To just want the strongest possible drugs?

[inalotofpainnow]

Which sounds dodgy as hell

Have really hurt my arm and shoulder and in a lot of pain. At first I just took paracetamol but after a few days it became apparent it wasn’t working and so saw my GP who prescribed naproxen. That also hasn’t worked and so made another appointment. This time I was sent to the physiotherapist which might have been helpful if she’d actually done any physio!

So now I’m facing another awful night and I can’t. I’m desperate for some strong pain relief. How can I get it at this time? I’ve no history of misuse of drugs and I only had a couple of paracetamol after two c sections so I’m not prone to dramatics but it really, really hurts.

Analgesia should be a stepwise approach, not in at the deep end.

Have you tried staggered paracetamol & ibuprofen? your local pharmacy can advise you on this and other over the counter options.

Other than that it'll be for your GP to prescribe.

Yes - I haven’t jumped from nothing to the strongest possible! I went from regular paracetamol and ibuprofen to stronger (neurofen plus) then prescribed - nothing has helped and I just can’t face another night like last one and all week. I’m desperate for some sleep!

The strongest isn't always the best. Having strong opiates may just make you feel like crap.

Pharmaceutical only isn't always the best.

Did the physio give you any specific advice or exercises to do?

Heat/cold/movement/Tens/relaxation may all have some place.

As mentioned above, start with staggering paracetamol and naproxen.

When I had a bad sciatica flare I used to take minimal pain relief during the day and then do exercise routine/warm bath then Tens machine plus strongest pain relief just before bed so that I can get some sleep. The combination of muscle relaxation/stimulation plus pharmaceuticals worked for me.

Codeine? What kind of pain is it?

Can you get some over the counter co-codamol 8/500? You can take 2 of those alongside the naproxen

Whatever it is, I just need it to relieve the pain. I’m not prone to theatrics for no reason but I am honestly quite scared of tonight. The last couple of nights have just been awful. I’ve got some exercises but they don’t seem very effective.

Cocodamal (I can't spell it and too lazy to Google) with paracetamol.

If you can get Diazepam it will DEFINITELY help.

I’m hoping for something to reduce the spasms in my arm. I’m sure it’s something and nothing; I’m not suggesting it’s anything serious but it’s painful whatever it is and it’s massively impinging on my life.

Try over the counter co-codamol which contains paracetamol so you cannot take it with paracetamol but you can combine it with naproxen but talk to the pharmacist too. They are a wealth of information.

I also second @Womblingmerrily in trying heat or cold to see if any of that helps too. If anyone you know has a TENs machine you could borrow that. If they are like me they will have a stash of new pads so it won't have been attached to their skin.

Not sure if co codamol will work when nothing else OTC has. Worth a shot since I’m not getting anywhere with the GP.

Try cocodamol and naproxen together.

Do not take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you do though.

They should give you co-cocodamol

Don't laugh, OP, but try liquid NightNurse. It's paracetemol and anti-histamine and something else.

Or else, try co-codamol, as PPs have suggested, and some strong anti-histamine. The drowsy kind.

See if they'll give you Diclofenac, it's my drug of choice for Trigeminal Neuralgia but get it as a suppository if you can, as I've always found the tablets upset my stomach.

You can get co-codamol over the counter.

I would go the local Boots Pharmacy for Co-codamol. They do 12.5/500mg which is the strongest non prescription I think.

Also try a painkilling gel but ask the pharmacy for advice.

@Charabanc i know what you mean but the problem is it knocks me out the next day and I have two preschoolers!

Did you actually injure your arm/shoulder or not?

If not it could be frozen shoulder, gps in my experience are woefully unaware of the extremeness of the pain and how utterly soul-destroying it can be, especially at night. I ended up on oramorphe at bedtime for mine.

I went to a pharmacy to get the strongest pain relief I could when I had toothache. Solpadeine actually had a little more codeine in than non-prescription cocodamol.

Ask your GP for some muscle relaxants. If that combined with naproxen and paracetamol doesnt work then go back and ask for something like gabapentin which works on nerve pain

what does the gp think you have done to cause the pain?

What strength naproxen have they given you?
is it muscle spasms? Honestly heat is often the best thing to relax spasms.
I have a nerve issues in my shoulder and that triggers muscles spasms at times. Things which work for me are finding pressure points on my shoulder that are tender and pressing them until the pain subsides - hurts like hell for about 30 seconds then starts to ease.
I also find lying on my front with my shoulder supported by a pillow. Arm bent behind my back. Sort of forcing it into a shoulders back position. Slept like that for years as it was the only way I could stay comfortable.

Meds wise Naproxen - check what strength you’re taking. It takes a bit longer to really kick in than ibuprofen as it’s usually a longer lasting med (12hrs) make sure you take it with food.
Co-codamol.
But overwhelmingly keeping it warm was the best hot packs whenever possible. And keep it moving

Paramol - you can take it with naproxen

I had some type of frozen shoulder years ago. Had it for months, GP prescribed anxicalm as a muscle relaxant. It might help if you are having spasms.
I had codipar for back injury where my back kept going into painful spasms

I agree with those saying co-codamol is worth a try.

Pain relief is a step by step thing, GP’s are under a lot of pressure now to do it this way and giving out the really strong stuff is an absolute last resort after everything else has failed really.

I recently fell and hurt my back, Paracetamol and Ibuprofen weren't helping so tried co-codamol but my pharmacist was very anti, anyway they gave me constipation which is not ideal when your in pain. Different pharmacist recommended Nuromol, they were fab and you take them every six hours, they start to work straight away, that and a hot water bottle got me through the first few days.