To actually cry over this fucking shoulder pain?

[TheOGWanKenobi]

This is really fucking me off to the point of tears, and I usually have a high pain threshold.

A couple of years back I dislocated my shoulder and have partially dislocated it a few times since then. I've had physio etc and usually do my exercises religiously. I've had some recurrent shoulder pain, investigations were delayed due to lockdown etc. It turns out the pain is actually due to a calcium build up, not previous injuries. I am waiting for an appointment to have barbotage (calcium broken up and sucked out) and they will do a steroid/anaesthetic injection as well.

I'm used to the injections as I also have connective tissue disease so have had them in different joints and they work well for me, so I'm hopeful the shoulder treatment will solve it, but there will be a long wait for this. I currently am prescribed nortriptyline/naproxen/codeine and tramadol anyway to manage the pain of connective tissue disease, I take them the codeine/tramadol on a "when needed" basis and try to use it as little as possible. However they aren't even touching the shoulder pain even at max dose. It really really fucking hurts and I can't do my shoulder exercises as I can't move the bastard thing.

The GP won't do anything other than refer me back to physiotherapy (which I have already had! plus it's a telephone appointment ) They won't prescribe oramorph or morphine patch as (just to add to my woes) I also have epilepsy. I've recently added Keppra to my meds as my seizures weren't controlled (they were the cause of the shoulder injury) I said I would take the increased seizure risk as the pain is 24/7 and even a small dose for a short period may help me "get on top of it". But they won't prescribe it. I have left messages for neurology to see if they agree it's too risky and rheumatology to see if they have any other advice.

Fuck me it hurts. I've cried today and I am usually really hardcore I live with chronic pain, I have given birth without epidurals and when I had my last tattoo I didn't even "feel" it. I've put my dislocated shoulder back in myself (I know now you're not meant to do that). So I'm not a wimp but this shoulder pain is too much! I've tried gel, heat, patches etc etc. Freeze gel and ice is the only thing that makes a small dent in the pain but it's still so bad.

I think I just want a vent and lots of sympathy but if anyone has any experience or advice it would also be great! I know I have "complicated" health making things difficult but the thought of having this level of pain until I get an appointment is bringing me down a lot.

Sorry, haven’t RTFT, But have you thought of trying a tens machine? It really helps with some chronic joint pain that I’m having. Might be worth a try for 20 quid from Amazon?

Oh my goodness I could cry with relief.
I too suffer with either frozen shoulder or rotator cuff, no one will diagnosis me properly!
I'm in constant pain, lacking in sleep but feel like I've finally found people who understand the pain I'm in.
I have some pain relief but it doesn't work. Physio over the phone and left to it. It feels like I'll never get better.
I've not slept through the night since last September

@MrsWooster

Sorry, haven’t RTFT, But have you thought of trying a tens machine? It really helps with some chronic joint pain that I’m having. Might be worth a try for 20 quid from Amazon?

I was thinking about getting one! Does it work well for you?

A thick layer of freeze gel is about the closest I get to pain relief. The tingling gives my brain something else to think about!

JoanThursday
It really does- it distracts from the underlying pain and I think there’s a psychological effect of helping relax the tense-against-the-pain factor which makes it so much worse.

I would try anything at this stage, even a placebo effect would be good. I know some people disagree with this, but my experience, and pain clinic was useful for this, was that psychological/mental state has a huge impact on pain and physical issues. (Think of mentally feeling embarrassed and then physically feeling hot and cheeks turning red) So even something like those candles in your ears, which I would normally be very about, if my mind convinced me there was a benefit, I'd take that!

Having said that, I think a TENS machine is out because of seizures. Which aren't helping here as I have a load of bruises on my legs and what feels like a pulled muscle at the back of my thigh (is it a hamstring?) and feel like shit so I think I've had seizure Definitely mild compared to previous so I think new meds may be having an positive effect but it's not fucking helped as now my legs hurt too. And my speech and word recall is shit (I won't tell you how long this has taken to type, please ignore any SPaG errors!)

The one benefit of the meds is that I'm sleeping at night and all day if I could which is unbelievable - I really feel for those of you not sleeping as it makes everything so much worse. On the note above, would nytol or similar be useful? And if not, would a GP prescribe something stronger?

This is probably another thread, but I hate how women (and I'm guilty of this myself) are just socialised not to seek medical advice when they should and just get on with stuff instead of putting themselves first. And don't start me on how women are treated differently when they do seek medical help. Fuck me, I am in a foul mood today.

