In a lot of pain: Hi, I'm 27, from the UK and... - Pain Concern

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In a lot of pain

Ellipsis profile image
20 Replies

Hi, I'm 27, from the UK and not sure where else to turn. I've been to the Dr about being in pain, however he's said if Naproxen doesn't help, I'll likely need an injection straight into my shoulder.. which I don't really want..

For about a month now, I've been living on otc ibuprofen to help with my shoulder, back, hip and knee pains. During this time my shoulder was immensely painful, but I could still move it about (albeit slowly), however I felt a month of being in pain was long enough and went to my Doc who.. seemed to look concerned, moved my arm about and suggested I had frozen shoulder and suggested I try 2x500mg Naproxen per day for two weeks to see if it helped and also reckoned it should help with the other pain.

So far, almost a week in and my shoulder is stiff, I now find I cannot lift it at all, I have to slide my arm up walls or hook my hand on top of the wardrobe to get to my underarms (for washing and deodorising purposes..), driving is a real challenge, as is getting dressed and this morning I completely forgot to take my tablet, and I'm finding I've got pins and needles in my lower legs when I stand up and no matter how I sit (straight, leaning back a bit or leaning forward) I can't get comfortable - my right hip just hurts, like a painful ache..

I get the same sort of pain when sitting on the sofa in the evening, so I feel restless.. I woke up in the early hours trying to get comfy as no matter how I laid my lower back, hips and legs just felt uncomfortable..

Walking does kind of help, but then after standing up for even 10 minutes my back starts to hurt so I need to sit back down and so the hip pain starts up straight away.. I had a gallbladder removal last year so I'm not put off by pain, but this is ongoing..

Sorry for the long post

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Ellipsis
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20 Replies
EPOS07 profile image
EPOS07

Hi, i'm 62,i've had joint pain for 25 years plus [Osteoarthritis]in October 2015 i started getting terrible pain in both my shoulders [which i still have,but not as bad]I had injections in both shoulders & physiotherapy ,which i still am having,i take Naproxen,Co-codamol for the pain & Amitriptyline to help me sleep,i also have lower back pain & get some numbness in my feet,i was finally diagnosed with Axial spondyloarthropathy in Sept.2016.Hope this helps.

ednu16 profile image
ednu16

I'm sorry to hear that you are in so much pain. Things that have helped me include hydrotherapy, specialist pain physio, heat (hot water bottle etc) and regular exercise even if it's only 5mins on a bad day.

Things that made my pain worse was being sedentary, opioids and stress. I hope this helps to give you some things to try while you get GP to support you further etc.

Ellipsis profile image
Ellipsis

Thank you for the replies guys :) I've sponged paracetamol off a friend at work and this has thankfully helped with the pain, although I had a stupid and used my right arm to push off my desk to wheel across to hers. Immediate regret.. but it was nowhere near as bad as when I clicked my arm this morning when shutting the car door - almost cried...!

My friend at work suggested Fibro, but I daren't suggest it to the Doc in case he takes a defensive stance and blocks the idea.. :/

TaZMommy profile image
TaZMommy in reply to Ellipsis

Hi Ellipsis, I have fibromyalgia & in the am I take adderall for Tourette's & dystonia I take 2 pain 5/325 meds in am along with the adderall. Along with excedin migraine meds. After lunch I take other two pain pills & excedrin. I feel decent thru out day but by the time the pain meds & adderall start to wear off i can hardly move with out pain to turn in chair or to get up. This just recently started getting worse in the evening like flu aches almost, it is constant. I sure hope you can get some relief. I go back to my reumotologists end of the week & am Praying he will be able to help some. I sure hope you can & will find your answers sweetie.

TaZ mommie

Philip profile image
Philip

I'm sorry to hear your hurting, 🌹A rose to cheer you up and smile, I can't help thinking which have do you use to take your pills? Mum I've been wondering because it might be the iron tablets being to heavy, so maybe try to swap hands now and then,

Philip xx

Philip profile image
Philip

And the needle didn't half hurt, I almost fell on the floor when the guided needle started to go in, ouch, live for the pain.

Philip

RibvanRey profile image
RibvanRey

Elipsis I do appreciate that you are in pain and feel the need for something to help you manage your life. However I do worry about the amount of NSaids that you are taking. They come with warnings that they are not for regular/ longterm use.

