So tired of hurting!

randomgeeza

It's been over eight months of constant hip and leg pain.

I have been diagnosed with OA in my left hip, as a result of a surgery I had when I was 14. I am now 48.

I have been living off pain relief since this flared in April of 2020. I have yet to see a NHS GP in person regarding this. Every evaluation has been phone based. And the only way I acquired a DX was through a private consult and testing. Thank goodness I am lucky enough to have private medical insurance.

However, having been locked away since Feb 2020, due to Covid and my extremely vulnerable status (I have other non related issues), I am fast tiring of it all. The pain relief is giving me daily headaches. I have very disturbed sleep. I hobble around moaning and groaning with most movement. My weight is increasing. There appears no end in sight and all I get from the NHS is a lecture on not using narcotic medication regularly. And I am at the end of their prescribing limits. They even refused me 30mg Codeine tablets the other week. I had to ring them back up and explain myself?

Jesus, what alternative is there right now. I'd love to get out, go running, gym, anything. But they are not safe choices or even achievable goals with my current physical limits.

I am totally lost at the moment, and reaching out to people for some help, advice and support.

Thanks in advance.

Anna

Hello @randomgeeza and welcome to the online community,

I am sure many of our members can relate to and empathise with your feelings of being lost during this strange and difficult year. With the pain and unwanted side effects of the medication you are taking for OA in your hip, I can appreciate why you feel that there is no end in sight.

All I can say to reassure you is that this will pass. It’s taking longer than we imagined, but we are making progress and as the days grow longer, our lives will slowly go back to normal.

But pain is not something you should be bearing without support from your GP. If you can’t see them in person because of your vulnerable status, they should at least listen and respond when you speak on the phone. There are a variety of medications you can perhaps try, or you could be referred to a pain management group.

Other members may have further words of support, but meanwhile you might like to have a look at the Versus Arthritis webpage on osteoarthritis. It gives some helpful suggestions for self managing your pain, including gentle stretches that keep you mobile and flexible and can help relieve your pain:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-oa-of-the-hip/

All the best, do keep in touch and let us know how you’re getting on.

Anna : )

Ellen

I have to agree with @Anna here @randomgeeza (love the name!)

You should maybe consider asking to be referred to physio or a pain clinic in spite of the virus this can still happen. In some areas you can self refer to physio.

As Anna says there are other medications available which might help alongside or instead of those which are giving you a bad head.

Best wishes

Ellen

Mike1

You need to SEE your GP and also get a referral to your local Pain Clinic. GPs HAVE to see patients where necessary and here are the GP's own guidelines from the GPonline website:

The latest standard operating procedure dated 21 December 2020 advises:

• Practices should restore activity to usual levels where clinically appropriate, and reach out proactively to clinically vulnerable patients and those whose care may have been delayed
• Practices should be open for the delivery of face to face care, whilst triaging patients remotely in advance wherever possible.
• An online consultation system is in place to support total triage.
• Remote consultations should be used when appropriate, making reasonable adjustments for specific groups when necessary.
• Video consultation capability should be available and offered to patients when appropriate.
• Patients should have clear information about the new ways of working and how to access GP services; this information should be made available in accessible formats to all patients,
• Practices should work together to safely separate patients with COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19 from the wider population. Staff should be allocated to either patients with symptoms of COVID-19 or other patient groups, where possible.
• Communal areas in practices should allow for physical distancing and practices have been advised to follow HSE guidance on making your workplace COVID-secure.
• Practices should minimise the number of face-to-face contacts that a patient requires 'by co-ordinating care so that as much as possible is done in a single consultation'. They should also 'use careful appointment planning to minimise waiting times and maintain social distancing in waiting areas'.

There is a load of other stuff on there: https://www.gponline.com/coronavirus-key-guidance-gps-need-know-covid-19/article/1676215