Arthritis in Hips

[Chaffinch]

Anyone got any tips on dealing with the pain of arthritis of the hips. I have had it for the past couple of years in both hips, and am now on the waiting list for a hip replacement. I've been vertually pain free for the past couple of months, but now its back with a vengance, my left hip being slightly worse then the right.

I'm taking zapain ( 30mg codein+500mg Paracetamol) with no effect at all. I have a hot water bottle on it right now. I've also changed my office chair. I cannot sleep for the pain at the moment, so any advice would be helpful. I'm only 53 (ha ha only!!!!!), and I take regular exersize, and an not overweight.

[Sqad]

Morning my love....bloody horrible, the deep seated pain of arthritis.....UK weather is not the place for the arthritics.....come and live with me in the sun.;-)

In my opinion Ibuprofen 600mgms is better than Zapain......on the Continent, one can buy 600mg tablets, but you can't in the UK,so you will have to take 3*200mgms in one go. The hot water bottle on your hip at night is a good measure to relieve the pain.

[Chaffinch]

I've packed my case and am on my way :)

Unfortunatly I cant take Ibuprofen, as I have a stomach ulcer! I'm a bit better today though, but I think your right its the weather. I just hoped someone would have a "magic" tip.

[Sqad]

////I just hoped someone would have a "magic" tip.///

I think that you would find that my"tip" would be "magic" ;-)

[Chaffinch]

lol Sqad, your encouragable x

[Sqad]

;-)

[Brenden]

Sqad, how often do you take 600mg of ibuprofen a day to get relief from arthritic pain?

[Sqad]

brenden .....whenever required up to 4times a day.....maximum.

[ethandron]

my orthopaedic surgeon (i have two resurfaced hips, done 10 months apart the year i was 50) told me it's the change in atmospheric pressure which causes the pain rather than warmth or cold, bones being a honeycombe and susceptible to pressure changes. made sense to me but if a hottie works for you then i would carry on using it.
i'm sorry to say i found nothing really helped with the dull ache although co-codamol took the edge off sometimes. you wait till you've had your op, you'll be dancing round like a spring chicken again, i got almost to the top of snowdon with mine. best of luck :o)

[Brenden]

Thank you sqad. I asked this for future reference having had one hip replacement - and not the information regarding ibuprofen - I was forever falling over and in constant pain like chaffinch no sleep at nights, so am preparing myself if the need arises for the other hip,

[Sqad]

Brenden...no problem.

[China Doll]

Can I ask a really stupid question please? Can anyone describe the sort of pain/discomfort they experience with regards to arthritis in their hips?

[Sqad]

CD.... have not had pain in my hips for the past 25 years since i had both hips replaced......Charnley cemented prosthesis in both hips.

Initially i got a pain in my knees, which would keep me awake at night...a deep boring pain which was only relieved by analgesics. When I was on my feet, walking etc, the pain was minimal, but as soon as i rested.....the pain returned.
This pattern is typical of OA hip, but the opposite in OA of the knee.

Then the pain made me limp when walking and became much worse at night,deep boring "nagging" pain which was only relieved by sleeping next to the radiator, whiskey and Ibuprofen.

Nothing since my hip replacements....25 years ago.

[LoftyLottie]

The nearest thing I can describe for this sort of pain is 'toothache'. Sounds silly, but toothache in the hips best describes it for me.

[China Doll]

Thank you both. That doesn't sound like my symptoms but I think perhaps my hip op of earlier this year has not worked. (There is a long history of osteoarthritis on my maternal side so pretty sure that's me marked for the future but perhaps not yet!)

[ethandron]

china, the first pain i experienced in connection with my hip was a short, sharp pain when i did any twisting movement like making the bed or turning to a different surface in the kitchen, short sharp movements. when this happened, my hip would let me down so to speak and i would veer towards that side. this worstened considerably in a short space of time and after some investigations, i was told it was referred pain from my back, which i disputed. however, i joined a pilates class to try and strengthen my back and carried on for another 12 months, by which time i was using two sticks to get around. by now i was also experiencing pain in my groin and on the outside of my leg by the hip joint. my knee was also now giving me trouble due to the way i was walking.
eventually, after more investigations, it was decided it was my hip after all (hoorah!) and due to my relatively young age and the fairly good condition of the hip joint, a hip resurfacing was suggested (a birmingham hip).
i hope you get it sorted out, china.

[China Doll]

Mmmmm... those short sharp pains sound familiar along with the hip giving out when twisting etc.. :-/ I had a cam hip impingment and a funny shaped bone which is what I had the op for but I'm starting to experience the same symptoms as prior to the op. I have a follow up in December so will monitor until then. Thanks for the information :c)

[jno]

yikes, poor China, hope they can pick up whatever is still bugging you. The grief of having an op, and then it not working, can't be much fun.

[Brenden]

I also had acute pain in the groin area.

[ethandron]

apparently, the ball part of my hip had a flattened area on it and the surgeon told me after the op that the bone was quite soft. i think if you don't present with 'typical' symptoms then it's difficult to give a diagnosis. it was also suggested to me at the beginning of investigations that it could be avascular necrosis (i think that's how you spell it) as it call came on so quickly.
at least you're being followed up china, let's hope something can be sorted for you.

[China Doll]

Yes, pain in groin area also very familiar too sadly.

I have a great consultant and his reg is also very good so I have faith in them. I'm just a bit grumpy that it might not have worked. But perhaps it's still within healing time. There's some part of the hip that is supposed to be light bulb in shape (or something like that), and mine was dead straight (congenital) which wasn't helping.

Maybe my hip just doesn't like winter and it'll be better in summer :c)