One wrong move

elsa56

I have had a really bad couple of weeks, of severe pain in the back of my head that I dont get much sleep because it hurts so much, my pillow feels like im laying on a brick but its a memory foam so it should be good. The neck , sholder jaw and ear are painful and have been for along time. My elbow joints,knees and hips are always painful and burning.
I am on no medication other than paracetomol and I use the ibrufen creams as I am no good with tablets as they make me feel sick and dont really have any effect. I struggled to wash my hair and after doing so my left arm and had swelled up and i couldnt move my neck.
Prior to this I turned round without moving my legs properly and then couldnt put pressure atall on my leg because it was too painful. I fell out of the bath and badly bruised my arm because my right leg gave way. That was 6 hours at the hospital to find out it was only badly bruised
I went to my GP and he has now decided to send me for a scan on my knee but I think its the hip but he said no your knee is whats giving way.
Sorry needed to have a good old moan, I just feel so alone.
I read peoples messages on here and see that medication for OA has been perscribed but my GP has never offered any.
Can anyone tell me if they have the burning sensation in their joints and what they have been diagnosed with pleas. Because I seem to be on a losing battle and getting more depressed by the day.

dreamdaisy

Hello, you poor thing you are having a rough ride at the moment aren't you? If you have OA then there is not a great deal to be done tablet-wise apart from pain relief and anti-inflammatories. If you have tried those but given up with them then there is no other option. How long were you taking the meds for? Some things can take up a while to build up in one's system before they start to make a palpable difference. I have OA in my knees and ankles and the pain is like a burning sensation, it's there all the time but I'm used to it now. I manage on four cocos a day, they don't reduce the pain in any way but they do dull its sharper edges. That's all that any pain relief does. Make sure you rest whenever you can, and try not to do things on auto-pilot, concentrate on every move. I gave up bathing years ago as I can't bend my knees sufficiently to get out - maybe give the baths a miss for a while until things settle down and talk to your GP about other meds options. I wish you well. DD

Soretoe2

Hello Elsa, I'm amazed that your gp hasn't prescribed you something more suitable for your pain.
Burning pain rather than aching pain usually means that nerves are affected by whatever problem you have. There are specific pain medications for this type of pain. To be honest they do have side effects that only you can decide whether you can put up with but you need to at least try some and see if they help you. They are usually Gabapentin/Lyrica or amitriptyline. Although there are others to try.
At the very least you should have co-codamols or codiene. Then there are anti-inflammatory meds, to be taken with stomach cover and not if you have had an ulcer at any time.
You really need to go back and ask for better pain control. Perhaps you doctor doesn't realise how much pain you are really in. Have you told him about your other joint pains and the burning sensation. Sometimes we give the impression that we are coping better than we really are.
You could always take a trusted friend/relative with you if you feel you need a bit of support.
As to the hip/knee pain, your doctor could be right as reffered pain is one of those odd things that happen. You may also need a blood test to see if you have Rhuematoid factor as you mentionpain in lots of different joints. This is only a possibility so please don't worry about my mentioning it.
Please go back to your doctor and let us know how you get on.

barbara12

Hi elsa56
The others have given you some good advice, I have been diagnosed with OA, but I do sometimes wonder if it right.
I have it in my hips one knee.. back , and now my hand has joined in, you can get referred pain from the hips in the knees, the only burning sensation I get is in my hands.
You can get referred pain in your knee that is from the hips.
I do hope you go back to your GP and get over to them how much pain you are in.
Wishing you well with everything x