Hello, recently diagnosed but not any support from GP

Vanessa20
Vanessa20 Member Posts: 3
edited 28. Nov 2023, 14:10 in Living with arthritis

Hello, I am 32 years old and back in March 2022 I started feeling horrible pain in my right thumb in the IP joint. I was pregnant at the time and couldn't believe how much it hurt, I was told to take paracetomol by the midwife. I lost the baby at 14 weeks but the pain in my thumb never went away. It flares up at odd times sometimes lasting a few minutes to a few hours and sometimes I have a dull pain for days on end. I went to see my GP mulitple times before they sent me for a x-ray and confirmed I had arthritis in the IP joint in Sept. I wasn't given any information by my GP other than to take paracetomol which to be perfectly honest does not work and was not told the type or anything about it. I have been struggling with it since particular the week before my menstral cycle where it is really painful more often than not. Today is a bad day and the only thing I can do is put a red hot wheat bag on it and scream into a pillow until it calms down. It honestly feels like my thumb is broken. It affects me working as I work from a PC all day and some days I can only type with my left hand like I am now which takes forever, I worry too that my job is making it worse. I have also started feeling pain in my wrist too. I am feeling fed up as I have had no support and really glad I found a group. I have been swimming and going into a sauna 3 times a week to try to manage it as well as taking cod liver oil everyday. Any ideas what else I can do? Do I need to find a new GP? Any ideas what type of arthritis it might be? Many thanks, Vanessa

Comments

  • Dannii28
    Dannii28 Member Posts: 65

    Hi @VanessaOdell

    Welcome to the Online Community Forum, so pleased you have found us, you will find there are lots of resources and information available to you, please feel free to have a look around the website.

    I see you have been diagnosed with arthritis in your thumb and finding it really painful to use.

    I have attached a link below which you may find useful.

     

    I would also suggest having a look around the other forums as there might be other members that are going through the same thing as you and be able to share their own advice and experiences.

    Let us know how you get on

    Dannii (mod)

    Need more help? - call our Helpline on0800 5200 520Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332

    Morning @VanessaOdell

    I think it's time you got assertive. Most of us have the same problem when we first start with our arthritis.

    Is there a 'nicer' Dr at your practice to start with who you find more sympathetic? If so book a face to face with them even if it's in 3 weeks time.

    In the meantime make a note of your symptoms:

    When the pain happens/where and for how long,

    Any other strange symptoms - nausea, fever, rashes etc

    What helps/has not helped with the pain (like the paracetamol),

    How it's affecting you (include risk to livelihood here)

    Ask if there is an actual diagnosis (did you have any blood tests/ultrasound to look for inflammation?)

    The Dr has options they can refer you to physio, or someone who specialises in hands and wrists for instance, but initially you need decent pain relief and ideally a diagnosis.

    Finally my biggest advice is not to see any Dr alone. There is power in numbers Drs already have all the power they hold the ability to treat us or fob us off. I took my brother.

    Also another person can advocate for you if you get upset and can remember things said that you miss.

    Best of luck and as Dannii said please do let us know how you get on.

    Toni x

  • Vanessa20
    Vanessa20 Member Posts: 3

    Hi Toni, @frogmorton

    Thank you so much for your response, it is so helpful. I will start including it in my diary today and make an appointment with a new GP. I felt so defeated when I found out and the GPs attitude seemed to be you just need to learn to live with it but it is so painful sometimes that I actually think to myself I would rather chop my thumb off but then the pain goes and i realise that is a bit dramatic haha.

    I do need to get asssertive as I can't picture the next how ever many years with it getting worse. I will also make sure to take my partner as he will for sure advocate as he sees how challenging it is for me.

    thanks again for you advice!

    all the best, Vanessa

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,332

    Great Vanessa! I am pleased you are feeling motivated to tray again.

    Your partner sounds like the very man!

    Please do let us know how you get on.

    Take care

    Toni x