Claudication

[Pam6971]

So went to doctors a couple of months back as my legs were agony when walking, the pain was like the pain you get with cramp, got sent to hospital to rule out DVT (Deep vein thrombosis), tests done, was told I had claudication, hadn’t even heard of it, had angioplasty done few weeks ago, took an allergic reaction to the dye, another to add to the list lol, got appt for vascular surgery on 30th to get a stent put in my leg, seems to be never ending, stent in my head last year, leg this year, still waiting for nerve tests on my arms and results from latest MRI on my neck, would love a full nights sleep with no pain

[Hidden]

Hi

I really feel for you. I too have pain 24/7

cos of my many conditions. I get one hour or less per night. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Pam6971 in reply to Hidden]

Hope you get some relief soon xx

[Hidden in reply to Pam6971]

Thank you. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Macblank]

Welcome to the 24/7 pain club. My membership has been for over 20 years, and at least 30 since the first major injury started it all.

Are you diabetic? As claudication is usually associated with it. It's when we walk, we don't get enough good oxygenated blood to our leg muscles as we walk... So what I've read says. I've had it years on top of the bilateral sciatica.

If you haven't already, I suggest you get a ROLLATOR. there are some nice ones about. I've.found since using mine, I can actually stay out longer, and without "quite so.much" pain. Having the rollator, means you can sit n rest whenever you want/need to.

Like most I'm on a night pill that's meant to help "relax" the muscles... Ask your Dr about amitriptyline and it's various guises (all come with unpleasant side effects, mainly a sort of hungover feeling in the morning with a random n perm dry mouth (just keep sugar free sweets to hand)) but lots swear by them, and on the right side can help with sleep???

As for a decent.nights sleep, you'll get the odd night (or the pill might really help???).

On top of my long list of conditions, I have acute sleep apnea (so even a decent sleep is ruined! lol) which prevents ever getting a perfect night.

Anyways, good luck, and don't forget to ask Dr about amitriptyline and it's various forms.

[Pam6971 in reply to Macblank]

I’ve had majority of tablets the past 8 years from doctors, amitriptyline done nothing for me, I’ve had cervical spondylosis since 2011 so tried everything, at the moment I’m on zomorph & sevredol, if I’m not taking painkillers I sleep good, even sleeping tablets don’t work on me lol, I’m awake every 2-3 hours, at most I sleep 4 hours straight but not very often, my doctors hate when I visit as I’ve tried about everything, hopefully once stents in my leg that helps with the claudication x

[Macblank in reply to Pam6971]

2-3 hrs. Man you're lucky. I wake every 20-45 minutes, and if I'm lucky might get the odd night where I'll sleep for 2-3hrs straight.

Amitriptyline can be taken at high doses, as I used to be on 100mg every night. Then I went on to NORTRIPTYLINE and for a while I was getting at least one 2hr sleep a night, now I'm on mirtazipine, which after a few months has helped, and I get a couple 1-2 HR sleeps in a night.

I'm on 60mg zoromorph, and 15mg severadol as needed (but always one at night with my mirtazipine around 2hrs before wanting to go to bed... I sleep in a recliner as it's too painful now for bed sleeping). I was on oramorph, but swapped it for sev as wasn't liking the headrush n dopey feeling (some may say... No difference!).

Never heard of a stent for claudication... That's not a UK thing is it?

[Pam6971 in reply to Macblank]

I’m in uk so must be lol, I’ve had the mirtazapine too, anything that’s supposed to help you sleep just doesn’t work on me, the joys of getting older I guess, life begins at 40 and health gets worse lol

[Hidden]

I there, sorry to hear that you are in pain 24-7 nothing worse than chronic pain , I hope you get the results back quickly from the scan as you have had spondylosis for a while , I have cervical myelopathy a upgrade on what you have and it is not nice here is hoping you can get sorted. Clive x

[Reykua]

Oh no. I completely understand what you're going through.

Thank you so much. This post has really resonated with me.

I've been experiencing this particular claudication problem since 2010. My daughter and I refer to it as 'Pick and Drop'.

Basically, it refers to the intermittent muscle weakness in my legs which have caused me to lose muscle tone on occasion, notably, once when crossing a busy road and twice down flights of stairs - often resulting in injury and ongoing fear.

As a consequence of this and unsteady gait, I was forced to start using a crutches and on a good day, a walking stick.

Despite finally getting an MRI after three years of complaining and much of it being put down to neuralgia from T2 and fibromyalgia???? It was discovered that I had congenital Spinal Stenosis with wear and tear induced Osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, my health professionals have not been able to stop it completely and although things have improved somewhat, I still experience this Pick and Drop - Severe pain spasm and contraction of muscles for a few seconds, then a complete Release, like someone has let go and immediate loss of muscle tone in my legs!

I wish you all the best going forward. The human body is such a strange and wonderful thing.

Please do let us know how you go as it will definitely assist those of us who are equally confused by what's happening to us and a little fed up with being experimented on or worse still, fobbed off.

Thank you again.

[Pam6971 in reply to Reykua]

I hope you get relief soon xx

[Hidden]

Hi

I really feel for you. I too have pain 24 /7 due to my many conditions. I get an hour or less sleep per night due to pain. This has been going on for quite a while, now. Love and hugs Lynne xxxx

[Pam6971]

Thanks Lynne, I’ve moaned at doctors since last year about my legs being sore, so I’m hoping once the stents in the pain goes, I even bought a weighted blanket to see if that would help, it didn’t lol, it’s horrible not sleeping, how nice would it be to go to bed and sleep a whole night, hope you get some relief soon xx