please help - told theres nothing more anyone can do?

tutztutz

hi folks,ive posted on here before on behalf of my 72yr old mom with severe arthritis-in all joints but mainly knee and feet, so much so she has become housebound and only goes out in a wheelchair.
after replies from yourselves i went to the gp with my mom and he was very good in telling her that she wasnt a burden to him in so many words and to keep updateing him if painkillers dont work.
but since then several vists later he has basically said shes tried most painkillers and theres not much more for him to do.
the root cause of her problems is her knee,which has made her ankle out of line, but the ankle being the most painfull,she was going in for a knee op but her and the specalist decided the ankle wouldnt take it,sooooo they concentrated on sorting the ankle out in preparation for the knee op,but now with her ankle they say theres nothing they can do because joints to swollen-as many of you may feel she feels she just goes round in circles with appointments which are 3-6months apart an then being reffered to someone else ect!!
shes just had a small op-a injection into ankle-no relief,special shoes-again no help,she just wants something to take the edge of the pain between appointments-but she cant have anti inflam due to her kidneys an other strong painkilllers made her nausea even with anti sickness tablet.
ive phoned the helpline here and i also asked the gp about a pain clinic,the gp said they cant do anything he cant and the helpline said in so many words she has to be in the right frame of mind!! i havent told her this as it will push her over the edge,you can see she cant walk and shes not putting it on,she gets so upset that she cant hold my daughter her new first grandchild or push her in the pram its just heartbreaking for everyone to see her in pain.
sorry to go on,but is there a stage where nothing can be done and no painkillers,or operations can help?

eckstardeluxe

Hi tututz, I was sad to read about your poor Mum, she's really going through the wars isn't she? I don't know exactly your Mum's history but I have problems with my kidneys as was born with severe reflux. It is safe for me to take the medications I am on for my OA. I take Tramadol and diclofenac and both are wonderful, they really help me. They do make you nauseous at first but i'd recommend sticking with them as that goes away the more you take them. I haven't had any unusual symptoms with my kidneys since being on those. I have to take Omeprazole with my meds as this counters any stomach irritation from being on the diclofenac long term.

Perhaps your Mum should be seen again in Urology, I am being seen in a couple of weeks just to make sure everything is ok. They should be able to advise what meds are safe for her to take. Give her a hug from me, she sounds like she needs one xx

woodbon

I feel sorry for both you and your Mum. It seems like a very difficult situation you're both in and 72 isn't old these days. I'm not a medical person, but I know that some people have an anaesthetic injection into the problem joint which lasts a few months and gives them some relief. This maybe the injection you say they have tried. Has she seen a physio? Sometimes a very little gentle exercise, done daily can help to strenthen the muscles and help ease the pain of the effected joints. It your Mum could get a little movement, it may help. Please don't take this the wrong way, or think I am saying its a metal problem, but people with a lot of pain and disablity get depressed, I do, and lots of people on here do. It is only natural, but your doctor may be able to help her by giving an anti depressant. Lots of people with arthritis or other painful conditions suffer from depression, I used to work with the elderly and we had a lot of people with depression, having treatment. If this is a problem, the correct treatment can make all the difference. If you haven't already, it may be an idea to talk to your GP. Sorry to go on a bit, I hope at least some of this is helpful and it not, maybe someone else here will come up with a better answer! Anyway, welcome to the site, and I'm glad you've found us!
love Sue

nickynysmon08

tutztutz wrote:

