under control.

Tell them everything that has happened and it the appt is a way off go back to you GP and insist of something stronger than OTC meds.

No one should go through hat you have. Is it possible to put your feet up diring te day and rest?

Pat x

[Unsure48 in reply to Bananas5]

First of all i want to say i thank all for giving me advice...my fracture has healed i was put on Diclofenix but it made me ill my gp put me on that on the 27/8...took it for a week..so it was back to the paracetamols and ibuprofen..i recently stopped taking them because it just wasnt touching the problem so im hoping the pain management team will give me something to help..im at my wits end and feeling very low, i rest all day i find putting a cushion on the floor to rest my feet on is ok but i dont dare move i feel pain,aching, stabbing still but not as much as i do when i walk or stand

[Bananas5 in reply to Unsure48]

When is your appt at pain clinic?

We are all here to help each other and support . Don't be alone.

If your meds didn't suit then your GP should try something else.

Pat x

[Unsure48 in reply to Bananas5]

The 18th of this month and physio on the 14th..i will ring my gp tomorrow morning for an emergency consult..thank you Pat

[Bananas5 in reply to Unsure48]

Well done. We will get you through this.

I had my leg in a cast for 10 weeks with threats of losing my foot if I even thought about weight bearing. That was a deterant I can tell you. The accident happened back in Australia so I had to fly in a 'moon boot' due to possible swelling inside cast. It was Easter Sunday when I flew and gad to go straight to fracture clinic for new cast. D you know? it never hurt once. Sat with megs elevated all day and only moved to go to loo or bed. That is what you should have been told.

18th isn't too long to wait and physio sooner. Let me know how you get on with GP. Make a buisnce. Tell him Pat said""

Keep your pecker up.

Pat x

[Unsure48 in reply to Bananas5]

you were lucky pat...im thinking that if i wasnt mis diagnosed at the start of all this drama this might not be happening to me right now but i suppose there is no way of determining that..when i did eventualy get my cast on i had no choice but to rest it up...i`ll just have wait and see what they have say at pain clinic and i`ll keep you posted.

Thanks Pat

[Bananas5 in reply to Unsure48]

How did you get on at GP?

Pat x

[Hidden]

Hello BOB here

You have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and have fractured an ankle. Also they have arranged an appointment at a Pain Clinic and Physio is the latter appointment just for the ankle, ?

Did they pin the ankle

What sort of treatment are you suffering for your CPRS and what areas are effected. What sorts of medication have they prescribed?.

The ankle is one of the most complex parts of the body, when you think about it, this part carries half the weight of your body so in a way just an ankle will need quite a bit of attention as is not treated could cause stress and strain on other parts of the body

All the best

BOB

[Unsure48 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Bob, No meds were prescribed at this time ...but ive suffered with pain since my fracture and its just getting worse..i have swelling around my Ankle up the back of my leg and around my knee, my oposite ankle is also swollen and i suffer the same pain in that ankle ...i take over the counter meds but it doesnt help, i have my good days and bad days it just depends how long i stand or walk for.

[Hidden in reply to Unsure48]

Heforeello Unsure

Generally it can take six months too heal a broken ankle, although you may be back to some form of normality before that. Say 6 to 8 weeks.

The Physio will assist in returning all movement and strength to the ankle and instruct you on how to get it working once more.

All the best

BOB

[asborne in reply to Hidden]

Pleased you explained CRPS. Have had foot/ankle pain since January, never expected it to last this long.

[Unsure48]

I have to say that i knew when they took my cast off over a month ago that something wasnt right, im resigning myself to the fact that this is going to be my life from now on it scares me and im finding it hard to ajust, im a pretty logical human being and i know that people who break their limbs usualy recover within 6 to 8 weeks, this has been going on for 3 months and im tired, i dont sleep very well.and housework is impossible

The last time i visited the hospital to see the consultant i told him my Right foot/Akle was the same as my Left, my left leg is much colder than my right my toes are sensitive some times..every day isnt the same but pain is always there.

[welshnut]

I have had crps for 3 years since dropping a tv on my foot. When I was first diagnosed (about 8 weeks after the injury) I was told it could take several different paths, some people are only effected for a few months and then it disappears without reason, some people have flare ups and then it dies down and a few are left with the disease for life.

Pain management is vital as is physio and cbt. You really need to get on top of the pain so that you can continue to be active. If you stop using the effected limb it will wither and become useless. I have crps down the whole left hand side of my body and am almost completely confined to a wheel chair with increasing muscle wastage down that side . I try to do my physio daily and swim in warm water to keep muscle tone but it is a constant fight. I wish you good luck on your path and hope that your crps switches itself off within a short time.

nutty

[Unsure48]

hi welshnut

im sorry to hear about your pain...i cant seem to get on top of it the otc meds dont work im hoping pain management will help there ,im limited in movement because it causes pain bathing and showering is ok while im in but as soon as im out it flares up, The cold also makes it worse :(..i cant even stand at a sink and wash the pots, thats a 10 minute job, i worked long hours before this happened, i am a housekeeper, 10 hour shifts on my feet most of that time i dont see myself going back to work in the near future which frustrates me...im scared and im worried that i`ll have to go on benefits, which ive been researching and it seems i have to suffer for a year at least before even considering that option, i feel like im stuck between a rock and a hard place with nowhere to run.

[earthwitch]

I guess I'm a bit surprised that you haven't had an orthopaedic surgery follow up just to make sure that everything is actually healing properly. To my mind it would only be after you have been assessed as having normal healing that they would consider CRPS, but even then, if normal healing can take 6 months, again it seems premature to get that kind of diagnosis.

I think the physio is a really good idea as they will be able to assess whether it is looking as expected after this time, and if not, then I guess they can ask for further xrays or ultrasound and a review by the surgeon.

If it does look like becoming a long term condition, then do ask for an occupational therapy assessment - they can give you things like a perching stool to help take the weight off your feet in the kitchen, plus a whole lot of other aids.

[Unsure48 in reply to earthwitch]

im not up to date on procedures im just a person who walked in one day with an injury, they screwed up at A&E and i saw the fracture consultant from the 27/8 after i injured my Ankle on the 3/8....im not sure they know exactly whats going on but after i gave the consultant my symptoms on the last visit he said its CRPS and refered me to Physio and pain management, I will be asking all the necessary Questions on the 14th of this month...im in pain, i have swelling and other limbs are suffering thats all i know

Thank you for your advice Earthwitch

[welshnut]

CRPS is unique in it's diagnosis and can be diagnosed within the first few weeks, in fact if it is not diagnosed for 3 months it is more difficult to switch off. It is not a matter of ruling everything else out then diagnosing crps, it has characteristics which make it easily diagnosed.

I have an electric throw which I use to maintain a constant temperature in my left side, my meds include pregablin, oxycontin, aural morphine, tramadol, paracetamol, cyclazine and others .

Try to find materials your ankle likes and try to raise it when you are sitting. Hope this helps feel free to mail me if you need a chat.

nutty

[asborne]

Injured foot/ankle in January. No broken bone but very sensitive and painfull. Managed the pain with Tramadol 400mg still require 200mg to250mg daily. Recently inserts put in trainers. Unable to raise foot fully in upward movement which makes walking difficult, so have to use 3 wheel walker. Was very active prior to fall, now very restricted.