Pain

November 1, 2002

I just saw this later post and I'm stunned and ticked off your doc hasn't

prescribed rehab to straighten out your back but instead wants to fill you with

pain killers.

Has this person gotten you into PT to have your back looked at all or does he

just brush you off? I think it's past time to get away from this doc if they

haven't

had you in PT for your back. I would run from this guy if this is the case.

> Hi all,

>

> In pain again with my knee and now my back. went to the doctors last

> week and was just given different painkillers. i asked about having

> an xray of my back to make sure the curve in my spine isn't getting

> worse but all he said was to take the painkillers for 2 weeks and

> they mite help. if anything it is worse.

> Does any1 know a painkiller that actually works?

>

> Thanks

>

> Joanne

November 2, 2002

Joanne:

I agree w/ Bucko (as usual). The pain killers will do nothing to

fix you. Your back is likely the root of your problems.

You said a while back that you were going to try and see a physical

therapist (physio). Any luck?

I don't know how the medical system works in the U.K. (in fact, I

don't know how it works in the U.S. either!), but is it possible for

you to see a totally different kind of doc? One who will really try

to get to the root of your problems? It sounds like your guy is in

over his head.

Maybe joenhiscat or one of our other members from the U.K. can help.

- Doug

>> i asked about having

>> an xray of my back to make sure the curve in my spine isn't

>> getting worse but all he said was to take the painkillers for

>> 2 weeks and they mite help.

November 3, 2002

Hi Doug/Joanne

Doug:

I'm not sure how it works here either! Every household should be

registered with an NHS (National Health Service) surgery nearby which

would typically have 1 to 4 resident doctors (called GP's or General

Practitioners). You phone for an appointment and ask for your

regular GP. If you're lucky you get an appointment within the WEEK.

Alternatively you could ask to see a different GP from the same

surgery and might get an earlier or later appointment.

If Joanne's local surgery has several resident docs she could ask to

see a different one in the same surgery. The alternative is to

register with a different practice, but this might not be so easy...

many surgeries here are " full " and are not keen to take on new

patients.

Joanne:

I've found it's normal practice for GP's to prescribe pain killers

and play the " wait-and-see " game.....

So my advice would be to see your regular GP again. It's been 2

weeks since he prescribed you the painkillers and they're clearly NOT

working. So further investigation is definitely merited and it is

YOUR RIGHT to get it looked into!!! This time ask your GP to refer

you to a specialist to look at your back problem, since it's clearly

getting worse. I think your GP should be getting you an X-ray

appointment straight away so that your X-rays will be ready when you

see a consultant. X-rays are cheap (£70) so it really shouldn't be a

problem. If you're not happy with your GP, switch to a different GP

or even a different practice and let them know why!

One problem however is I'm not sure what type of consultant you need

to see!! Orthopedic surgeon, chiropracter, physical therapist,

osteopath, etc??? But presumably your GP should know????!!!

You need to get your back looked at - as Bucko/Doug have said, this

might be the root cause of your problems. It's essential to address

the root cause...!

In the meantime, regarding pain killers, there have been a few posts

recently which mentioned a few different drugs. I'm not familiar

with these drugs but check out posts 3162 (bextra) and 3158

(tramal/ultram). The tramal sounds like it works ok.

- Joe

PS - when I first had knee problems I didn't even wait to be

referred - I simply phoned up a local OS and arranged a private

appointment. The guy happened to be an NHS consultanet (too) so

after he took my money for the 1st appointment he kindly put me

straight onto his NHS list, and said I should continue to see him

that way (ie for free). This way I unwittingly jumped the normal 4

month NHS waiting list! And I didn't even have a doctor's referal

letter!! I didn't plan it that way but take note!

> Joanne:

>

> I agree w/ Bucko (as usual). The pain killers will do nothing to

> fix you. Your back is likely the root of your problems.

>

> You said a while back that you were going to try and see a physical

> therapist (physio). Any luck?