I was prescribed these by an MO for some time. Eventually I had a major GI bleed with blood projecting itself from both ends. I was lucky that I was treated immediately.

You are being fobbed off. There are plenty of pain management meds between paracetamol and injections without his repeating your NSaids meds. Whether Naproxen or ibuprofen or a dozen other similar names, they are all NSaids.

Regards Rib

Rosepetal60 profile image
Rosepetal60

I have found taking the prescription Ibrobrufen strength with a meal or enough food to count as a meal and for no more than 6 months maximum ( pref 4 months) works well with the added benefit of a wheatie bag applied for a minimum of 3 times a day plus if possible private Acupuncture. You might be able to manage without the Acupuncture. I personally cannot take the Naproxin as it gives me stomach pain. Sometimes these ailments take longer to heal than you think.

Pacemaker_1 profile image
Pacemaker_1

get a second opinion from another physician

Greeny513 profile image
Greeny513

Hi....so sorry to hear your like this sounds very familiar though as a few years ago I was in the same pain with my right shoulder.thought nothing of it and went to see an occupational therapist and found it had carpol tunnel....I had the operation and was the best thing ever see your gp to send you to see one... Imy waiting to have my left arm done due to my shoulder being stiff 6 months ago. As for naproxen I don't recommend due to taking them for years I now have a very sensitive stomach. Good luck.

Ellipsis profile image
Ellipsis

I've read a lot of things about Naproxen and the leaflet that comes with it provides some insight as to how strong it is..

I already have IBS, so within a day on it I was having to be extra careful, I wasn't hungry so I only ate enough to take the tablets..

Last night, I took a naproxen with dinner, then an hour later took a couple paracetamol - I finally got to sleep quite nicely, but woke up again around 4:30ish as right lower leg (calf?) decided to cramp.

I've booked another appointment with my Doc next Friday (earliest I can get in to see him) so hoping I'll either get something that will actually help or he'll start looking into what could be causing me the problems :/

birdie90 profile image
birdie90

Hi Ellipsis, I'm 26 and have been having problems with joint pain for a few years now in my hands, wrists, knees, ankles, hips and lower back. Not shoulders though, that sounds really tough. Nobody has been able to give me any idea of what is wrong, and I have seen lots of people, so I also feel your frustration there. I have no experience with injections and it has never been suggested so I can't comment on that, but I have tried lots of different medications to try to find some that work. I was initially taking lots of paracetamol and ibuprofen and then was put on naproxen in the same way as you, alongside codydramol and omeprazole (to protect your stomach from the other stuff, I don't know if you'll have taken that too). I didn't have any particular problem with those, but didn't find that they helped much either in the long term. Since then I have tried lots of different things with my doctor (I am very lucky because she has been really supportive) to find a combination of things that work for me. I tried amytriptyline, gabapentin, pregablin, duloxetine and am now on a combination of tramadol, celecoxib and nortriptyline. Honestly, it wasn't a great experience as a lot of those gave me horrendous side effects and I was told that I needed to try each one for a decent period of time to see if the side effects tailed off at all. Although I'm still in pain I have now got a combination that does seem to help me function without making me pass out! I know that lots of people suggest trying not to rely on medication, and thinking about what it will have done to my insides by the time I reach the age of 30 fills me with terror, but I suppose for me it has been a case of managing or really not managing, and in the future I'd love to hope that maybe that could include fewer pills. I don't know if this is any help at all, but I suppose I'm saying there are lots of different pain killers with many more I see other people mentioning on here that I have never heard of, so naproxen vs injection are not the only options.

A long reply to your long post, apologies. Take care :)

Ellipsis profile image
Ellipsis in reply to birdie90

Thank you! I've been worrying so so much about the injection idea, but I'll have to lay it on the line to him and say "nah, I want something else.."

I guess two weeks isn't very long considering, but when the painkiller is said to be so strong it can cause problems, I'm reluctant to take them for too long anyway..

