newbie here advice needed

tinso

hi i went to my doctors last week due to having a lot of pain in my knee and thigh and down the frount of my leg i have had the odd niggle with my leg over the years but it was ok after resting i have also lost 3 stone in weight due to doing ww and found this helped i now weigh 11 stone anyway the doctor says i have osteoarthritis and told me to take 2 paracetamol 3/4 times a day and use ibroprofean gel om my knee she did not actually give me a prescription i am in a lot of discomfort dispite doing what she says and also have pain in my groin i am getting very little sleep and feal very down and frustrated i am usually a very active person i do lots of walking and cycling and love gardening and walking my dogs .anyway my question is is this all a doctor can suggest are there not teasts to be done and pain managment advice should i go back and see a different doctor or is what i am being told correct sorry about the long post

freesia

Hi there, welcome to the forum...

Sorry to hear your GP 'seemed' so negative to you...

If you pay for your prescriptions, you will probably find the items she suggested are cheaper for you to 'buy' over the counter than to have on prescription....
Otherwise if you pre-pay for your prescriptions or don't pay then maybe have a telephone consultation to see if they would consider prescribing them for you...??

I obviously can't advise you what to do, but it were me, I would try what they suggested for maybe one to two month's - give it a chance and if I didn't see an improvement I would definately be going back to see what else they can suggest...

I went on for a couple of years before they took notice of what I was saying and the pain I was in, and then 'WHAM' grade 4 arthritis in both Knees...

so... Good Luck

dreamdaisy

Hello tinso, it's nice to meet you and you have come to the right place for support and information.

GPs are the ones to deal with osteo arthritis and yours has done exactly the right thing. There is no treatment for it as such apart from anti-inflammatories and pain relief, exercise is known to be beneficial as that helps to keep the muscles surrounding the joint fitter and thus better able to support said joint. Cycling and swinming are good non-weight bearing forms of exercise, walking is OK too as long as you wear good, supportive footwear which helps to cushion the impact of feet hitting the ground. Congratulations on losing all that weight and although it has had little impact on your pain levels it will be helping your joints in that further damage is less likely and that is a good thing. I have OA in my knees and ankles thanks to the damage caused by my other, auto-immune based arthritis, so I can empathise with the pain etc - it's far from pleasant!

Do you use a stick or any other form of walking aid? Ideally the stick should be held in the opposite hand to the affected joint and it can take a deal of strain off that joint (and the others) when walking. Your groin pain could be due to the way you are walking - we do tend to walk a little 'awkwardly' to try to reduce the hurt but this in turn throws other joints out of kilter, leading to further aches and pains.

Learning to adjust to pain is not easy, pain relief only dulls the sharper edges (no matter how strong its form) and you do get used to a 'background' of twinges and twanging. Distraction techniques are invaluable i.e. doing something to take one's mind off what you are feeling. You may find sleeping with a pillow between your legs a relief too - I am a side-sleeper and need that to cushion my joints. I also sit with my feet up, a cushion under my knees to support them. Right, I have to dash off now, I'll be back later. Take care and I wish you well. DD

barbara12

Hi tinso
And a warm welcome from me
I have OA in quite a few joints, its hard at first to get your GP to see how it is effecting your life, you do seem to be doing the right things, ibuprofen is very cheap to buy , so this would be the first route for your GP, there are stronger antiinflams but they are prescribed so you would have to pay alot more, assuming you do pay.
Then there are the stronger pain meds cocodamols, but you can buy the lower does ones from you chemist.
If you are managing the pain at the min then all well and good,
And I do wish you well with everything

Heather65

Hi Tinso,
welcome to the forum like you i am in the process of going backwards and forwards to the doctors with pain in my neck ,ive been given tablets (lots) ive had scans ,x-rays and a mri and still ive been told i have to manage with pain killers and physio ,it is very frustrating ,i also see a chiropractor who is a great help he was the one who took took my x-rays and told me i have arthur in my nedk ,
Im of the opinion that you have to keep badgering the doctor untill you get some help ,you can also see a different doc ,just keep pushing ,hope you get some results soon ,
Heather65

elnafinn

Hi Tinso

Welcome to the forum. Good for you for losing the weight.

Unfortunately you do not appear to be being taken seriously by your gp. There are painkillers that can be prescribed along with anti inflammatory and stomach protectors if needed depending on the type of anti inflam prescribed. You can be sent for xrays. You can be referred to an orthapaedic surgeon. You can be referred to a pain clinic. Not sleeping at night is not good and this should be addressed by your gp. Exercise is good so if you can still cycle, walk, swim, do regular stretching exercises, gardening, this all will help in the long run. I strongly am of the opinion that use it or lose it, is true.

If you find you are getting no joy from this gp please do find another one. There are good and not so good gps as goes for any profession.;)

Elna x

harleyquin

Hi I am also new here, and was immediately struck by your mention of groin pain (I have just sent this message to the wrong person, I got my newbies muddled up!!!)

After seeing my gp about pain in my knee which showed up as "wear and tear" on an xray I also started to suffer pain in my groin, it was really irritating i just couldn't get comfortable.
My gp told me that arthritis in my hips would also show up as groin pain so I had a further x ray on my pelvis which showed that she was right and I had mild osteo in my right hip and moderate in my left ..which was the one that was giving me most pain.
It would seem likely that your groin pain may turn out to be arthritis showing up in your hip now.

elnafinn

Yep, that was what I thought too regarding Tinso's groin pain, a possible hip problem. I am surprised Tinso has not been sent for any xrays.

Elna x

hileena111

Hi
Welcome to the forum
I have OA in my hips, lower back, neck and ankle.
I'm on paracetamol and naproxen {anti inflamm} and a stomach protector.
As far as the paracetamol go ....get yourself to B**ts and buy their vantage make.....not the one that just says B**ts on it they are much cheaper. If it doesnt clear up with regime after a month or so of takeing these and using the ointment prescribed.....I would talk to your GP again and ask can you have a referral to the hospital.
Saying that when I did that {I was on paracetamol andn nothing else} I got the referral, an x ray and he said you need 2 new hips :shock:
Love
hileena

tinso

thank you everybody for your help and understanding i havent actually been given any medication by my doctor she told me to take paracetamol and get some ibuprofen gel which only takes the tinge off the pain i went to the doctors tuesday i also brought a joint supplement while i was in the chemist and have also found heating up a wheat bag in the microwave helps i will go back this week and see another doctor to ask if i can be sent for an xray i am trying to eat all the right foods which i pretty much did anyway and have stopped the fizzy drinks this is a great forum and im glad i found you all x

bubbadog

Welcome to the forum tinso, you seem to be doing all the things right and have took on bored the others advice. I was going to say get a second opinion from another of the G.P's in the practice but you have made the appt already! Glad you're enjoying the forum you will get help, advice and while doing so have some fun and make good new friends! Welcome again!