Hello and some advise please

Field79
Field79 Member Posts: 5
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:05 in Living with arthritis

Hello I’ve been struggling with joint pain for roughly 4 years now. I finally plucked up the courage to make a dr appointment in December last year and was referred to rhumotology. Just as I was due my first appointment corona kicked off and this became a telephone call instead. I was sent for scans which I had done two weeks ago and the radiologist said there was lots of inflammation and that I must be in a lot of pain which I am. I haven’t heard anything since from rhumotology and unable to get hold of anybody or a gp appointment. I am really struggling with the pain I can’t sleep at night barely coping at work and feeling very lonely and abandoned if truth be told. I don’t have anybody to talk to which is why I have turned here. Can anybody advise on coping with the pain while i patently wait for medical help as ibuprofen and paracetamol just ain’t cutting it. Thanks xx

Comments

  • Chris_R
    Chris_R Moderator Posts: 791

    Hi @Field79

    Welcome to the forum.glad you have found us.

    You say that you have been suffering from pain in your joints for 4 years that's a long time to be in pain,it is great you have had contact with the Rhumatologists and you have had scans which you are waiting for results which have not come through yet due to Covid19.

    It is a waiting game which is so frustrating for you,in the meanwhile you would like some advice on pain management.


    Hope this link helps you.

    On the forum there are people just like you and will give you good advice too.

    The most popular forums are Living with Arthritis, Chit Chat, and Vals café.

    Please take a look round,and let us know how you get on

    Christine

    Need more help? - call our Helpline on 0800 5200 520 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740

    Hi Field 79, that sounds really miserable for you. I’m sorry you’re feeling so abandoned, the wretched pandemic has made life so much harder for people who were struggling anyway. You’ve come to the right place, lots of fellow sufferers here who can offer support and suggestions.

    GP practices haven’t completely ground to a halt, so I would just get assertive (not aggressive, just make it clear you really NEED to be seen) and get an appointment, if onlyfor referral to a pain clinic until such time as you can get an appointment with a rheumatologist. You don’t need to sit and suffer like this. It’s only if we tell the GP that we need help that they can do anything about it, so do persevere with them. The link that Chris has suggested may help, but it does sound like you need some pain relief medication as well. It’s ok to be politely persistent, you need to be seen.

  • Field79
    Field79 Member Posts: 5

    Lilymary thank you I think that’s what I need to be more persistent I just have issues with feeling like I am bothering people which is why it took me 4 years to make the plunge and book a gp appointment in the first place. Reading posts on here really are helping me to understand that this is a medical issue it’s not in my head and that I can’t ignore the problem and hope it goes away ❤️

  • Mike1
    Mike1 Member Posts: 1,992

    A river cuts through rock not because of its power but because of its persistence!

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740

    You’re not being a nuisance, your body needs help, specially after having put up with it for so long, that’s what the NHS is there for 🙂. I’m a firm believer in nipping things in the bud rather than suffering in silence while it gets worse and harder to treat, when you could get it fixed quick and get on with life.

  • Shell_H
    Shell_H Member Posts: 548

    Hi @Field79 - just to add to the suggestion of being assertive with your doctor, have you considered talking to a pharmacist? There are other over-the-counter painkillers, such as co-codamol, you could try, and a pharmacist would be best placed to let you know what is available. I know I went years struggling with migraines, having many doctors appointments and such, and it wasn't until a pharmacist randomly mentioned to me that there was a very good, over-the-counter migraine medication I could get that I even knew it existed. No-one had ever told me of it before. So it may be worth a try.

  • JoeB
    JoeB Bots Posts: 83

    Contact your GP and have your medication reviewed. You are not bothering people or being a nuisance. You have paid your GP in advance. Now it's time for that investment to pay you a dividend.

    Arthur