>

> I don't know how the medical system works in the U.K. (in fact, I

> don't know how it works in the U.S. either!), but is it possible

for

> you to see a totally different kind of doc? One who will really

try

> to get to the root of your problems? It sounds like your guy is in

> over his head.

>

> Maybe joenhiscat or one of our other members from the U.K. can help.

>

> - Doug

November 4, 2002

Hey Joanne,

How r u doing? If your painkillers arent working then you should

really set your doc straight. Im on tramadol (ultram) which took me a

while to get used to but works great on the knee pain. Maybe you

should try it. Do you have a specialist or a consultant about the

probs with your back/knee? If you dont you should try and push for

one as you will get xrays as bog standard when you go to see them and

they may be able to offer alternative treatment that your GP cant.

Youll find as I did that most doctors tend to avoid really treating

the problem properly for financial reasons. They tend to bury their

heads in the sand and pretend its not happening. You have to be

really persistant to get something done. Push for what you need,

theres no reason you should be suffering because of your doc.

Hope you feel better

Anne

November 7, 2002

Hi Anne

I'm still in pain with my back and knee. Am going to make another

appointment to see my doctor to get something done. I did have a

consultant when i was first diagnosed with CP but that was about 4 or

5 years ago so it was a paediatric consultant. Am going to ask my GP

for an Xray of my back and see if he will refer me to a specialist

cos I'm fed up of being in pain.

How are you doing? Has Bradford Uni done anything to help you yet?

Joanne

> Hey Joanne,

> How r u doing? If your painkillers arent working then you should

> really set your doc straight. Im on tramadol (ultram) which took me

a

> while to get used to but works great on the knee pain. Maybe you

> should try it. Do you have a specialist or a consultant about the

> probs with your back/knee? If you dont you should try and push for

> one as you will get xrays as bog standard when you go to see them

and

> they may be able to offer alternative treatment that your GP cant.

> Youll find as I did that most doctors tend to avoid really treating

> the problem properly for financial reasons. They tend to bury their

> heads in the sand and pretend its not happening. You have to be

> really persistant to get something done. Push for what you need,

> theres no reason you should be suffering because of your doc.

> Hope you feel better

> Anne

November 11, 2002

Hey Joanne,

Go for it, its not worth suffering through pain if you feel theres

something wrong. Go for the specialist - hopefully an ortho or a

sports injury specialist, someone who knows what theyre doing. Dont

let them fob you off if you know somethings wrong and I know the

feeling of just being shoved on painkillers and told to cope with

it. I'm doing ok, just came back to Bradford yesterday but as of yet

no help from the uni. Just waiting. What about you?

Anne

November 12, 2002

Hey Anne,

I'm making an appointment at the doctors today, hopefully i'll get an

appointment within the next month! I'm goin to get him to refer me

for an xray and to see a specialist. My boyf is goin with me so that

he can tell him too cos I get all tongue tied when i go and forget

things that i have to tell him.

Finished the painkillers that the doc gave me last time and i'm still

in loads of pain. Its getting to the point now where I'm in pain with

some part of my body all the time and its really getting to me.

HAve you spoken to those at uni again yet?

Joanne

> Hey Joanne,

> Go for it, its not worth suffering through pain if you feel theres

> something wrong. Go for the specialist - hopefully an ortho or a

> sports injury specialist, someone who knows what theyre doing. Dont

> let them fob you off if you know somethings wrong and I know the

> feeling of just being shoved on painkillers and told to cope with

> it. I'm doing ok, just came back to Bradford yesterday but as of

yet

> no help from the uni. Just waiting. What about you?

> Anne

November 12, 2002

Hey Joanne

Looks like a legal battle with the uni for me to get some decent

accomodation. Wonderful. Are you using ibuprofen painkillers still?

I dont have much faith in them but as well as that I retract

everything I said about Tramadol. Its awful! Im covered in massive

red welts from an alergic reaction to them! Dont try them! Really

push for the referal to a specialist and get this prob sorted. You

might end up having physio as a course of treatment, if you do I

reccomend Alec the senior physio in St Lukes. Hes effective.

