Severe pain - no pain relief from my doctor

rubyroo

Hello there,

I am in chronic pain with arthritis in my right hip and right knee. The pain is so bad I'm crying with it - I know that makes me sound like a wimp but honestly it's agony.

My doctor switched me from cocodamol which I used to take mainly at night time, only when the pain was really bad, and which were really effective to slow releasing morphine sulfate which I don't find effective at all. I've also taken paracetomol but nothing is touching this pain. I've had it on and off for the last two weeks, but all day today and this evening, I've not even been able to find a comfortable position to sit in, and I've just had to get up because I can't find a comfortable position to sleep on. The doctor just says according to my x rays, I've got mild arthritis in my hip and moderate arthritis in my knee, so won't give me anything more. But why am I in such pain with it? I can't go on like this, I have other health conditions too and it all seems like too much to bear.

Tom

Welcome to the forum, @rubyroo. You are suffering from chronic pain in right hip and knee. You do not say how long you have been on the new medication, but it can take time to take effect. In addition to medication there are other therapies you can try:

https://escape-pain.org/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

There is some recent guidance from NICE in the link below.

I hope this helps and please let us know how you get on.

Tom

Mike1

I am on slow release morphine as well which, as you say, is not that effective, ask your GP for Oramorph as well which you can take as and when you need it in addition to the MST.

Lilymary

Hi @rubyroo, that sounds awful for you. I find it so frustrating when medics treat the xray and not the patient! My first surgeon did that, even though he was quite friendly, but he just sent me into a spiral of despair every time I saw him. Things changed immeasurably when I changed surgeon.

I don't know whether there might be any benefit in trying to see a different GP at your practice? Some are more supportive with arthritic conditions than others. I'm on cocodamol and naproxen, as soon as the GP saw my xrays they doubled the dosage, but it only just keeps me mobile. Perhaps ask for a referral to a pain clinic, if it's having such a bad effect on your life and mental wellbeing?

Do have a look at the tips in the link Tom has suggested. Everyone's a bit different in what works for them, but I find distraction and meditation work really "well" for me (ie I'm not skewered to the sofa in pain so much). The drugs I'm on (wrecked hip, due for replacement soon) only knock the edge off the pain, but I find if I take my focus away from the pain onto something else, it really helps. I can't get out for walks any more, but I find pottering in the garden gets me outside among the birds and flowers and a bit fo sunshine and fresh air, and I don't notice the pain so much while I crash around in the undergrowth or stagger across the lawn 😄. It also gives my body a bit of a work out, so lots of plusses there.

Also have a look at the exercises with "let's move with Leon" via this site. You can make them as gentle as they need to be, you can miss out the ones that don't work for you, and they're quite fun too. It may help to get your body eased all over to get rid of the tension. I find if I feel knotted up all over, the pain is worse.

sunnyside2

ask for a referral to the pain clinic. all large hospital groups will have one and they are specialists in bringing pain under control in a safe way.