Anti-inflammatories - how long do they take to work?

[nancerama]

I woke up yesterday morning to find I was totally numb down the left hand side and my skin felt hot and on fire if I touched it. I struggled to walk in a straight line as my left leg was weak and I struggled to control it.

Phoned for an urgent GP appointment and was seen by the nurse practitioner, who didn't examine me, but decided I had a trapped nerve in my back and prescribed anti-inflammatories. To be taken 3 times a day.

I know it's only day 2, but I've taken 6 of the things and am feeling no better at all. Should I stick it out, or go back for a second opinion?

I'm in no pain, but the aching burning sensation is driving me mad, and I feel tired, weak and emotional.

Is it just your leg? Are your bowels and bladder working ok? Can you feel the skin round your bum normally?

If the answers to any of those are no then get an urgent second opinion (tonight).

If not, give it another day and see the GP. Make sure you see the doctor this time.

Burning sensation and feeling run down could be shingles. Have you had chicken pox in the past?

Bowels and bladder are working fine, everything just feels a bit funny with the numb sensation As I can only feel it happening on one side IYSWIM.

I've had chicken pox, years ago. No sign of a rash, so probably not shingles, but you never know.

Feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Ok. So no major emergency but you need to see an actual doctor who needs to actually examine you.

Hope you are on the mend soon.

Is your arm numb?

Arm isn't numb, but the skin on my tummy is both numb and tender at the same time, and impossible to touch. It's bloody weird. I've never experienced Anything like it.

Our GP used to be excellent, but all the partners have recently left or retired and the practice has been taken over by a private company. I get the feeling they aim to get patients in and out as quickly as possible, but I don't feel they have any desire to get to the root of the problem.

I agree with antidote - you need to see a gp. I would push for it to be done soon.

Thank you Kitten and Antidote.

I didn't want them to think me impatient for not getting an instant improvement on the anti-inflammatories. I will call tomorrow morning. DH is working from home tomorrow so can look after DS if I can get an appointment.

I think this is a case where a gp would fully understand if you went in and said 'I'm a bit concerned....' and would hopefully be able to put your mind at rest quickly.
i hope you can get in tomorrow.

I'm going to quietly bet on you getting a rash in the next few days, and this being shingles.

You should definately go back and see the Dr. I went with altered sensation from toes to knees in March this year and they said go back if it got worse. It then spread all the way up to torso but worse on the left hand side. Had a neurology appointment which took over 2 months and was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumour which has now been successfully removed. The last couple of weeks before surgery I could feel it was getting worse very quickly, walking was very unsteady etc.

I don't want to worry you and it probably is not anything like this but I wish I had pushed sooner rather than later for neurologist appointment. I am a lot better but still have the slight numbness etc. which is easy enough to put up with now I know it could have been a lot worse.

Just wanted to add to the above that I had neuropathy which is altered sensation/numbness but the good news is that it can be caused by lots of different things. For example, low B vitamin levels, low ferritin, low thyroid, diabetes, all of which are treatable.

Thanks Superstar. That must have been such a scary time for you. I hope you're on the mend now.

Been back to the GP today and she's sent me straight to A&E. Got to A&E and was told they were expecting me and sent me straight to a bay. Lots of cross faces from the people in the waiting room.

Now facing a bazillion tests.

Thank you all for telling me to seek a second opinion.

It has been 3 weeks since I had the surgery and still painful but am getting there slowly. You are in the best place and please let us know how you get on with all the tests and hope you get some answers. I was wishing for a problem to be found so that there could be a solution otherwise you are totally in the dark (sounds weird but hope you know what I mean). Will be thinking of you.

some hugely un-mn hugs. Well done for getting to the gp.

After all this, if you feel up to it, perhaps a complaint to the practice manager might be a good idea. The nurse practitioner operated beyond their remit I think.

Keep up updated - thinking of you.

Home again! Been poked, prodded, bashed and scratched and MRIed to within an inch of my life and am no closer to knowing what is actually up!

The doctors don't think anything serious is happening, as it's not getting any worse, so they didn't need to keep me in, but I'm under strict instructions to go straight back if anything else should happen or if my symptoms get worse. Until then I wait for an appointment with the consultant neurologist to come through. They think there is inflammation somewhere in my spine, but they don't know why.

I never want another MRI again. It's like being trapped inside the internet. The computer crashed half way through, so I had to do it twice

Well done for escaping! Sometimes bodys can do really strange inexplicable things. I hope it resolves quickly and that your neurology appt comes through quickly. aKeep us posted.

Pleased to hear that you are home but sorry you did not get any answers yet. If it is imflammation as they think then hopefully the pills you are already taking will soon help but don't hesitate to go back if it does get worse. Big hugs.

As I'm not in any pain, they don't think there's any injury, and nothing showed on the MRI.

They suspect the spinal cord is inflamed in some way. There were some mutterings about something viral or the body attacking itself. They are hopeful that at some point it will realise its mistake and heal itself. Could be days, or weeks, or months. They don't think it's going to get worse though, thankfully. If it does get worse, I'm confident that they will take great care of me.

Having spent the day on a ward with mostly very confused octogenarians, I feel pretty positive. I have my brain and there's nothing I can't do at the moment, even if I feel a bit funny.

That's the spirit :)