It's the middle of the night...

ouchpotato

...and I want to rip my leg off! I have so many pains that I am used to, but this particular one floors me every time. It's my entire right thigh, from my hip to my knee, and feels like my thigh bone is on fire. It's dragged me screaming in pain from sleep, and I swear to God if I had a hack saw I'd cut the whole flipping leg off. I think it is from my hip, but not sure. The rheumatologist suggested it might be neuropathy, and prescribed amitriptyline for it, but my gp recently doubled the dose...and here I am in agony with it for the first time in a few weeks!
Sorry everyone, but at 3.30 in the morning I have no one else to moan to while the pain meds kick in.
X

hileena111

Ouch
I'm so sorry you are suffering so much
During the night is the worse possible time isn't it

I cant say very much......just empathise. Its now 7.30am.....did you manage any sleep at all?
Love
Hileena

dreamdaisy

I was reading my Kindle at that time to distract me from my pain, it's a useful weapon in my arsenal of distraction methods. I know from experience that the more you focus on it the worse it becomes so take your thoughts elsewhere whilst waiting for the dullers to kick in: a good one is how would you spend £25,000, that's always fun! I hope things have eased now and you managed some sleep. DD

LignumVitae

I also read in the night to distract me from pain. I have my books on my phone so I can read without disturbing anybody and my phone is nearly always to hand because it is my alarm clock. Failing that, sometimes I get out of bed, make a cup of warm milk or similar - the movement helps to get everything shifted about (not necessarily better but sometimes a change is good enough) and then I sit in bed, drink it and don't lie down until I am ready to try sleeping again. Hope you dropped off again. I was distracted last night from my pain but two poorly toddlers, one of whom got jealous of the position of the other and so sat on my shoulder singing at 4.30 - my shoulder is very sore today and I'm deeply tired but at least she wasn't screaming!

stickywicket

I, too, hope you managed to sleep. You need to go back to the doc with it, ouch. It doesn't sound like arthritis to me as, although I've had both knees and hips replaced, the pain was always in the joints. My thighs and calfs only became involved if I'd tweaked muscles by walking badly.

theresak

I truly sympathise, as I have similar pain from the trochanteric bursitis and the PHN pain post - shingles. It always seems worse at night and I don't sleep well.

Our older son bought me one of those pillows with a wire attached that I can fit into my I pod, and listen to soothing music - preferably Andrea Bocelli or something classical. It's not loud enough to disturb hubby, and eventually I drift off.

Starburst

Nothing more lonely than middle of the night pain. Having eschewed relaxation techniques for many years, I finally succumbed. When I'm having bad nights like your one, I do a nice visualisation exercise where I'm on the most exotic holiday of my life. Of course, in this, I am perfectly healthy (and very slim), so it's my perfect little world. It sounds a bit odd but it does help. Neuropathy is a nasty little beast and I've heard that it can take some time for the amitrip. to fully work.

GraceB

Its awful when you lay there wide awake. I know that feeling only too well. I try reading, stagger to the bathroom - may as well whilst I am awake :roll: - and then a hot drink. I hope tonight is better for you. If I'm awake I'll check the forum to see if you are online.

GraceB

bubbadog

I think a lot of us at some point suffer with night pain. I'm lucky that we have a spare bedroom that I can shuffle into when things are bad with me, If I'm suffering with a flare up or not great like at the moment I'm evicted from the marital bed to the spare room which I have to share with Arnie Rugrat! You could say it's my room for the amount of time I have to use it!! There's a telly in there if needed but when I can't sleep I have my wonderful tool my Kindle Fire' it truly is a godsend I can read or play a game to help tire me out. I hope the pain eases and you can get a better nights rest tonight maybe this afternoon you could take a siesta to help.

ouchpotato

Hi everyone and thankyou for the kind words. It's so helpful being able to offload to people who know exactly how you feel. I was so tired yesterday, I was like a zombie. I really did feel ill with the after effects. I was prepared last night and took 2 pain killers before I went to bed, and left some at the side of the bed with water, but fortunately I didn't need them. I feel a lot better today for it, but am Christmas shopping now and know I will suffer later. It is not muscle pain in my thigh, it feels totally different...the rheumy dx it as neuropathy, and as it's already been dx my gp will not listen and will just send me away with more drugs. Anyway, hope you are all as well as can be. Thanks again xxxx

barbara12

Hello ouch..so sorry you have been suffering..like the others have said the night time is the worse..like you I keep extra meds at the side of the bed..hopefully you can get some help if it continues...but like you say sometime we dont no were to go...hope tonight is better for you..

dreamdaisy

It's a tricky one, isn't it? You have a diagnosis and I guess more meds is your GP's only option. Has anyone suggested a referral to a neurologist? DD

stickywicket

I was wondering that, too. If the pain is neurological it seems the obvious route though maybe the plan was to try amitrip first.

villier

Hi Ouch my sympathies to you if it is neurological pain you are having on top of OA not very nice. Amatrip is usually the first drug that docs will try if you feel it's not working for you there are plenty more meds they can try you on but I think your doc needs to refer you to a neurologist to see what is causing the pain, if you have a bath try some Epsom salts in the water and have a good soak it may or may not help I get a bit of relief in my hands and feet when I am in a flare, it may be worth a try. Let us know how you get on.........Marie x

ouchpotato

Hi everyone. It was the rheumatologist who said it was neuropathic pain in my thigh. I have several issues with my back (arthritis, spinal stenosis, ruptured disc) and she said on her report that it was 'probably coming from those issues' and recommended the pain clinic and prescribed amitriptyline. But that's it. It is the worst pain of all when it hits. Thankfully it is not all the time, but when it comes I am almost incoherent with pain and like you have all said it is so much more amplified in the night. If I had to deal with that on a daily basis I would most definitely be using a wheelchair because it makes me feel like I'm about to pass out. No way could I walk anywhere with it. The arthritis pain I can handle, take pain killers, heat spray, tens, hot water bottle...but nothing touches this other thing.
I have an apt at the pain clinic in January, so hopefully they will come up with something.

x

frogmella

I remember that pain very well. Sometimes you need to try different positions to help. I used to put a cushion under my knees. Or lie on my side with cushion between my knees. Or lie on my tummy with, you guessed it, a cushion under my ankles and a very hot pack on the bottom of my back. I learnt that last one from going to physio and lying on the couch in a similar way! I also would drug myself fairly heavily at bedtime so I could sleep to begin with at least. And if that wasn't working I would sometimes chuck in a glass of wine! I found that the sleep inducing effects of tramadol and wine were pretty good for me. And distracting with a book was good for me too. Mostly, though, I would take the tramadol in the day so that I would sleep in short bursts in the day. It did nothing for my pain though! It took me asking my GP for amitriptyline to get any relief. At least yours volunteered it! I found gabapentin worked better than ami but the sleepy effects of ami were a bonus. I often used a very hot pack almost as an alternative discomfort to distract from the nerve pain. It is the worst pain and no one understands if they haven't had it. Hope something works for you soon.