To be at my wits end and hope there's a doctor on mumsnet on a Sunday?

[Whenisright]

I know I am but here goes.... For at least the last couple of months I wake up with horrible aching mid back pain. Every single morning. It means I simply can't lie in or catch up on sleep, despite being exhausted (twins). The discomfort is so bad I have to get up. Nothing I do in bed helps (position change / stretching / moving beds or surface), I have to get up. Within 10 mins of being up I'm absolutely fine. I have a new excellent mattress, have tried a different mattress and memory foam. Tried different sleeping positions. I'm at my wits end as its getting earlier and earlier. By 3am I was gulping painkillers as I desperately needed to sleep and then was up at 5.45 with the twins. Dr said they could refer me for physio and advised to take ibuprofen. Not helpful. Any ideas at all?? It is my whole middle back and comes round to my ribs at the front. Any Drs here? Thanks!

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MNHQ Update
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I haven't rtft but how is your positioning when breastfeeding? Breastfeeding gives me terrible mid back pain as I tend to lean forward and not use my arms for support as much as I should.

whenisright gallstones is what I was trying to ascertain when I asked about the pain being around your ribs/right shoulder blade but it sounds unlikely - worth checking out though!

It may be different but around this time last year I went to my GP because of excruciating back pain - I seemed to seize up and sleep made it worse! I lost weight, got a new mattress and spent a small fortune on painkillers, but nothing helped. I suffered for a couple of months before going to the GP who suggested a vitamin d deficiency. By this point I would have sold my mother for a painfree night, so happily took the super strength vitamin d he prescribed, one a day for 2 weeks, then a maintenance dose once a week. The change was incredible, within a week I was totally pain free. GP said it was common, particularly in the uk where people don't get enough sun exposure. It might be worth asking for a blood test - and to pre empt anyone saying this is quackery, it really genuinely made a huge difference to me.

Suggest Osteopath, preferably one recommended.

Is it only at night OP? (Sorry if I've missed you elaborating)

Any difficulty breathing?
Any recent upper respiratory infections?
Pain after eating fatty food?
Any indigestion/acid type feelings?

I think it's quite likely a combination of pregnancy, the hormones relaxing your ligaments, and excess weight. It will get better over time especially if you lose weight, but in the meantime you need to be extra careful with bending and picking up the babies and you may benefit from a pelvic belt which supports your lower back and pelvis.

I really can't see that it's is gallstones or a urinary problem if it clears up as soon as you are active. With ligament and muscle problems if you are immobile (asleep) for a few hours they muscles cool down and stiffen up. Once moving again they relax. You could try sleeping on your back with a heat pad under the worse area.

Stay away from Osteos and Chiropractors
At best, they are poorly-trained physics. At worst, they can do serious and lasting damage

This this this!

I think sparechange has given you the best advice, fwiw.

Pilates. Iv been under several physios, lots of painkillers. Only noticed a huge difference once a started a pilates class run by a physio. If I don't go every wk the pain creeps back

OP I had similar and was in severe pain daily. I googled the life out of back pain and came upon a suggestion that too many pillows can affect the back. Since childhood I have always slept on 2 pillows, fluffier the better, so it felt very unnatural for me to sleep on one and still does actually but the back pain disappeared after a while of sleeping like this. Just want you to explore all options

Sorry sparechange I meant about. Staying away from the Oesteopath.

And just to add to the above OP, if I lie down with 2 pillows now I can feel the strain immediately.

I tbought gallstones too. Was always night time that was the killer for me!

Anyone suggested a bra fitting yet? I would rtft but my phone is playing up today apologies if I'm repeating advice

You've probably just strained something from lifting, carrying and breastfeeding twins, that's what I did with my single baby. I had/have pain in my mid back, mostly the right of my spine and under my right shoulder blade (I'm right handed so carry 2 stone toddler on that hip). Osteopath and a deepfew tissue masseuse have helped massively, and Pilates. Don't go to a chiropracter, osteopath or physio only.

Look up the mackenzie method on YouTube. Very simple stretches that can have long lasting results. They would be useful while you are waiting to see the physio, and you should see results within a few days if you do them as specified.

I had those symptoms and it was a form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis.

That Physio is the same as ours. Not terrible just all the NHS can offer st the moment. Taking two weeks of ibuprofen at the recommended dose is a strategy to reduce swelling and to try to heal. The physios told me to do it.
When did you have your twins? Did you have spd? I had it with preg 1 and 2 and the second time my hips were out of line Andi had no core strength to hold my spine firm. It took daily exercises from a sheet and weeks to help.
Alternatively pay to see someone. I lucked out with a duel trained osteopath physio but couldn't afford more than three sessions.

I haven't rtft but want to post because I used to suffer with exactly this problem. I've had ankylosing spondylitis ruled out and had an MRI which did show some degeneration in two discs but nothing that could be treated.

My pain started off in my early twenties that when I woke up in the morning my back would be very painful and stiff and the only way to solve it was to get up and move around. Over the years it was waking me up earlier and earlier in the morning and it got to the point where I was waking at 4 or 5am and not able to go back to sleep.

I did two things and I know that both helped.

1. I got a slightly softer mattress

2. I started going to Pilates. Oh my goodness what a difference this has made!

Between these two things I solved the problem and it was such a relief! I've been fine for three years now after ten years of the problem getting slowly worse. I know these two things work for me because now the only time I get a sore back is if I'm away - the combination of a not so comfortable bed plus missing Pilates is enough for the problem to return.

I was going to come on and recommend post natal Pilates. I think it's amazing exercise. Get someone good and they will fix you. Only drawback is you do have to the exercises daily, but probably similar to physio. I think the exercises are much more effective than conventional physio though.

Chiropractic is basically quackery isn't it?

OP early this year I had terrible back pain that couldn't be easily explained. Long referral time for physio at hospital so was referred on NHS to private physio clinic. Saw physio who does sports physio. Very helpful and gave me some sort of prodding massage and acupuncture. Felt some improvement immediately for a day or two but at end of course (6 weeks) I was as good as new and have remained so to date. My pain was worse when sitting/standing. Something to do with nerves, can't remember exact explanation but physio seemed more au fait than GP.
Had acupuncture for nerve damage after an op years ago and it really does work.
Good luck. Back pain is the pits and you really know when you've got it .

OP I have twins

whate EE it turns out to be you will definitely benefit from improving your core strength. I've ended up haveomg a personal trainer just work only core for quite a while as she can really target certain muscles. Have you/did you have diastasis rectii? This so when the muscles down the middle of your belly 'unzip' and there's a gap- very common post parting with twins. This would mean you'd be compensating for lack of tone in the front and could get pain in all sorts of places because you are moving differently and deferring strain about be body.

Get a push-up appointment and ask for ultrasound. Lie back and feel down the middle of your belly - is there a gap? Even if not it may have joined up but that doesn't mean your core is 100%

Not push up appointment! Physio!

Total typo hell there - sorry am typing and sorting clothes