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General health

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Original poster

DS pain in wrist, in a cast. WWYD

29 replies

mindgoinground12 · 27/01/2019 16:08

So DS4 11, fell over 4 weeks ago and broke his wrist, not a major break but a break none the less. He's been in a plaster cast ever since, the first couple days he was in pain nothing a bit of calpol couldn't fix, today he's been in quite a bit of pain, he's tearful, have given calpol and children's neurofen which has helped a bit. But i dont know what to do. So a bit of background, my DS1, 2 and 4 and myself have EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) me and DS1 have it quite mildly but DS2 and 4 have it worse. DS4 is more prone to dislocations and sprains (I had a thread about him being flamed for using a priority seat on a bus a month or so ago) so not as used to breaks! DS4 has been doing alot better recently hasnt had to use his wheelchair or walking frame as much, so he pushed him self abit to much at school was on a ledge bit of a climbing frame (about 25cm above ground) his leg sublaxed and he fell and broke his wrist.
I dont know what to do today;
dont think i can phone plaster room as its not a probelm with his cast.
111 would possible say A&E as dont think a doc tor would do anything.
And i know some people may be saying stop asking take him to be looked at! But due to his condtion he hates going to hospital as hes there a lot so dont want to unless absoloutly necessary, hence asking. I also have all other 4 DC's at home alone!

Also its not more swollen and i dont think hes banged it or knocked it.

Thank you if you got this far!

OP posts:

LunaLovesgood · 27/01/2019 16:11

Personally I would take him up to the hospital to get it checked out. I can understand why you wouldn't really want to though.. no advice but hopefully a bump until someone who knows what they're on about comes along

kaytee87 · 27/01/2019 16:12

I was told to phone the plaster room for something like this when I was in cast. They can remove it and if it needs looked at they'll get a doctor to check it

ForeignnessAlert · 27/01/2019 16:15

You need to get it looked at. When DS broke his wrist we were told to go back if he had pain because it could mean the bone had slipped.

Evidencebased · 27/01/2019 16:17

It's a shame he doesn't like hospital, but if , the worst case , it's some sort of infection under the cast, going now ,to the plaster room, will mean fewer trips in the long run.

I seem to remember ringing the ward first, and being told , plaster room, pronto, but my DS had been in having ortho surgery, so maybe you don't have a ward to ring? In which case, just get yourself to the plaster room now, while there's still someone there.
Otherwise A&E.
Good luck.

corythatwas · 27/01/2019 16:20

I'd go back or ring plaster room. There is of course a chance that the pain is simply from EDS which can affect the way that your brain processes pain, e.g. letting pain linger after the original cause has been removed. But I'd still want it checked out.

Original poster

mindgoinground12 · 27/01/2019 16:29

Ive only just relised plaster room wont be open today as its sunday, anything a&e w ould do except x-ray? should i wait and phone tommrow

OP posts:

kaytee87 · 27/01/2019 16:31

A&E can remove a plaster if needs be. I'd get it seen to. If his cast has become too tight or too loose it can cause pain and other issues.
My leg plaster was replaced 3 times in an 8 week period.

Evidencebased · 27/01/2019 16:51

It was the weekend when I had to take DC to plaster room.

Why not ring A&E, or plaster room, and ask them what to do?

Original poster

mindgoinground12 · 27/01/2019 17:04

tried to phone plaster room no one there. DS is adament its know not that bad and he can wait till tommrow

OP posts:

minisoksmakehardwork · 27/01/2019 17:06

I had this as a kid. Broke wrist and was plastered Thursday night. By Sunday afternoon I was in so much pain my parents took me to minors. They cut the cast and bandaged it as my wrist was swelling in the cast due to being set just slightly at the wrong angle. If it's causing him pain get it cut today and ring plaster room tomorrow morning.

LeeMiller · 27/01/2019 17:08

An ice pack (or some frozen peas) on the cast might help to relieve the pain, when I broke my wrist I found ice more effective than painkillers.

ragged · 27/01/2019 17:33

No pain until the 18 hrs?
I don't understand how he could have dislocated it without noticing he did something severe to it in the last 48 hours.
Everyone I know who has had dislocations is in horrendous agony about it. Far worse than OP describes.
So that leaves... a ligament injury? But again, how would that be connected to the break 4 weeks ago, without another significant event?
Is it a skin elasticity problem under the cast?

Let us know what you find out, OP.

ragged · 27/01/2019 17:33

*last 18 hrs...

Original poster

mindgoinground12 · 27/01/2019 18:08

he seems a bit more settled, Its not more swollen he can move his fingers okay, he wont have dislocated it as its in a plaster cast and straight, ligament injury possible.
Ive told him if it gets worse we are going straight up, if not im rininging plaster room first thing in the morning.
Thanks for the advice

OP posts:

Santaclarita · 27/01/2019 18:10

It shouldn't really still be hurting now. Ive broken my wrist and leg and both stopped hurting within a few days of the breaks. I would contact the hospital to ask.

sueelleker · 27/01/2019 19:00

I don't think an ice pack will do much good though a plaster cast.

Evidencebased · 27/01/2019 19:22

Good luck to you both for tomorrow.

corythatwas · 27/01/2019 19:44

It's the EDS that actually makes me think possibly it might not be urgent. Family with EDS here and lingering pain does seem to go with it to a certain extent.

Original poster

mindgoinground12 · 27/01/2019 21:53

Thats what i possibly thought @Coreythatwas but not to uptodate with breaks, so i guess cant be 100%

OP posts:

Queenie8 · 27/01/2019 22:02

I had my arm in a cast twice. First time 12 weeks, second time 16 weeks. Every time the cast got too loose I'd be in a lot of pain with it. It could also be set at slightly the wrong angle. Definitely get it checked and potentially changed. The muscles waste causing the cast to be too big.

He has my sympathy, break pain is so different to a sprain pain.

MNHQ

AnyaMumsnet · 28/01/2019 09:46

Hi there all,

We're going to move this to Children's Health at OP's request.

sayitisntsojo · 28/01/2019 09:52

My dd broke her wrist just over a year ago, she had lots of pain whilst in the cast, they thought it was because she still had some mobility and put it into a cast up to her shoulder. She has hypermobility and as a result of the break she got a pain disorder in the wrist which is still not resolved. I would go ask for hospital advice or speak to your EDS consultant

LeeMiller · 28/01/2019 12:25

@sueelleker in my experience ice packs work surprisingly well through casts to relieve pain, hospital instructed me to ice my cast 4x per day for the first 10days to reduce swelling.

Hope the issue is resolved OP.

Original poster

mindgoinground12 · 28/01/2019 14:34

Just back from plaster room re x rayed isn't healing as hoped so new cast in and consultant review tommrow.

OP posts:

ragged · 28/01/2019 19:57

Thanks for update. Oh dear, about not healing well. :(

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