To feel let down by my GP? So fed up!

[Otherstuff]

I am in my early 30s and 2 years ago I experienced what I believe was a trapped nerve in my neck/shoulder. I woke up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain that was unbearable and pain killers didn't touch it. Since then, I have experienced this about 7 times where all of a sudden I get the most excruciating pain which is constant for around 12-24 hours and usually I wake up the next day and it's tender but gone.

I have been to my GP FIVE times now with this and none of them have known what it is. First I was referred to an osteo, they were unable to diagnose me. I went back a few times and one doctor printed off a sheet from google with rotary cuff exercised and prescribed me with 30mg/500mg zapain (even though on my file it will say I react really badly to codeine). Then I went back recently after having another episode, I was in the doctors for 40 minutes, she even consulted another doctor and I ended up with a vague Physio referral.

I feel like I'm getting close to letting this really depress me. I am so conscious every day about doing something to trigger it (even though I don't know what causes it!)

Why is this so hard to diagnose? I am honestly so fed up and I don't know where to turn with this now 😢

It sounds like the start of a frozen shoulder to me. I had this and then it has escalated into frozen shoulder where I can not lift my arm above shoulder height or rotate it. I have physio exercises and painkillers but have been told it can last for 6 months - 2 years and one day it will just go by itself.

Can I please ask if you have he same where it goes after 24 hours? This is what seemed to be confusing the GPs. Also I don't have restricted movement necessarily, just that certain movements make it worse. Coughing or breathing deeply make it so much worse when I'm having an 'episode'.

Thank you

Cervical rib syndrome?

Allthebestnamesareused Can I ask what pain relief you used?

In fact, can anyone recommend a pain relief? Parcetemol plus & ibuprofen don't work at all with the pain.

There are lots of things doctors don't know and these are often grouped into the bracket 'medically unexplained symptoms'. It doesn't mean people don't believe that the problem exists just that there is no obvious diagnosis.

Part of the solution is reducing anxiety associated with it because although it is extremely painful, the reality is that 7 episodes in 2 years means it is pretty infrequent to be worrying everyday about triggering it. Maybe investigating something like mindfulness would help you live with this?

They don't have time to read everything on your file between the last patient and you. If you know that you react badly to something just tell / remind them

Have they tested calcium, vit d, have you been given a breast examination, have they tested bp/inflammation etc. It's only classified as non specific back pain when everything else more serious is excluded.

A physio referral sounds reasonable with your symptoms. prior to that were you referred to orthopaedics or an osteopath?

I wonder if a good chiropractor would be able to treat this? An initial consultation/examination would determine this and I would search for a McTimoney chiropractor in your area as this method is much more gentle but can still be extremely effective.

I have something similar which was at its worst about 6 years ago. It turned out to be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (pinched nerves and blood vessels) most likely caused by repetitive strain injury and bad posture from keyboard & mouse use, always wearing handbag on one shoulder etc.

It took me having physio and massage 2 x per week plus exercises at home, changing my desk set up at work for it to feel better. Overall probably about 6 months BUT the initial shooting pains went after a few weeks of physio and massage.
I was really lucky and had health insurance through work which paid for physio (and paid for the referral to an orthopaedic surgeon/consultant & MRI so they could diagnose me properly, which IMO was a waste of the insurer's money but was a hoop I had to jump through for the longer term physio referral).

In short term, I would say try to see a physio privately just to get some relief and see if there's anything you can change about your desk set up, handbag etc. Your employer might pay for you to have a desk assessment with occupational therapist and/or special mouse & keyboard (I've got a mini keyboard and vertical mouse which do help a bit)

Have you seen the physio yet? Give them a chance - they might actually be the best placed people to help you as they know a lot more about physiology than your GP will. If it is frozen shoulder they may also be able to give a steroid injection for the pain.

It sounds really frustrating. But I do second a pp about looking into any anxiety as it will just feed the pain in a kind of viscious cycle.

If physio doesn't work maybe a neurologist could help. If it is a nerve type pain? They might also be able to give nerve specific pain killers.

V. Ive had very similar symptoms. No luck with gp. Saw osteopath. Took an X-ray and said it was bad alignment and treated me. Intense pain over the weekend. Saw an emergency physio who told me to ask doc to prescribe amytriphiline ( an old fashioned tricyclic antidepressant) it has been found to work on the nerve endings and calm things down in trapped nerve situation. That worked really well.
Hubby has private medical insurance so got a referral from GP to a spinal surgeon. Had MRI and had a completely destroyed disc c5/c6. Had it replaced and no further problems at all.

You are well within your rights to ask for a referral to a spinal surgeon on the NHS by now. Also ask for amytriphiline and if that works you know it's nerve pain.