2nd opinion? Pain relief

acrafty1
acrafty1 Member Posts: 4
Hi,

I have recently been diagonsed with arthrities and I am so down...

I am in constant pain...currently on codiene and low dose of morphine...the consultant at the hospital has discharged me, sorry there is nothing he can do for me!

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!

I am worried I am tolerant to everything and really don't know what else to do, I haven't slept properly in months, I feel sick, am taking so many drugs I don't know what are doing damage and what are helping (as it seems nothing is at the moment). I have had steriod injections and again still no relief...please can you give me any advice?

Do you think I should ask for an 2nd opinion? What else can I try?

Many thanks

Claire

Comments

  • marl57
    marl57 Member Posts: 17
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi i don't understand how the consultant can discharge you surely you should still be having follow up appts. I would speak to your GP and see if he can explain things to you especially as the meds don't seem to be helping you. Have you seen a pain management doctor ?

    xx Marl
  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,464
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Claire

    I am not quite sure what type of arthritis you have or which joints it is affecting so perhaps you could either give us a call or email us with some more details about what has been happening so far and perhaps we can offer you some other options about pain/self-management.

    I understand you are 'sick and tired of being sick and tired' so please do give us a call.

    Best Wishes

    Simona
  • Ankyspond
    Ankyspond Member Posts: 626
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Please demand a second opinion you cannot live like that with no support from the medical profession. Sorry you are feeling so down, we all get like that from time to time. xx
    AS Sufferer
    Live, love and enjoy life, live each day as though it's your last!
  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Claire

    I am sorry to read that you have been discharged by your consultant and he has referred you back to your gp. I looked at your other posting and you mention you are overweight and this may well be one reason why your consultant will not operate. There are others on this forum that have been told similar by their consultants. They have lost weight, or started to lose weight, gone back to their consultant and received the operation they needed.

    By all means got for a second opinion.Everyone is entitled to do this. Sometimes it can prove to be very beneficial.

    I do hope that you can work together with your gp to find some medication that suits you and the pain you are suffering.

    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • minky67
    minky67 Member Posts: 2,328
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Claire, Im not sure but im presuming you have oa..If you have then usually the rymy will discharge you back to the care of you gp.
    You can ask the gp to refer you to a pain clinic. they will assess you & help find the right combination of meds to help you.
    You can also ask for anti sickness pills & a stomach protector, this will help with the sicky feeling (Morphine & codeine do make you feel & be sick unfortunately)
    Alot of us on here take amitriptyline to help relax the muscles at night & help us sleep, again worth talking to your gp again.
    You can ask for a double appointment with gp so you can go through everything with them to do referrals & review your medication.
    There are main combinations of medication you can try & unfortunately this takes time to find the ones that suit you best. You dont have to carry on feeling like this, you need to keep pushing you gp for the right treatment.
    I am under the pain clinic, i was referred by my rymy when i was discharged & they have really helpled me. I have oa & Fibromyalgia, 4 months ago they did a load of trigger point injections into my ankle,wrist & neck & they really helped with the pain. Ankle pain was so bad i could hardly bear to walk on it, now the pain has nearly gone.They also recommended other meds to try & so far so good.
    Please go back to the gp & tell them that your not going to be left like this & you want something done to help you.
    I hope there is something here that has helped you.
    Take care now & keep your chin up, debs
  • skezier
    skezier Member Posts: 11,333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Claire,

    I hope you took Simona suggestion and called the helplines? They are good at helping and have a lot of understanding and knowledge of arthritis so tis a good idea.

    Not least cus sometimes all we need is someone to listen and say they care.

    I kinda assume its osteo they are saying you have? I know its hard at times to get the help you need with that one a depending on where it is they can't always give you a replacement or magic op ( I want one of those so much :wink: )

    I think rather than a second opinion you could see if you can get a referral to the pain clinic..... they have a better understanding of oa and the drugs available to help you have a 'normal life with a lot less pain.

    I honestly do understand what it feels like to be 'abandoned' basically... it show I felt. I was tea ted for the wrong thing initially and after 18 months I did get a second opining.. well i paid a huge amount for an old magnetic scan... back then they were not the run of the mill thing... and very noisy :lol:

    It showed a lot more than they had been thinking and I was offered an op by the surgeon who had got it so wrong.....

    I decided to go on someone Else's list cus i had no trust in the one that got it that wrong..... it was at the point of the disc's and bones moving my spinal cord to the shape of a dogs leg.......

    So in that respect a second opinion might well help you.

    I just think a better idea would be the pain clinic. Some people don't get much help that way but mine is golden! Without her I don't know where I would be..... been seeing her well over 3 years now and she has done so much to alleviate the pain.

    I now I have been lucky.....

    Like you for years they left me on morphine and diclo's while it just got worse and worse..... Its not right and in my case it only changed cus i got the pa and saw a rumo. They don't deal with oa normally but he said since nobody was bothering he would..... Again I struck gold but you only need one person t help you.......

    The problem is with the orthos if they can't operate they sometimes aren't interested.....

    You have to find a way to break the deadlock and I think the pain clinic would be the best way really.....

    With me even hint of morphine and I start throwing up.... There are other drugs they could be using for you and should be cus this isn't fair.

    How well do you get on with your gp? Again I had useless doctors (and hell they were across the bored) and thankfully after 12 years of them I managed to get some good ones to take me on so if yours isn't any good change flower.

    You need someone in your corner and I still think the pain clinic might be the best way forward for you. Leaving you a cyber ((( ))) and a hoe you can get a bit of help. Nice to meet you. Cris x