And now hip pain, please tell me how you manage to sleep at night as my GP can’t.

[NotAgainWilson]

*Disclaimer: I have been waiting for a GP appointment for MONTHS. So I am looking for practical advice from those who have been there while I wait for my turn**

Now that is cleared, I am struggling to sleep at night with hip pain, whatever position I get my self in, it becomes unbearable after an hour or so.

I have tried different mattresses, I am using a knee pillow, sometimes replaced by a proper pillow, have tried to sleep on both right and left side, facing up (my back hurts), on my tummy (ditto) but I am still spending most of the night awake with pain.

I have tried accupuncture (helped for a bit), doing Pilates for hip pain (it is helping, I can walk more but the pain at night is very much present all the time). I have lost weight (about 10 pounds), I’m still overweight (blame the menopause) but not massively over weight).

Does anybody can suggest other stuff to try before my blooming GP has an appointment available? (Everytime I ask they tell me it will be at least another 9 weeks so we are getting to 6 months now).

I have a bursitis in my hip so same problem but possibly a different reason. These two things are what help me - I have a very firm mattress with a really good topper on it. The combined support of the one and the softer effect of the other really help me. I also take strong anti inflammatory pills - I usually find that taking 2 a day for three days makes a difference. Hope you find something that helps, it's bloody awful.

Evorel patches changed my hip pain within days. I honestly thought I was going to have to have my hips replaced they were so painful.

Can you afford to see a private GP? Awful that you've had to wait so long, really feel for you.

I have the same problem with hip pain and menopause. Hrt helped a little.
I best thing that eases it for me is yin yoga. It's slow paced and deep stretches that you hold for longer periods

Are your Vitamin D levels ok, as low Vit D can cause bone and joint pain

I have constant hip pain. As others have said Evorel really helps with joint pain, but I found (as a side sleeper) cushion between knees and flat pillow for head helped massively.

Very strong painkillers gives me relief at night. Dihydrocodeine works wonders.

apologies you have tried knee pillow, sorry it's not helping. Physio (private appt) also helped.

I don't understand - why cant you get a GP appointment?

Sorry to derail the thread OP, but have you lodged a complaint with the practice manager at your GP surgery? A months long wait for a GP appointment is disgraceful.

If you've already tried this, and the hip pain is now so unbearable that you can't sleep, can you call the GP and get a same day appointment? What is your pain score out of 10? (1 being a niggle and 10 a run over by a bus level of pain?)

In response your question, side sleeping with a firm pillow between my knees helped me, as well as regular paracetamol and ibuprofen

Is that a joke? Have you never been on the merry go round of call at 8am, no appointments left, please call back tomorrow at 8am over and over. Apparently some appointments can be booked in advance but there’s never any left, try again next week also over and over.

Ok. No magic cure but this is what I do for hip impingement made worse by menopause:
HRT
Turmeric
Magnesium
Vit D
Omega 3
avocado soy unsaponifiables
Regular ibuprofen (2 every evening)
Piriton (old fashioned antihistamine which helps sleep)

Swimming
Stretching the hip (various yoga type exercises)

What??

Ohh yes! Absolutely swear by curcuma and Piriton is great too!

Quite

Things that help me are:
Pilates
No alcohol
Anti-inflammatory diet changes eg fish, walnuts, flax seeds
Stretching
Physio
Heat packs

And being prescribed appropriate drugs like escitilopram and Amitriptyline.

Physio (our GP has one) but I ended up paying for a few sessions privately. I have hip impingement as well as menopause stiffness. HRT and magnesium and ibuprofen when really bad.
Sorry you GP is so unhelpful (so is mine).

I agree with the yoga and stretches. Try Adriene’s hip openers. Might work. Might make it worse so see how it feels.

I Have tried the knee cushion for months but, I am not sure if it is too narrow for me (I am tall) as it doesn’t make much difference at all).

There are 3 double beds at home so I have been trying them all for a few days in a row: one is medium firm (the worst for me), the other one is firm (may be the best option but still painful) and an extra firm one with a memory foam topper. I thought the last one was going to make a difference but was thrashing in pain all the night.

I have been in Evorel from last year.

With regards to Vitamin D, I take tablets, consume quite a bit of dairy and get quite a bit of sunlight during the day. I run out of tablets a week ago. I’ll get more tomorrow.

For those taking pain killers, do you take them before going to bed or have them ready to take in the middle of the night?

The pain is not excruciating, just bad enough to keep me thrashing and turning in bed the whole night. It is also particularly noticeable when I stand up after been sitting for a while like after driving or watching TV.

Have you considered booking an appt with a private physio?

Your GP would probably do that anyway.

There are plenty around either running their own practices or part of most private hospitals.

I'd do that. Your GP would only refer you for X rays or to physio anyway.

From what you describe, it sounds like arthritis of the hip.

See a physio.

I have no idea why they are taking so long to call me in. I started with Evorel last year and only got my first HRT check last week. I have thought about changing surgeries but everybody I have asked for a recommendation have said that their practice is just the same.

I will try to get an urgent appointment when they open tomorrow, now whether they would consider hip pain urgent remains to be seen…

I have had 6 appointments with a private physio. They helped but can’t afford them on a regular basis.

The Pilates for hip pain have helped a lot , it is not a class just videos from a physiotherapist in youtube (I have done Pilates for years so I know the principles and not to push myself too little or too much). If it can help anyone here, her name is Jessica Valant.

Nuts, flax and chia/poppy seeds I have every day. Fish about 4 times a week.

Blimey… this is worrying, if I am all doing all these things and I’m still in pain, does that mean I may be worse than I thought?

Ps. I don’t drink alcohol either 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m a nurse. Not to worry you, but night time pain which is keeping you awake is a bit of a red flag symptom for something else going on (not necessarily anything really sinister but possibly something more systemic or autoimmune like rheumatoid arthritis or maybe an infection). Is hip pain your only symptom? How long has it been going on? Does your GP know you can’t sleep at night due to pain? When you finally (!) get to see your GP it might be worth pushing for a set of bloods rather than putting it all down to menopause.

I have had 6 appointments with a private physio. They helped but can’t afford them on a regular basis.

If you have had 6 appts what was the diagnosis?🤔

They can't just treat you without saying what's the underlying cause.

@NotAgainWilson - have you ruled out a bursitis? Mine was very quickly picked up with an ultrasound scan.