anyone who can advise me please

wendylady

Been diagonesed with oesteoarthertis of spine..take alot of pain relive... prescribe from my gp.. but treatment isnt working.. its now in my knees and hip....i feel that my doctor isnt helping... i spoken to people who sees a rumatolgy surgeons and cosulants.. i havent got either any of those.. my gp keeps uping the meds... any adbise what i can do... i was advise to change my gp.. kindest regards wendylady

frogmorton

Hi Wendy

Well isnt this a familiar story

You have to be persisitent unfortunatley - and i think it helps to take someone with you when you got to the docs. They can speak for you and help stop you being fobbed off.

Have you seen a physio at all?

What pain meds have you tried?

Have you had any tests done?

Love

Toni xx

speedalong

Hi Wendy,

do you take anti-inflammatories too? As Toni says, have you had physio/hydro? If the meds aren't working you need to keep going back to the GP. Have you had x-rays? If you make enough fuss you should get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon (they tend to treat us with OA.)

Go well prepared to any GP appointments and as Toni says - it's a good idea to take someone with you if you can.

In the meantime have you tried heat/wheatie bags and/or ice packs?

Speedy

sharmaine

Hi Wendy

I would advise you change your GP or ask for X rays. Explain about your pain etc. Your GP should really refer you to a specialist especially if you feel you're getting worse.

Take care and let us know how you get on.

Sharmaine

wendylady wrote:

Been diagonesed with oesteoarthertis of spine..take alot of pain relive... prescribe from my gp.. but treatment isnt working.. its now in my knees and hip....i feel that my doctor isnt helping... i spoken to people who sees a rumatolgy surgeons and cosulants.. i havent got either any of those.. my gp keeps uping the meds... any adbise what i can do... i was advise to change my gp.. kindest regards wendylady

kay1971

Hi, I was in the same situation as you. after taking advice from people on here i requsted physio, xrays and better pain management from my doc but you have to be prepared to ask more than once. If necessary see another doctor if you can. I am now going to be referred to a rhumy doc but it has taken a couple of months for the docs to take me seriously and give me what i wanted.

Dont be down hearted tho cos as long as you are determined you will get there. Hope you are feeling better soon. xx

patriciamary

Hi wendylady. Welcome to the club. GP's who know very little about arthritis and just keep giving you pain killers and basically telling you to get on with it. Been in the same situation and after repeatedly demanding better treatment from the GP she decided I was depressed and needed anti-depressants. I wasnt depressed I was angry at her for keeping fobbing me off, and making me feel as if I was making it all up, as if it was all in my head. Changed to another practice and to be honest they are not much better but at least they dont make me feel like its all in my head.
Regards
Trisha

tillytop

Hi Wendylady and welcome.

Sorry you are struggling at the moment. As the other peeps say it does sound as if you need more help than you are getting, and it would be good if you could get some more specialist help, rather than being left to manage with inadequate pain relief. Have you asked your GP directly to refer you to a consultant and/or for physio? If the GP says he doesn't think this is appropriate you will be in a position to question him as to why not and at least it opens the dialogue for further discussion.

I have found over the years that the direct approach can work (sometimes) although I know it's not always easy.

Really good luck - and please do keep posting.

Love Tilly x

woodbon

HELLO,
I'm so sorry that you feel worse. I have something similar and its taken a while to get referred to the hospital. Go back and see your GP again and keep going until he agrees to refer you. Good Luck.
Love Sue

dorcas

Hi wendylady and welcome from me too.

You've had lots good advice already from the other peeps so I'll try not to repeat what has been said.

the only additional comment I would make is that quite often folks with OA don't get referred to a rheumatologist as they deal with the inflammatory and sero neg arthers and rheumatoid arther.
as speedy and others have said OA is treated with appropriate pain relief, hydrotherapy and physio.......and to orthopaedics for an opinion regarding other options....but all of that should only be after the docs have established the type of arther by having x rays and blood tests done!

(sorry I did repeat what others said! :oops: )

good luck with this and remember we are here to listen and support each other...so keep posting!

Irisx

ps. here's a link to the publications page on this website for info on OA that you might find helpful.

http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/Search/search_results_page_view?SearchableText=osteoarthritis

airwave

You will find there is a specialist nurse at hospital and she is freely available for advice by phone during day hours.