Hope everyone is feeling more cheerful than me, and the storm isn't causing too many problems.

And anyone who finds cold gel helpful, I've tried loads and one called Bio Freeze is better than the cold version of Deep Heat and others I have tried, it's really good and very numbing.

Well, an update just for me to vent really

After speaking to ortho who said they will do their best, it should be a couple of weeks before I get a date, I also spoke to rheum who said they also recommend increased pain relief. Neuro also said they recommend the morphine as I have to strike a balance between living in pain 24/7 and increased seizure risk, so although the final choice to take it should be mine, they are happy with my decision.

So I rang the GP again (after ringing each morning on four consecutive days to get an appt) and got a different GP. Who basically said despite neuro confirming it, he won't prescribe morphine as it's a seizure risk. He asked me to ask neuro to put it in writing as an email. He also said they cld do a steroid injection at the GP. I said ortho advised against this as they won't do the barbotage/injections if I've already had the steroids. (plus the last steroid injection the GP did was shit, only my rheum injections actually seem to work) We left it as he would speak to the original GP and I would get neuro to email to approve the morphine.

I then got a text saying the two GPs have decided the best course of action was for them to contact ortho to ask about a steroid injection and if not to "expedite" the barbotage (despite me already saying I've already contacted them - they said I'm on the list and have to wait and they wouldn't recommend the injection prior to barbotage!)

I have emailed the surgery to explain all the above again (for the third fucking time) and asked if I could just have some fucking (I didn't swear in the email!) pain relief. I said I can't move my arm, it's severe pain which I'm really struggling with and I can't sleep, which is a seizure trigger for me ironically.

I cannot cope. I have been in tears again this morning (and I never cry about pain usually) The pain is so bad and it's constant. I don't know what else I can do! (I also have another very large but unrelated worry this week which isn't helping).

I don't know what else I can do. How can they just leave me like this. I originally spoke to the GP on 11th Feb. I have rang three different medical depts who all advise increased pain relief is the way forward. I'm waiting for a reply to my email and if they won't prescribe something for the pain I seriously think I will have a breakdown, I just can't live like this.

It's frustrating me also as they're really making me feel as though they think I'm just after some hard drugs to get high or something

In the last two years I have had (on top of usual joint pain and other CTD problems) a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs, I've bitten through my lips, a chest infection, covid, pneumonia (I actually think my "usual" female GP prescribed morphine then but I don't remember very well) and have never asked for stronger drugs, I just get on with it.

Today my fucking knee is hurting like a bastard, held together with KT tape and I can't weight bear on it but this is business as usual and I just get on with it.

For me to say I can't cope with my shoulder pain is not me looking for hard drugs, it's me saying I can't cope but they're not taking me seriously.

(It's no surprise to me that my usual GP is female and these two doctors are male but that's maybe a different thread...)

If you have the number of your consultant's secretary they tend to get things done faster than going through official channels like email. So give her (it's usually "her") a call. Cry down the line. That should work.

Hi OPn you have my sympathy. I had this calcium build up a few years ago and it was so painful in almost passed out. I went to urgent care with mine, they x rayed it. They actually have me a few exercises to do to keep it mobile as they said it is worse to keep it still. It probably took 6 weeks or so to go completely. I hope you feel better soon.

That sounds unbearably painful. DD2 has EDS and suffers daily dislocations. She’s takes Zomorph and Servedol which are opiates plus a load of other stuff. They don’t take away the pain but they do take the edge off and that allows her to function.

Oh just getting replies has made me feel better, thank you (and hearing I'm not the only one to find it so painful!)

It's the secretary I have spoken to at ortho (and yes, she's a she, as is my brilliant rheum consultant and brilliant specialist neuro nurse, definitely a pattern there!)

I can't do my shoulder exercises (and I'm religious about my exercises normally) as I literally can't move my arm - and YY this is exactly what I'm thinking, if I can get something that will "take the edge off" I may be able to move it more and I know exercise will help.

God I am so fucked off. Because I spent so many days trying to actually get a GP appt I couldn't get the day my usual GP is in and now she is on holiday.

If they're still obstructive I swear I'm going to get my Stanley knife and pressure washer and and sort this calcium out myself!

