Desperate with pain stopping sleep and wondering who can helpp

[Jellyjumpers]

I have been having problems with psciatica and left siding sided pelvic pain for over a month. In addition I I now have upper stomach pain which I think is due to naproxcin thread here. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/3377381-Antiinflamitories-stomach-pain-and-omeprazole

I have just started weekly physieo and have a follow up with my gp in a week. However, I am unable to sleep for long due to pain.

Is there anything the out of hours could do to help. I am way with work so can't see my gp tomorrow, but equally do not want to waste the ooh's time if there is nothing that can be done. After seeing a gp and the ooh previously I have had two hospital admissions which have not found anything suggesting to me it is more about pain management rather than immediately serious.

Thanks Statonaryace, glad the palitive care team could help with pain. I hope pain is not the reason you are up at the moment. I also hope you are getting good treatment for your cancer.

I agree palliative care sounds scary but it makes sense that they would know the most about making people comfortable to live the best life possible.

I do not think I have exausted the GP as all I have been offered is cocodamol and naproxcin so feel there are more options accessible to a GP which could be tried.

I have still not mannaged to fall asleep I tried a mindfullness meditation but only really rested and as soon as I fell asleep seemed to move and jolt myself awake. I then tried listening to a podcast with a heat pad as felt I would be comfortable and relaxed but did not mannage to get back to sleep. I have now done ssome stretches and think I may need to resign myself to having to work without being able to get more than a couple of hours sleep, but then do not know how I can keep awake all day. At least the weekend is coming and I should be able to arrange things to get some sleep when feeling more comfortable which is really pad for sleep cycles but I think needs must. It is just so loanly to be up in pain and it really helps to both write things down and know that others are awake.

111 will direct you to a walk in centre if away from your own GP. Or you can pay privately to see a GP which may be worth it given the extreme pain. I can’t take naproxen either. Are you taking as much over the counter pain relief as possible? A pharmacist can help with that plus a gel plus a hot water bottle (which you can get hotter than a heat pad). Does a hot bath help a tiny bit?

Thanks the GP prescribed naproxcin for endometriosis without a PPI. Two weeks ago I had really bad pain after taking it for a couple of days. I then spoke to 111 who put me throgh to the OOH who got me assessed in A&E as they were concerned that I was also getting diarhea. A&E were happy that there was no gastric bleed and gave me omeprozole to take with the naproxcin.

However, taking omeprozole and naproxcin regularly as recommended by a nurse in my GP has resulted in a really intense noring pain in my upper stomach and being really bloated. I have had one looseish bowel movement but not diarrhea and have also just been a little bit sick but more just some water that I had drunk.

My concerns are that my stomach seems incredibly irritated and without being able to physically get to my GP I do not know how to get assessed over the weekend. I also worry that the nurse still said to take the naproxcin despite these side-affects and seems to think I have to do this to diagnose the pain but do not want to risk a gastric bleed.

Hi op, hope you are ok.

I have suffered with severe sciatica since 2005 and also have fibromyalgia which causes horrific pain so have tried pretty much everything under the sun.

What works for me is dihidrocodeine and ibuprofen 400mg, you can buy the Cuprofen brand from any Boots/Superdrug.
Naproxen made me feel sick too and the supposed wonder drugs of Gabapentin and Pregablin did nothing for me, apart from put weight on me.

When I'm having a bad flare I find that heat packs help, the cold versions do nothing for me, a hot bath is like heaven when in severe pain.
I sleep with a pillow between my legs for support and have been trying hypnotherapy.
Was always a bit sceptical but it works for me. My favourites are Trigram healing and Micheal Sealey on YouTube.

Sciatic pain is horrible, I think the physical pain can make you feel sick as it is. When I'm due my period my pain goes through the roof and also when the weather is cold and wet. I love summer as am in less pain!

Hoping you get some relief. I have chronic insomnia now and am used to being up at silly o'clock but it catches up with me the next day.
Physio was not good for me. I am intending to see an osteopath as I've heard good things about that.

Best of luck

I do not have a bath in the hotel I am staying in but a very hot shower does bring some relief / relax me. I feel a bath with epson salts would be good but have to go on a train for 2.5 hours later before I can get this. I had been finding a heatpad to be better than a hot water bottle , possibly because its easier to moldaround the pain.

Google the yoga pose ‘pigeon’. It is an excellent stretch for the sciatic nerve. I swear by it when mine flares up.

The combination of fibro andother pain sounds horrible. Yes I will try a pharmacy in the morning to see if there is anything better I can take.

I am able to get ostio throgh my insurance so will try if the physieo does not work. So far I feel my first session has helped. A bit and the problem is much more stomach pain and then a pain from naproxcin.

That pigeon pose looks good.

I am not taking all I can in terms of painkillers. I have stopped taking the MNSAIDs as do not want to risk a gastric bleed with the pain I am in, but worry that this will mean that the GP will think I have not followed their advice and won’t treat me.

In the day the pain is not too bad and I have managed mostly without painkillers. However, it is night when things get this intense. I would like to have codeine without paracetamol as in the day would prefer not to take things which are sidating if having to work without enough sleep, to the extent I am sleeping inthe toilets at work. I would then like something to help me to sleep at night as feel if I had a couple of days sleep I would be much better able to mannage the pain.

I worry about calling 111 as do not want to inconvinience people when it is only pain and I have a GP appointment next week.

Thanks happyhedgehog, do you think the it would be a sensible use of resources to go to the walkin for this?