The last few words I had with my rheummy made me feel at rest with my condition. She said that we may never know what causes it, mine is hereditary, as long as its managed, its no big deal.

Curiously, it has no bearing on arther.

8) Its a grin, honest!

elnafinn

Hi Wendy

As Iris said, peeps diagnosed with oa do not generally get to see a rheumi. Meds are prescribed by the gp (painkillers and anti inflammatory meds) with referral to a physio, hydro,pain clinic, surgeon. You may well have to put the idea in your gps head for this help. GPs should send you off to get xrays done initially. OA of the spine will often start the knees and hips complaining. A lot of it is because we begin to walk incorrectly as a result of pain which causes other joints to jump on the bandwagon. Steroid injections can be helpful although not a permanent solution and you can be referred by your gp for these too. If you could get referred to a back specialist then you may well get an MRI done which shows up more detail than xrays.

Keep on, keeping on, to the medics or see another gp if you are getting no joy from the one you are currently with. Please do not let any gp tell you it is all in your head, because it most certainly is not.

I wish you well,

Elna x

wendylady

elnafinn wrote:

Hi Wendy

As Iris said, peeps diagnosed with oa do not generally get to see a rheumi. Meds are prescribed by the gp (painkillers and anti inflammatory meds) with referral to a physio, hydro,pain clinic, surgeon. You may well have to put the idea in your gps head for this help. GPs should send you off to get xrays done initially. OA of the spine will often start the knees and hips complaining. A lot of it is because we begin to walk incorrectly as a result of pain which causes other joints to jump on the bandwagon. Steroid injections can be helpful although not a permanent solution and you can be referred by your gp for these too. If you could get referred to a back specialist then you may well get an MRI done which shows up more detail than xrays.

Keep on, keeping on, to the medics or see another gp if you are getting no joy from the one you are currently with. Please do not let any gp tell you it is all in your head, because it most certainly is not.

I wish you well,

Elna x[thankyou to all that gave me advice to day from my topic... so lots of names to remember...a big thankyou from the bottom of my heart to all who advised me... i felt alll alone in this... now im positive im not the only one... everything what all you nice people have told me... has happened.. antidepressants, more pain killers, have had phsio... with a nurse once a fortnite at gp's surgery...lasted about 3 months...had a x-rays about 3 years ago... mr... whats his name.. saiud a walking stick... otherwise nothing more than that... so yes im thinkling a change of gp is in order ... kindest regards wendylady

elnafinn

Hi again, Wendy,

You are most certainly not alone with all this and now that you have found us, please call in as often as you like and share with us the good, not so good and utterly horrid days and we will help and support you as much as we can. Gps vary in their outlook on patients and their problems as much as the English weather varies, so hopefully you find a gp who is more sympathetic than the one you are with at present.

Chin up,

Luv
Elna x

speedalong

Hi Wendy, glad you feel less alone - the forum is always there!!

X-rays are one of those things that need doing at regular intervals -OA is progressive and the joints get progressively worse and need monitoring as this indicates when surgery is an option. These are best interpretated my an ortho - otherwise the GP just gets a general comment back from the hospital saying - OA in joints .... an ortho will compare new and old x rays and anaylse changes.

You can have more than one block of physio - you can be referred.

You did not say if you take anti-inflammatories - I could not have coped without mine.

Speedy

woodbon

I have OA in my spine and the first place I had pain was in the groin, I spent months waiting for my 'groin strain' (my diagnosis, I didn't think I needed the doc!). I was really shocked when the x-rays showed that my spine was causing the pain!

I have a good GP and after the x-rays, she waited a couple of months while I had physio and painkillers. When this did not work, she straight away sent me to a rheummy at the hospital.

I think that is the NICE guidline way of treating OA! :? OA is treated mainly by GPs in the community, according to them!

Hope you get things sorted out quickly. Do you have another doctor in the practice that you can see, who may be more sympathetic to you?
Love Sue

frogmorton

Hi wendy

I am so glad that you are feeling less alone.

I hope this support has helped you feel strong enough to battle on

Let us know how you get on.

LOve

Toni xx