Back to minor injuries or see GP?

[owthathurts]

I fell over on the weekend and really hurt my arm/top of the shoulder, TBH I really thought I had broken it as it was so painful. I went to MI and they x-rayed it. Nothing showed up on x-ray so was sent home with a collar and cuff and told to take regular paracetamol/ibrufen. My arm is still really painful and a little bit swollen - as in really painful, I can't move it very far, cant use a spoon, fork, brush my teeth, put underwear on, wash my hair, drive, use a cup with that hand,sorting myself out after going to the toilet, takes ages to get dressed/undressed and its very very painful.

I am now a few days on and I can use my hand more than I could originally but the pain is pretty much as bad in mu upper arm/shoulder. I have googled and with my self diagnosis have come up with rotator cuff injury. MI did say that after a couple of days if no better go back and see them - is going back to them the right thing or should I go and see my GP? The MI department is nurse led, they were lovely and very sympathetic but I am not sue which is the quickest route in getting a firm diagnosis and hopefully some treatment.

My arm/shoulder really hurts!

Its now 8 long weeks on and I still have reduced movement and quite a lot of pain. Have been backwards and forwards to GP as every pain relief just didn't touch it. Main problem is still night time. Have been on tramadol for the last 2 weeks - this has helped a little bit, I would say its taken the edge off it and does help me to sleep.

Am having an ultrasound next Saturday, can't come quick enough.

So I've had the ultrasound and still none the wiser! Scanner would not give me the slight hint of anything that she had scanned, just told me to contact my GP in about 2 weeks and he will tell me what happens next.

I did notice whilst she was scanning she marked one bit with a red circle and then on another bit there was a big arrow and she wrote on the screen calcification. No idea if this was to do with the the red circle or if it was another problem.

I am struggling still, about a month or so ago I could just about undo my bra strap (small amount of pain/discomfort) now I can't get my hand anywhere near it. I am taking paracetamol and ibrofen regularly, back to GP on Monday for more painkillers.

Need answers, it's horrid not being able to drive and do simple things like hang the washing out. Night time is still my worst.

I can understand why ultrasonographers don't like to discuss results but also why it must be frustrating for patients!

They might have spotted some calcific tendonitis but it doesn't make sense that this all started with an injury. If you haven't injured your rotator cuff then it might well be diagnosed as frozen shoulder.

Thanks JohnHunter in getting back to me, I didn't go to the DR's on Monday as I was a little worried that they amy not give me any more tramadol as I had taken over the dose that my Dr had given me - not massively but prescription was written up as 2 tramadol at night and I had been taking it on some days as 2 at teatime, 2 at bed time and then sometimes in the night I would take an extra one if the pain was bad. Anyway to cut a long story short, went today as I really was in pain and the Dr has has told me to taken them throughout the day, she said I can take up to 8 a day!

Also my ultrasound scan results were back too - it shows that I have supraspinatus and my bicep tendonitis. I am being referred back to Physio and she is going to ask Physio if he would recommend a steroid injection, if he says yes then she will do it in 3 weeks. She has told me that I still can't drive.

I haven't yet googled the tendonitis, just really grateful it wasn't a tear!

I am still suffering. 14 long weeks!!! I could have had a steroid injection 10 days ago but I decided against it (panicked), madness I know but it really does still hurt and I'm so scared that if I have injection and it takes away some of the pain what damage could I be doing without knowing.
(I am so worried that they have missed something and that is why I am still suffering - having said that the pain is def nowhere near as bad as when I 1st did it).

These last few days have been awful and I am still taking 8 tramadol a day, these do help a little, I tried yesterday to educe painkillers during the day to see how it would go but suffered last night.

Dr said I could have more physio but the physio has said that I need the steroid. He said I have still not got great movement (I know!!) or made as much improvement as I think I have. Physio reckons my movement is still less than 45 degrees.

Anyone got any other ideas I could try before having a steroid injection?

On the plus side, I have lost a stone and a half in weight due to walking everywhere as I am still not driving.

It's now over 5 and a half months, it has been a long time. I am still not driving, still can't undo my bra at the back, pick a kettle up and pour water into a cup etc.... I do have to remind myself what it was like when I 1st had the accident and how limited my movements were.

I have had 1 steroid injection a few months ago, I was really worried in having one as I was worried that it would just mask the pain and I would do more damage than good. To cut a long story short the GP who did it was amazing and very patient. She put 2 injections in plus 2 local anesthetics. (so well and truly jabbed!) It has helped but not as much as I would have hoped.

Counting down the days to the next steroid and hoping that this will sort it once and for all!

Been a long 6 months and still suffering (although nowhere near as bad).

Have they said if they think you will get full movement back .? I knackered my knee 16 weeks ago, just about to go private and see what the hell is happening.