Jelly, no I'm up because I heard a weird noise in the house, and then had an early breakfast (joys of the small but many meals diet I'm on). Now I'm just awake and playing games on my phone

Stationary glad you are not in pain but its annoying to be woken by a wierd noise. I hope you enjoyed your breakfast.

Op it is not "only pain" when it is causing you such discomfort and you are up in the middle of the night struggling.

You need to be able to function for work and for you. Pain is debilitating and you matter. Don't suffer in silence.

Re:taking codeine without paracetamol, it's absolutely possible. It's what I do but take dihidrocodeine which is a stronger version of it.
Also please ask for doctor for an urgent referral to the pain clinic.

Thinking of you

I have arthritis so I know pain but I understand this is a different pain.

Have you tried a TENS machine? It works by (simple analogy explanation) confusing the nerve endings.

I borrowed one from my NHS physio department for 2 weeks then I bought my own.

I use heat and cold as well, basically if something is swollen I use cold, I bought a load of one use cold packs.

Heat works (for me) for pain without swelling.

I have also found chamomile tea (on top of tramadol, naproxen and amitriptoline) gives some relief and can also help with sleep.

This is the newer version of my machine

www.activemobility.co.uk/pain-relief-first-c122_358_121/tens-machine-plus-p-2877.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpMrWuO_c3QIVSud3Ch0okww4EAkYCCABEgJDT_D_BwE

Zoflorabore Thanks you have just made me cry as all the support on here is so much better than the understanding shown by any medical professional over the last 5 weeks. Once they ruled out an appendicitis I felt that no-one was interested in the pain.

I told the nurse when I went for an appointment with the GP that I was being woken from sleep and am feeling exausted to the point of falling asleep in the day and she just said that is quite common with bad pain and the lack of sleep was probably causing the daytime sleepiness. I fully appreciate this but I do not understand how they expect me to work when all I want to do is close my eyes.

I have been relluctant to take paracetamol in the day because I then can’t take the cocodamol if things get worse due to paracetamol dosing. I feel sepparate codeine would give me the option to take paracetamol and then codeine if a top-up was needed leaving a codeine for night. I also assume that I could say take a cocodamol at bed-time and then take another codeine after 4 hours if still struggling, as at the moment I do get about 1.5 to 2 hours sleep after taking cocodamol.

Thanks Sachh sorry to hear you are in pain. I do have a TENS machine at home. I am not sure where to put it for this pain thogh as it is an intence pulling pain in my stomach which is intermittant but intense and then milder but more constant pain in the leg and back.

I like a chamomile tea, it is very relaxing and I do find drinking warm water has a soothing affect from the inside.

The idea with tens is that the pain is in the middle of an 'X', the corners of the X are where you put the electrodes, but think in 3D.

So for abdo pain you would need electrode to the left and right and also the front and back.

You do need to experiment with different settings and I know it doesn't work for everyone.

Thanks Sachh this makes sense and thinking about it both the abdo pain and back pain probably share a simmilar x.

See a remedial massage therapist. And I also recommend seeing an Osteopath.
You said you’ve had this a month. Do you know what brought it on. We’re you doing anything around that time that is unusual for you? Did you just wake up with the pain.
The NHS are not resourced for this. Sciatica is a symptom and not a cause. If it is sciatica there will be pressure on the sciatic nerve either at the nerve root or anywhere along the nerve as it passes down into the leg. So it can be caused by tightness/spasm of the muscles surrounding the nerve.
If I were you I would be calling around and paying to see an Osteopath or remedial massage therapist today.

Crimson I believe this has been caused by endometriosis or post surgical adhesions. Over a month ago I had a verry intense stomach lower left sided pelvic pain which I fainted from. Since then I have had waves of very seveer pulling paon the left handside of my pelvis. This has been investigated with a internal scan and x-ray but both were clear. Given the intensity of pain the GP thought it would be appendicitis or another cause requiring surrgery but this was ruled out by the hospital.

Throughout I have had pain in my leg / hip but we have not known if I have done something by falling, or it is referred pain from the stomach. The physieo feels that what has now happened is I have tensed muscles with pain and the spasoming is causing irritation to thenurve.

I am therefore unsure if I should be pushing for more painrelief to help everything rebalnce with physieo stretches,
Being seen by the gynae surgeon who did my opperation
Other investigations, particularly bowel ones for the stomach pain
Or seeing people for the sciatica type pain.

I wish things were more simple and it was obvious where to spend money to help it.

MN at its best :)

What I said is so true though. You matter.
I hope today brings better results for you.

My doctor explained the separation of meds as taking back a bit of control. I can "stagger" the dihidrocodeine with the paracetamol if I want to and the example you used above would be perfect for you so yes you could take both separately of a day and use the stronger ones for bedtime.

Another medication i use which is massively helpful is diazepam in a small dose of 2mg X2 daily, usually an hour before bed.
It is a muscle relaxer and can help with pain and also tends to make you sleepy which is a bonus.

It's all a bit trial and error with medication and it has taken me 13 years to find what really works for me.
I'm 40 and don't want to spend my whole life like this so have reduced where I can and only take what works.

If you want any advice then please feel free to pm me any time x

Thanks all feeling much better now. I only have the stomach pain and pelvic pain which feels more bearable now it is light. Just had a meeting and trying to decide how long to keep on my everything is fine mask before giving in and remote working.

Zoflorabore Oit sounds like you have a good plan for handling things. Your dr is right about regaining control as its verry individual what sideaffects you will put up for what level of functioning.