That sounds dreadful! I just wanted to send you a shit ton of sympathy as I’ve been through excruciating back pain issues myself

I've had frozen shoulder since last October and when I jolt it, I'm literally incapacitated with pain. Like another poster I had 2 paracetamol for my last birth, tongue piercing with no pain relief. I'm only 42! You definitely have my sympathy. My husband has to help me dress. So frustrating for you.

I'm on Celecoxib tablets and have a session with a chiropractor once a week. When I first went I thought it would be nice and gentle like a massage - oh how wrong I was! It helps though.

Oh lolli we sound similar! I don't even "feel"'tattoos apart from a scratching sensation so I'm far from delicate

Thinking about it, I'm sure this is the doctor who treated DH like a skiving malingerer out for a sick note when he saw him about foot pain (DH had to join the surgery to see him, he hadn't even seen a doctor in decades and if his head fell off he would just walk around with it under his arm ) Turned out to be broken when I finally begged him to go to A and E later that week after he wouldn't go because "but the GP said it was fine"

That's so annoying. You shouldn't be treated as if you're making it up.

Keep pushing for treatment.

If it's anything like frozen shoulder it should get better in time. I definitely took my health for granted up until this - I exercise (go hiking, gym, cycling) and am a healthy weight, and didn't think I had to think about it for a long time (although, until recently used to drink too much, too often).

When I get better I am going to do some daily yoga as I've always had rubbish flexibility.

I can’t say that this will work for everyone, but my partner had some sort of frozen shoulder/rotator cuff problem (he refused to see a doctor 🙄) for about 2 years and was maxed out on Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. I got him to go and see a friend of mine who is a qualified deep tissue massage therapist (they’re easy to find via Google). The massage is about as far from a ‘beauty’ massage as you can get, and he was pretty knackered afterwards, but the next day the pain had all but gone and he continued to improve. This was about 4 years ago and hasn’t returned since. He went from 16 OTCs a day to none in the space of a few days.

Sorry it's still shit OP. Really hope the medics get their act together soon.

Ooh I don't think I could handle deep tissue massage, I can barely tolerate the weight of a sleeve on it - luckily I'm not arsed about wearing bras It's actually the "outside side" of my shoulder/upper arm that hurts the most now though rather than the top or shoulder blade (which was the painful bit after injuries).

I actually said to DH before I was seriously considering dislocating it again so I could go to hospital and get some gas and air and then see if they would do anything about proper pain relief! I was only half joking, the thing that stops me is taking up time in A and E when they're so busy.

my only handy tip is to get one of those V pillows ...layer it up with your other pillows so that one pillow arm is in front and one behind, it's a really effective wedge, and better than ordinary pillows that creep away.

I've suffered really badly with frozen shoulders in the past....diclofenac really helped, plus Boots used to do a paracetamol codeine combo that the pharmacist recommended to piggyback/alternate to keep the pain down to a dull roar!

Oh you have my sympathy. I had a shoulder issue a few years ago that started off as a bugging pain but became unbearable. My husband had to drive me to hospital at 1am one night and they ended up keeping me in a drugging me up. I had a shoulder ultrasound and they found calcification. The dr gave me a steroid injection right there and then. It was so painful but helped a lot. After that I went to a Chinese medicine clinic and had cupping, blood letting and acupuncture. (I don't live in the UK) those treatments really helped too. About a year or so later, the same thing happened to my other shoulder. Good luck!

God so many of us have suffered with shoulders!

I am resting with a towel bundled up into a comfy shape to support my arm which is helping. My epilepsy nurse just rang me and said the consultant will write a letter telling the GP to give me morphine and not leave me in pain and will email it to GP and copy me in. So hopefully it will finally be sorted...

In other news DH made a special trip to the ice cream shop to bring me a bubblegum ice cream (only they make it and it's amazing) which has cheered me up a little

@I8toys try fastening your bra at the front, twizzling it around the back, then slip bad arm through shoulder strap first then the other👍 occupational therapist and frozen shoulder surviver🙋 the physio I worked with said it would take 18 months and get better itself, she was right, although as it gets less painful you need to do exercises which you can get off the internet. Pendulum style swinging it loosely and fingers crawling up the wall. My sympathies to all with it, the pain and inability to move and function normally is very debilitating 💐

In the days when I did wear bras I used to have front fastening ones, some had a simple clasp at the front (like cat release dollars ) and were halter neck type which takes the weight ofF your shoulders and some were thicker soft fabric sports style bras with multiple normal bra fastenings at the front and wide shoulder straps. In case it's helpful to anyone else!