Good luck with your doc.

Anne

November 14, 2002

Hey Anne,

Going to the doctors tomorrow morning and my fianc¨¦ is coming with

me so hopefully I will get something done. I really need an xray of

my back, and something for my knee. I have exercises from the net

that i can do at home that i have tried but they just seem to make it

worse. Maybe physio will help. I think i need some tests done tho cos

I seem to be in pain with some part of my body all the time. At the

mo it is my ankle and knee.

What have they said at the uni about accomodation? I was on voltarol

(diclofenac sodium) but they have now run out. Goin to ask for

different painkillers tomorrow tho cos they didn't work.

How's your knee?

Good luck with the uni

Joanne

-- In chondromalacia treatment@y..., " Anne " <angelicdevil2000@y...>

wrote:

> Hey Joanne

> Looks like a legal battle with the uni for me to get some decent

> accomodation. Wonderful. Are you using ibuprofen painkillers still?

> I dont have much faith in them but as well as that I retract

> everything I said about Tramadol. Its awful! Im covered in massive

> red welts from an alergic reaction to them! Dont try them! Really

> push for the referal to a specialist and get this prob sorted. You

> might end up having physio as a course of treatment, if you do I

> reccomend Alec the senior physio in St Lukes. Hes effective.

> Good luck with your doc.

> Anne

November 14, 2002

Hey Joanne,

Nothing done yet on the accommodation front for me yet. Ive ended up

having to come home to newcastle because of a severe alergic reaction

to tramadol. Been put on high dosage steroids to try and help. Ive

been on diclofenac before as an anti inflammatory, werent very

effective as the painkiller in them is only mild, but you'll find if

you take them long term they really mess with your stomach so try to

get something else if yours have ran out. I tried piroxicam and co

codamol painkillers and they work quite well. You dont want to try

something to strong because it feels like youre walking through 4

inches of cotton wool all the time and they can have some really

nasty side effects. Try to get a combination of painkillers and anti

inflammatories if you can so you take two levels of attack against

this pain youre in. If youre feeling really bad dont take no for an

answer to the referal (its malpractice if they refuse to treat you).

I have loads of physio excersises that i could give you but Im not

sure if they would help. Im going to be having Hyalgan injections

into my knee to relieve them, maybe you should ask about that or

sinvisc as its supposed to be pretty effective. My knees pretty sore

at the min but the steroids have given it a good boost so the

swellings gone down loads. Keep your head up!

Anne

November 15, 2002

Hey Anne,

Just got back from the doctors, he has prescribed me Ibuprofen 800mg

an dis referring me for physiotherapy. He said if the painkillers or

the physio don't help he will give me a steroid injection into my

knee. I hope the physio works cos i've had the injections before and

they really hurt. I had them three times and the third time they put

me to sleep to do it cos I had to have one in my ankle as well. He

looked at my back as well and said that it is only a very minor curve

but he pushed on my back and it really hurts now.

Hope you feel better soon, you don't seem to be having much luck at

the mo do u?

Joanne

> Hey Joanne,

> Nothing done yet on the accommodation front for me yet. Ive ended

up

> having to come home to newcastle because of a severe alergic

reaction

> to tramadol. Been put on high dosage steroids to try and help. Ive

> been on diclofenac before as an anti inflammatory, werent very

> effective as the painkiller in them is only mild, but you'll find

if

> you take them long term they really mess with your stomach so try

to

> get something else if yours have ran out. I tried piroxicam and co

> codamol painkillers and they work quite well. You dont want to try

> something to strong because it feels like youre walking through 4

> inches of cotton wool all the time and they can have some really

> nasty side effects. Try to get a combination of painkillers and

anti

> inflammatories if you can so you take two levels of attack against

> this pain youre in. If youre feeling really bad dont take no for an

> answer to the referal (its malpractice if they refuse to treat

you).