Today I've been in pain on and off, at lunch I took a couple paracetamol and hoped it'd die down but there was just constant achey pains in my hip going down my leg, making me fidget beyond belief. Then I sneezed and my shoulder felt like someone had tried to dislocate it - first time I've ever cried at work, and that was more through frustration than anything

I ended up having to take a 10 minute break to lie down in a quiet room to just rest my back and try some gentle stretching which has helped, but I'm dreading the pain's return tonight when I try to relax on the sofa.. :(

birdie90 profile image
birdie90 in reply to Ellipsis

Oh gosh, doesn't sound like a good day! Do you have supportive people at work? I hope your evening turned out better than you thought. Yes two weeks isn't forever but pain is scary, at least I think so. I'm stuck at a desk marking exam papers (I'm a teacher) and my back is yelling at me!

decima profile image
decima

If it is of any help. I had a frozen should many years ago. It was agonising and I too became unable to use it. I did have an injection into my shoulder at Addenbrookes - in my case not painful at all - it all depends on the skill of the person doing it. Relief was quick. However, I eventually had to have physiotherapy to move the shoulder - it took a fair while and was fairly painful. After that I religiously followed the exercises I was given. To date - about 10 years later - no trouble. Personally I would be brave and have an injection. I cannot comment on the rest of your troubles but you have my sympathy - being kept awake sometimes myself with various joint pains.

Matt8394Alien profile image
Matt8394Alien

Try not to be too worried about how strong a pain medicine may be. I have spent the past 5 years on Fentanyl, Lyrica and 30/500 Kapake and it has not affected my ability to work full time. Even got a degree on all those drugs. Your body gets use to it and you end up functioning normally.

Ellipsis profile image
Ellipsis

Barely any sleep, agonising aching in hip even when lying down, I ended up taking 2 paracetamol!

The only thing is I was hoping to just be able to work through it, but within half an hour of sitting down at work, I've had to take co-codamol and it's not helped shift the pain at all.. I just can't get comfortable..

I have ordered a TENS machine from Amazon so fingers crossed it arrives asap

Ellipsis profile image
Ellipsis

Update: It appears the agony in my hip may well be sciatica - the pain occurrs most when sitting, leg generally feels weak and lower leg keeps twinging and cramping and foot feels a bit numb (not total loss of feeling) with bouts of pins and needles every so often in my toes. Driving is absolute agony (I'm not even sure I should be driving). When walking, I can't put too much weight on the leg, so I limp - so everyone asks what I've been up to.

Last night I tried to sit down and watch some tv, but my hip hurt to the point I just couldn't physically sit, it just hurt too much, so I applied some deep heat to my butt cheek and propped my bad leg on a couple pillows. After half hour I drifted off to sleep. I woke at 3am, no pain until I tried to move to lie on my back. Then I couldn't get back to sleep, so I had to pop a couple paracetamol and half an hour later I was asleep again.

I've had to apply deep heat again this morning and trying to keep bolt upright in my chair. I just feel so tired, I only want to sleep and stop being in pain :(

Frozen shoulder and sciatica - what are the chances..?

Ellipsis profile image
Ellipsis

I don't know where else to turn, the pain in my butt cheek is awful, it's like a horrible throbbing ache, a pain similar then throbs in my lower leg. I find my right foot has lost enough feeling that I struggle to put my slippers on and any movement is similar to when your foot goes to sleep after sitting cross legged (if anyone else knows or remembers that sensation)

The last couple nights have been almost torture, with early hours of Saturday I even gave in and tried taking some morphine which was left over from my gallbladder removal (only 10ml). I had no pain for most of Saturday (it was amazing!) but my stomach seems to have taken umbridge (pain when hungry, feeling a bit sick - I have not been sick or passed any blood), so I've been trying to get by without any pain relief at all to help. And no I won't be trying morphine again anytime soon..

Tens machine arrived today and have been trying it out but so far my lower leg is still agony but I'm guessing it takes time?

MrsRobbinson profile image
MrsRobbinson

I know this is a bit of an older post but I just want to warn you..... you should only have 2 or 3 of those injections in that site, EVER.... any more than that and the tissue inside begins to liquefy😳 My Dr. and I agreed to several as we knew surgery was inevitable and he was helping me buy as much time as possible. Each injection lost effectiveness as they went on.... first one, felt ok for a few months ,second one a month, third one a month fourth one 3 weeks fifth one 3 weeks sixth one 2 weeks, (you get the idea ). After my surgery he let me watch the video of the scope and all the tissue inside was pure liquid.... ha said "See, that's what more that 2 or so does to you" so please just be careful with them.

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