DS' painful fractured ankle - something wrong?

[cakedup]

Any medics out there or anyone fractured an ankle before?

DS fractured his ankle last Tuesday, so it's been a week. He had it plastered on the Friday.

It was getting gradually better, but every now and again he gets terrible pain and I'm not sure if something is wrong? He was back at school today, said it hurt a bit was manageable. The pain has returned at home when he has gone from elevating his leg to lowering his leg to get down.

I'm wondering if something is wrong? He says he thinks it's when he moves so that his foot moves slightly in the plaster. I thought it wasn't meant to move at all?

I had decreased his painkillers as I he did seem to be getting much better and felt conscious he was taking a lot - paracetamol and ibuprofen around the clock for the first few days. The medic who plastered his leg advised me to drop the ibuprofen as it was quite a heavy medication. I also decreased his paracetamol a bit, but now his been getting this unmanageable sporadic pain I'm thinking I should up the dose.

Emailed the fracture clinic, they said I can either come into the clinic this Friday or else A&E.

He is currently stuck on the sofa, not able to move.

If the pains getting worse instead of better that its worth getting it checked as soon as you can as sometimes a break that's set can slip and need remanipulated/ pinned. How old is he? I'd go back to giving him proper doses of paracetamol and ibuprofen. As long as he eats sometime with the ibuprofen and its the right dose for his weight it shouldn't do him any harm.

It could also be muscle spasm type pain because his body is trying to move a limb that can't be moved. In this case para and ibuprofen prob would help much but it should get better over time. Worth getting him checked asap though.

Put the paracetamol back up to the proper dose, it won't be effective at a lower one.

Entirely possible his foot was swollen post op and has now shrunk, so is a bit loose in the cast - definitely worth getting that checked out. I'd take the fracture clinic appt. as a and e will only refer you back to them anyway.

Thank you IwillrunIwillfly . Meant to say, he is 11 years old.

Not sure whether to wait for Friday - when we can be seen by the specialised team or go to A&E where no doubt we'll be waiting hours.

Yes, you're right, I will get him back on regular paracetamol and also add the ibuprofen back in.

Ah yes NattyTile I didn't think of that! His foot was very swollen so it may well have gone down which is why there is more space in the plaster.
I presume he'll be able to take the paracetamol into school and take it himself.