hi folks,ive posted on here before on behalf of my 72yr old mom with severe arthritis-in all joints but mainly knee and feet, so much so she has become housebound and only goes out in a wheelchair.
after replies from yourselves i went to the gp with my mom and he was very good in telling her that she wasnt a burden to him in so many words and to keep updateing him if painkillers dont work.
but since then several visits later he has basically said shes tried most painkillers and theres not much more for him to do.
the root cause of her problems is her knee,which has made her ankle out of line, but the ankle being the most painfull,she was going in for a knee op but her and the specalist decided the ankle wouldnt take it,sooooo they concentrated on sorting the ankle out in preparation for the knee op,but now with her ankle they say theres nothing they can do because joints to swollen-as many of you may feel she feels she just goes round in circles with appointments which are 3-6months apart an then being reffered to someone else ect!!
shes just had a small op-a injection into ankle-no relief,special shoes-again no help,she just wants something to take the edge of the pain between appointments-but she cant have anti inflam due to her kidneys an other strong painkilllers made her nausea even with anti sickness tablet.
ive phoned the helpline here and i also asked the gp about a pain clinic,the gp said they cant do anything he cant and the helpline said in so many words she has to be in the right frame of mind!! i havent told her this as it will push her over the edge,you can see she cant walk and shes not putting it on,she gets so upset that she cant hold my daughter her new first grandchild or push her in the pram its just heartbreaking for everyone to see her in pain.
sorry to go on,but is there a stage where nothing can be done and no painkillers,or operations can help?

reply;

just happened to read your post. my first impression is you have a very complacent GP. my second thought is, either demand , politely, to have a second opinion, see a specialist, or else to be referred to a pain clinic.
or thirdly, see another GP. another idea is to go private, at least to get better bearings and some idea of what may be done. your GP sounds most unimpressive. I am filled with sympathy for both yourself and your mother, having a brief introduction to how bad arthritis can be,

I hope she finds relief from all this,

Nick

elnafinn

Hi tututz

I am sorry to hear about your mum too. Nowadays 72 is not that old, is it? Has your mum attended a pain clinic? I am not quite sure about this "not being in the right frame of mind". Is it thought that the pain is in her imagination? I find that hard to believe if your mum is so keen to walk and push her grandchild in the pram.

I presume there does come a time when surgeons weigh up the pros and cons of surgery depending on the age of the person, medical history and why the person wishes to have an op and could intervention be a bonus. It must be difficult to prescribe strong medication too if the patient has other medical problems that have to be thought about as well.

I hope something can be done for your mum to ease the pain at least.

Best wishes,
Elna

hezmarie25

Hi
Oh I hope your mum is ok. Can I ask what anti-emetic was she taking and what painkillers has she took that have not worked? I have angina and chronic kidney disease so the doc needs to be careful what meds he puts me on. I now have pain killing patches and an anti-emetic for when I am feeling sick. I was in agony before but now I am having more good days than bad and even on my bad days the pain is not half as bad as it was before the patches. I too had taken lots of different pain killers and nothing really did the trick. I am not saying that the patches are the answer to everyones problem because what suits one may not suit another but they may be worth asking the gp about or at least finding out a bit more about them to see if they would suit. I have posted a thread on here about them. If you need any help or details please leave me a messages.
I do hope that your mum gets some control over her pain, arthur is a mean old son of a gun
Take care and love to your mum xx

colinone

Hi tututz
I read your last post about your mum, How terrible for you both there is nothing worse than being in constant pain it wears you down so much. I know how you must feel trying to follow all the different advice from the site. Thiis waiting 3 and 6 months for appointments is mad and for the person who is suffering 3 months is hell. I have one or two things that might be helpful but first i would not be happy with the GP he need to get things rushed through for her, i wonder how he would feel if he had the same problem. Have you heared of PALS they are based at your hospital have a talk with them they can be very helpful in helping things along and advise on what direction to go in. Regarding pain i have a kidney problem although may not be the same as your mums. There is an injection she can get that will stop the pain or at least take most of it away Its called a DEPOT MEDRONE INJECTION and given in the bum not the sore joints it is very good and if she can have this it will take the edge off things whilst she is trying to get sorted. The other thing i would do is phone the hospital doctors secretary and see if you can get her put on a cancilation list or ask if they can hurry it up. Phone them as offten as you can at least once a week Sorry i cant be of more help i feel so sorry for you both. Take care and keep your chin Up love to your mum from all on the site.
Colin