> I have loads of physio excersises that i could give you but Im not

> sure if they would help. Im going to be having Hyalgan injections

> into my knee to relieve them, maybe you should ask about that or

> sinvisc as its supposed to be pretty effective. My knees pretty

sore

> at the min but the steroids have given it a good boost so the

> swellings gone down loads. Keep your head up!

> Anne

November 16, 2002

I just thought that I would share my experience with cortisone injections. The

first that I had was by what I later found out was a quack. They made a grand

production with the deadening shot, betadine(sp)and positioning. He only gave me

one, thank God. The surgeon that I have now, on my first visit, told me that he

wanted to try an injection before anything else. After the surgury by the

quack, my knee was in really bad shape. Man, how I hated to hear that. He mixed

a syringe and told me to scoot to the edge of the table and let my leg dang from

the knee down. (At this point I am wondering where the nurse with the betadine

scrub is at.) He probes my joint with his finger for a moment, wipes the site

with an alcohol swab, then inserts the needle to the hilt and depresses the

syringe. He then applies a bandaid. Then begins to discuss what will follow if

the injection doesn't work. I ask him when he will " give " me the cortisone to

which he replies, " I just did. " You could have knocked me over with a feather.

The quack had almost killed me, and that was with a deadeing shot. This doctor

uses no deadener, and the pain is no more than a mosquito bite. Honestly! I

asked him how he could do this so painlessly, and he told me that he has given

them to himself many times. The moral of this story is, I have had many

injections from my surgeon. None have ever hurt. If a surgeon cannot give a

relatively painless injection, I would question the rest of what he may do to

me. In my case, it was a disaster with the quack.

Steve

> Hey Anne,

>

> Just got back from the doctors, he has prescribed me Ibuprofen 800mg

> an dis referring me for physiotherapy. He said if the painkillers or

> the physio don't help he will give me a steroid injection into my

> knee. I hope the physio works cos i've had the injections before and

> they really hurt. I had them three times and the third time they put

> me to sleep to do it cos I had to have one in my ankle as well. He

> looked at my back as well and said that it is only a very minor curve

> but he pushed on my back and it really hurts now.

>

> Hope you feel better soon, you don't seem to be having much luck at

> the mo do u?

>

snip

May 5, 2003

I agree Lynn. Many doctors don't understand that pain medications are a big

help so that we can use a joint somewhat instead of it tensing up in pain

which causes worse problems. I know sometimes people abuse medicines but I

have wanted to say to doctors like this, " Put your hand on the table and let

me stab it every second, every hour, every day, every month for years and

let's see what you think? " There's my venting on the subject. Melt

----- Original Message -----

From: " Lynn Dudenhoefer "

> I have the same problems with doctors. It takes an act of God

> to get pain meds. I had to beg to go from 2 Ultram a day to 3, and

> my friends doctor lets her take 2 3 times a day!!! They are all terrifed

> of addiction. It is really sad as so many people are being under-

> medicated, even those that are terminal often do not get the meds

> they need. Watch, out I am on my soapbox!!

>

> Lynn Renae Dudenhoefer

June 5, 2003

Hi Elly,

We really haven't gone much father than talk about a summer get together.

It's crummy weather here, as you well know. We'll have to see how things

progress.

I'm sorry you are in so much pain. It's only your right side? My whole body

hurts a bunch but I'm hoping it's because I stopped taking Enbrel for a month

because of my surgery, and when I can start again, it will kick in and ease

my pain. It's always amazing to me that we can take pain medications and

sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. I took Darvocet after my surgery

and

all it did was make my eyes cross. I did notice that it said not to drive

while taking this medication and I can certainly see why. It did not touch the

pain and because it made my eyes cross, I was afraid to double the dose....

) I'm dingy enough without more pain killers!

I hope you start feeling better so we just might be able to get together one

day. We'll play it by ear.

xxoo

Mi. Carmen

June 5, 2003

Hi Tricia,

Don't you have enough on your plate without your sister-in-law falling ill?

I feel so bad for you as you are such a good person and will be going to the

hospital frequently when you should be resting. Plus having your mother to

worry about also. I hope your brother can keep helping out with her. Is it

the

same brother whose wife had the stroke?

