Advice needed please

angilee

Hi Everyone,
I would like to ask your advice on where to go from here please,I have arthritis in my hips due to bone growth on my femur that should not be there,I will eventually need new hips!!
I recently had a spell of severe back pain to the point where I could not move or get dressed,my dr said it was muscular.....I disagree!! I have pain and stiffness in my low back everyday and my low back makes a horrible painful crunching noise,
I am sick and tired of all this pain,I dont know what to do anymore,some mornings I cannot even bend at all and it is getting worse,
My Dr always seems to rush me out of the surgery as though I am just exagerating all of this.....I think I need to be seen by someone,would it be possible for someone to advise me where to go from here,my quality of life is just getting worse,and everything is starting to get too much for me.
Thank you
Angilee

daylily

Hello,
so sorry your Doc's not listening, seems to be a common thing with Doc's.

If I was you I would ask for a second opinion, you are entitled to one.
Or ask for a referral to a pain clinic.
Good luck and keep on at the Doctor.

frogmorton

Angilee

you ahve to get organised.

First of all l recommend you write down what is happening for a day or so maybe a week if you can survive that long? Everything....how stiff yo are in teh morning for how long, how much pain (out of ten - they like that!).

How much it affects your life what you CAN'T do and how much help you need and also how much it affects your sleep etc.

Anything else may be relevant such as how 'well' you feel - are you REALLY REALLY tired? do you have a higher than normal temp??

Then you make a double appt if you can to see the doc with support - family or good friend - it is harder for them to rush you if you are not alone. Also that person can back you up and say what they see.

What do you need - do you know? Up to date xrays? your back x-rayed? blood tests a referral to a consultant, physio or different medication to help you?

I do hope that helps

Doctors are not always that good with us lot....l think most stuff they deal with 'goes away' on it's own, but not ours eh?

Love

Toni xx

dreamdaisy

As usual frogmorton is spot on with her advice. It can be very difficult to get a healthy doctor to understand what living with arthritis is like - why would they get it? Healthy people don't have a clue about ill health, just because he is a doctor doesn't mean he will automatically grasp the problems and difficulties we face. Keep a diary, once your GP sees that he should have a much better understanding of what you are going through. Take someone with you as well, moral support is always useful! Let us know how you get on. DD

barbara12

Hi angilee
Hi have OA in my hips, I also have pain in my back, but my GP and consultant didnt want to know, has far as they were concerned they were treating my hips, and you have to battle to get them to listen .
With the good people on here giving me support and spurring me on, I went to my GP who is like your(showing you the door before you get in) anyway I asked to see someone about my back, his response you are seeing someone about your hips they are bone specialist, so I told him they are only interested in my hips, after a short time of pleading, he said ok, so to cut a long long story short I am having a MRI on Monday.
Sorry I am going on, but what I am trying to say, is dont give up, it is your pain , and you need it sorting.
I wish you good luck with it all, and dont forget we are always here for one another if you need some courage.
Love
Barbara x

chris7

Hi Angilee

Sorry you are not getting a fair hearing from your doc at the moment. I have the manky hips too and it took a fair amount of pestering and gentle shoves from the kind people on here to get physio and eventually a appointment with the ortho Consultant.

It may be out of character but you really do need to get a bit more help there. Referral to a back specialist too, maybe to see which is the greater problem and get some more effective pain relief. Do book a double appointment with your doc if you can find the courage and ask for these referrals if you haven't already. I hope things improve soon for you and you get some better pain relief. Keep in touch.
take care
Chris

lavenderlady

hi Angilee hope the scans ok, when my 3rd son was born in 89 he was so big and the birth was so fast he snapped my coccyx it has healed but not in the right place so I get pain from that a scan also showed i had spondelothesis when one vertabra slips out of alighnment and the two above and below close together so it cannot slip back in , this pain along with my OA in every joint is what causes me so much suffering I really feel for anyone with back pain its so critical in everyday life to have a good strong back, I've been to a pain clinic and he was amazed about how my spine looked when I lent over the bed he could see the damage my back is weak feeling and painful much of the time but after reading about others with DRs who are basically taking no notice of your problems, I really feel for you, my DRs pretty good and I feel so lucky for that, hope you get things sorted now michelle xx

angilee

Thank you very much for all your informative replies,it is very much appreciated.
I seem to have got into a bit of a mess with all of this....I know I have arthritis in my hips,but the pain in my low back is horrible,not sure if it is related or not....I also have knee arthritis,I have had this x rayed already and doc says mild arthritis in there.
I just hurt everywhere,or that is how it seems,and always tired... I am going to make an appointment and try to sort it all out.

Thank you again for all your help
Angilee

frogmorton

HI Angilee

Glad you checked back in with us

Yes be brave and see the doc again take support and have your list ask for a double appt saying you have several things to talk about.

We'll wait to see how you get on.

love

Toni xx

angilee

Hi Toni,

Thank you for your reply.........I have read lots of things that say a back x ray or mri is not given unless dr thinks it is something serious,I believe the crunching and grinding noise in my back is linked to arthritis...any thought on this?

Angilee

julie47

Hi angilee

You have been given great advice so I just want to say, I hope you make another app with a different dr and he gets you the help you need.

Take care
Juliepf x

hileena111

Hi Angilee,
I was seeing my gp who had me on paracetamol {althought I had been diagnosed with OA in hips and lower back} After a long time {years} I went to him ready for a fight and said paracetamol wasnt touching the pain and he referred me to an Orthopaedic surgeon who x rayed and said you need 2 new hips....nothing about my back.....had one replacement hip and an appointment for the 2nd one....when eventually 2 weeks before the 2nd one he sent me for another mRI now he has decided its referred pain from my back. so 2nd one has been cancelled and I was sent to a back specialist ...might as well have stayed at home....he said nothing I can do for you and referred me to physio, she saw me 3 times said its not working??? so I'm now having acupuncture on the NHS....Keeep fighting....stand firm and as the others have said, keep a diary with every little thing in it that affects you
Love
Hileena

dreamdaisy

I presume we are talking OA here, when you say arthritis (you haven't mentioned any meds that are used for inflammatory conditions). As it is affecting your hips and knees then your posture will alter as you try to compensate for painful joints - this could well put your back under stress and so the muscles protest, hence the discomfort. Do you use any walking aids?

I hope you have started keeping a diary, noting what makes things worse, what helps (heat or cold, what pain relief you take etc) so that when you next see someone they wil have a more accurate picture of what is happening and when. This can only give the doctor more and better information about your circumstances. I wish you well. DD