Painful shoulders - advice re treatment?

Megrose2
Megrose2 Member Posts: 331
edited 14. Aug 2018, 14:46 in Living with Arthritis archive
I've got OA in hands, feet, knees and spine as well as fibromyalgia and bilateral greater trochanteric pain syndrome (that's the posh new name for trochanteric bursitis). Over the past two months I've been waking up with very painful shoulders, both sides. It improves during the day, but my shoulders just ache constantly. I saw the GP three weeks ago and, after examining me, she said that the shoulder capsules were irritated and she could feel the joint 'catching', the left worse than the right. She blamed the hot weather and said when it was cooler things would improve.

Well, it's a bit cooler and the problem persists - along with the pain and stiffness I get everywhere else. It's worse in the morning, as you'd expect. The GP didn't suggest any treatment, so I'm just carrying on with the paracetamol as usual. I do have some prescribed 8/500 co-codamol, but, even at this low dose, they make me very constipated and so I only take them as a last resort.

As the shoulder pain is new, I wondered if anyone else has had this. Could it be shoulder bursitis? Any thoughts, advice? Is it worth going back to the GP if it doesn't get better?

Thanks in advance,

Meg

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,707
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I don' get much shoulder pain these days but, equally, I don't have much movement in them.

    Personally I don't think the exact cause - bursitis or arthritis - matters. It's pain, end of.

    I still do shoulder exercises, though, to hang on to what I've got.

    As for cocos and constioation. If ever I have to go through a period of greater pain / more pain relief I get by with just a few dried dates or figs daily. I don't much like dried fruit, as opposed to its luscious fresh variety but, seen as medication :wink: it's better than pills and potions.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • Megrose2
    Megrose2 Member Posts: 331
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    You're quite right, Sticky, that pain is pain, regardless of the cause. It's just that the pain has found another area - or rather, two areas!

    I only remembered this morning that, when the rheumatologist diagnosed the fibromyalgia she mentioned my shoulders as being affected, but, at the time, they didn't feel too bad to me. I must really get myself sorted with these co-codamol - maybe buy some figs! I'm taking 6 - 8 paracetamol a day and, if I'm honest, they don't really make much difference.

    Thanks for your reply.

    Meg
  • Airwave!
    Airwave! Member Posts: 2,458
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Yes I get the same thing, I find the only escape is lots of heat with my wheat bags, pills like Tramadol don't help. Rest is the next best thing, don't let your elbows etc push your shoulders, even slightly.

    Ater decades of being ignored I'm looking at a diagnosis, one day.

    Good luck.
  • Megrose2
    Megrose2 Member Posts: 331
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks for your reply. It's the dull ache all the time that gets me down, but I'm going to dig out the wheat bags, as you suggest.

    Meg
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