Please try to rest a few hours a day.....by yourself.

I shall say a prayer for your whole family.

xxoo

Carmen

June 5, 2003

Hi Elly,

You have been on my mind so much lately. Good to hear

from you, but so sorry you are in so much pain. Is your doc

aware of how much you are suffering? A get together

would be so nice. It seems though that every time we

turn around something else happens to make our life

just a bit more stressful. My dysfunctional family is in

the middle of a third world war. It's a long story, and

I feel like moving to the moon. We got a call last night

that my sister -in-law (hubby's sister) had a massive

stroke, so we went to the hospital immediately, and

will be going back today. We were told that *if* she

lives, she will be like a vegetable and have to go to

a nursing home. Sorry for venting...this was supposed

to be your vent Elly, not mine. Praying for you to not be

in pain.

Love, tricia

***************************************************************************

-- pain

hi friends,once again i need to say i'm sorry for not answering mail

sent on my behalf.Caroline,i meant to ask about the get together at

Carmen's,she is in Michigan and so am i,and we had talked a little

about Tricia and a few others getting together who were in driving

distance of Carmen.I am in such pain, I think every joint on my right

side from my ankles to my fingers is non-stop hurting.Why do I bother

to take so many meds and still hurt so much.Today I am being a whiner

and I'm sorry.I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day!Thanks for

listening.

Love Elly

..

July 2, 2003

Dear ,

Sorry your spasms are difficult to deal with. There are a number of things

you can try. Some are medicinal, othere over the counter, and for a great

number of us, something as simple as gulping water at the first sign is helpful.

I have had a successful lap surgery almost two years ago, and my spasms have

been better since surgery, but I do still get them. If I immediately drink

water...a full bottle of water, straight down,I am almost always relieved of the

pain in less than one minute. If I wait, it takes longer. Hence, I always

travel with a water bottle or two. I keep one in the car. In Houston, it gets

pretty hot in the car, but there have been days when the only water I have

available is warm/hot water from my car bottle. Yuck. It works, though. Warm

or room temperature is best. Since a spasm is a tightening of muscle, it

figures tht your E is tighter than usual. If you drink ice water, it's going to

hurt me, although some people DO prefer ice water. Some people drink milk, some

swallow cola syrup, a few drink cola and think the carbonation helps to break up

the spasm, some eat crackers or a pastry of some sort. I also keep a bottle of

l'arginine handy (health food store). IF I am having a particularly spasmy day,

or if I have something important to go to/do where I can't stand the thought of

a spasm interfering with it, I take the l-arginine. It works for me as a

preventive. I don't take it daily, though. Look up L-Arginine in the files and

in a search in this forum, and you will be able to read tons of information.

Look for an original posting by Joop Zoelen, from the Netherlands. He wrote

LOTS of information about L-arginine and posted it here. He had some success

with it actually improving his symptoms of A in general. THere are also many

medicines that people take....read about them in the files and ask your doctor

for help with this. Most of us have been able to find SOMETHING that helps.

Best of luck to you. We know your pain and suffering...almost all of us have

spasms, but there are a lucky few who do not! Look in the database, too.

Levsin, beta blockers, and a number of other medicines are listed as being

helpful to some people.

in Houston

> I was diagnosed with achalasia in 1992, had a heller and

> fundoplication. I can swallow food with the assistance of a glass of

> water or several glasses of water. My problem now and has been for

> years since my diagnosis is an incredible episode of pain which

> incapacitates me. I get these episodes at least 2 to 3 times a week

> and the most severe lasts up 16 hours long! It's a Pain that starts

> slightly below my sternem and then up into my esophogus. My stomach

> and esophogus feels tight almost spasmatic. I notice that stress has

> triggered my worst attacks. I have missed more work because of this

> and Im on the verge of loosing my job because of it. I'm a

> Corrections Officer I work in a Jail. Very stressful indeed! Does

> anyone know if there is a medication I can take that would relax me

> while I work?

>

July 2, 2003