As some are aware I've been plaged with back and stomach spasms for weeks...months. Last Rheumatologist visit she advised "I think it's your muscles". Brilliant! Rx was 1000 mg. Acetaminophen. Last trip to ER last week, doc gave me exercise sheets. This has become increasingly worse on the daily. Thursday while standing in my living room something in my back popped and down I went. Since then on the bed mostly. Bowels are not moving. Day 4. Cannot straighten out. Washroom is not far but try to get there with walker and chair. Went to different ER Friday. No further tests. No new scans . No bloods. If I can straighten my back it is 2 to 3 mins tops. Rheumatologist appt tomorrow. On Tylenol 3 for a couple of days. Cannot eat as stomach muscles are so tight. Pretty much incapacitated. My fear is rhemy will do nothing as usual and that's if I can even get there. Painkillers barely take the edge off this paon. During night pain going down right leg. Swollen disc perhaps? Pain is excruciating.
Bed Ridden but not PMR: As some are aware I've been... - PMRGCAuk
Bed Ridden but not PMR
I am so sorry. Really make sure they know how much pain you are in as we do try and be “braver” when talking to medics.
Sounds like you need a musculoskeletal specialist (more functional, nuts and bolts), not a rheumatologist (more inflammation/immune).
Oh Missus such a horrid time, so sorry. And a GI consult? I don't know anything about referred pain but I know the back is the back of the stomach, if you see what I mean.
I know it's nearly impossible to get a timely referral to a specialist these days, unless showing up at the ER and actually seeing the right sort of ER doctor. I happened to be "lucky" at my ER visit early in the pandemic when an orthopedic specialist was on hand to deal with my injured knee.
As you don't have a GP you'd be eligible to attend one of those travelling clinics, wouldn't you? Although I think you are now in need of immediate help.
If you think you're ready for 911, call them now. If not quite there yet, either you or someone who knows you well and the distress you're in should call 811, and failing help from there, the MLA's office and ask what you can do, because your condition appears to be moving beyond chronic to an acute and serious stage.
If your bowels are not moving - you need a doctor soon since you could have any one of a number of things. If it is a displaced disc - it can cause all sorts of problems.
Cada equina for one. But there is sensation in that area. No numbness. The stomach pain I believe is back muscles pulling tight like a boa constrictor wrapped around my torso. Plus sitting on loo is almost impossible to have a real go at it. Told all this to ER doc. She was hesitant to give me T3 as it does constipate. But I just started that yesterday. Going to try a laxative or maybe a magnesium tablet. If disc is out I did that last night when my walker got caught and I tried to lift it up and over. Can't wait much longer for bowels. I have been massaging them and feel a little stir there. Thanks Pro.
Also Pro. Could these myscle spasms have anything to do with too wiick a pred reduction? It seems they have increased the more I decrease. At 25 mg. having reduced from 60 to 55 to 50 etc. Back up to 40 to see if it would help, but only for 1 night and now at 25 from 35 to 30 to 25 over the last couple of weeks. Could this be PMR?
Have you tried suppositories? My daughter swears by them says they work on her within 10 minutes although instructions say longer. You can buy them over the counter.
This will be day 6 and I'm going to try suppositories. Thanks.
Will be interested to know if they work for you, not had to try them myself. YET😒
No. They didn't. Went to ER and they gave me 2 enemas which did not work. Sent me home. The enemas leaked all night. What a mess I was in because I can barely move my back and hips. They did nothing really. No scopes no scans of back.
So sorry nothings working for you, sounds truly horrendous. Hope you get sorted soon.
Oh Missus, how miserable for you, loads of hugs. Are there no support systems where you are? i can see that you wouldn't want to do the equivalent of 999, that that in itself isn't a medical emergency, though personally your whole condition seems to me a medical emergency and what on earth ER thought they weren't doing. That sentence got lost somewhere! Take care x
No. It's not emergent but I cannot get down my one flight of stairs so need chair lift. ER docs gloss over. I think it's because I've been there so often. I have no GP as there is a shortage here in Nova Scotia. This forum and my family are my support system and I am so grateful to all of you.
Thank goodness you've got family. i was actually thinking of something like Carelink and Age UK run a similar system, where you have a buzzer to press if you need help and it automatically dials the care centre, where you explain what's happened and they send someone round and get appropriate help.
I'm rarely constipated but muscle spasms in my back seem to be preventing movement of all kinds. 6 days is too much.
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