At My Wits End

[emmie]

never thought would say that but i can't get to grip with what is going on.
had base of spine pain for months, it started as a dull ache and has progressed to something i don't understand nor can get the pain under control. Pain radiates from the neck right down the spine, bending sends burning sensation across should blades, down the spine, back, to add to this can't bend hardly nor can i get footwear on well as it's all painful. throbbing pains downs both legs and like electrical shocks down into ankles and toes, especially the big toe either sitting or walking.. I have seen the GP number of times who has given me Naproxen, but it really doesn't help much. I have been waiting to see a Neuro team, for some reason the GP finally tells me that the Neurosurgeon won't take up my case, i didn't ask to see a Neurosurgeon! only someone to explain and have a look at doing scans to see what is going on, so now i have to wait more weeks to see the Neuro team.
left knee swollen again and painful, and to add insult to injury have the same blasted pain across the bridge of the nose and down the face that have had for months. i haven't felt as bad as this in years,

[emmie]

i have looked at options on going private, but am really not in a position financially to do it...

[craft1948]

I'd shell out for an osteopath's consultancy...........

[emmie]

not sure what an osteopath can do, i don't know what is causing this, if it was in one place i might have a clue, but this is radiating from back of neck right down to toes..

[albaqwerty]

my first thought is to change your gp.

You might not need a neurosurgeon, it could be arthritis or osteo-arthritis and you need one of those specialists.

Swollen knee? Cartiilege maybe?

Pain is nasty and depressing.

[craft1948]

emmie I was in terrible pain for months and I swear each time I mentioned a bad back my doctor's eyes glazed over. I thought it was due to a sports injury from a few years previously and I just put up with it, until my brother-in-law finally took me to see his osteopath. It cost £35 a session and it took 4 sessions until I was pain free.
It apparently wasn't my back, the pain was due to my pelvis and the way I walked (unevenly again down to a sports injury) putting strain on my back.

[emmie]

this is pain out of all known pain, except once, and that was an tooth abscess which nearly drove me insane, and i am now going that way again. both hips hurt sitting and walking, have had to resort to some knock out drops to sleep through as i was waking up in the night in pain...

[emmie]

i played a lot of sport when young and into my 30's or so, but real life took over, now i can't walk without pain...

[emmie]

this is the third time the left knee has become very swollen in the last couple of years, had steroid injection once when the hips were giving me gip, that did the trick, but this is something else again.

[craft1948]

Well as I say I would recommend going to see an osteopath, if he's reputable, and he can't help you, he should say so after one session.

[emmie]

what are these burning sensations though, down legs, across the shoulders blades, back, toes, , had this more than a year ago and was told by GP was nothing, imagination?

[jd_1984]

I get the dull ache/burn across my shoulders. GP concluded nothing obviously physically wrong with me. So I kept a diary of when I was more aware of the aches and it was during periods of inactivity, exercise would loosen me up. Also if sat with poor posture or for a long time and after eating certain foods. The human body can be a bloody mystery!

[Mamyalynne]

Has your GP ever mentioned the possibility of Fibromyalgia ? No definitive test for it, rather a ruling out of other things - may be worth an ask.

[emmie]

mamy i was diagnosed with that years ago, it took three long years to go, but that as i recall did not have this level of pain, which i am not tolerating.
it has got worse in the last couple of months, i wish the GP's didn't just roll their eyes when they see you coming. They have messed up so many times of late i am wondering what has happened to their team who were usually helpful at least.

[emmie]

putting one foot in front of the other elicits like electric shocks, and the ankles look swollen, i have almost tipped over a number of times as the bones seem weak. the only thing i was advised by a GP was if my legs stopped working, i should go to the hospital?

[Mamyalynne]

It certainly ticks many of the boxes for Fibromyalgie, which of course you know how debilitating that can be - can they not refer you to a pain clinic?

[hellywelly4]

I would ask for a second opinion. My doctor told me my back pain was 'just' arthritis, but did refer me to musculo skeletal specialist and after an MRI I had an op on my back last year and am now pain free. Mine was that the canal down which the nerves run had narrowed and there was also a cyst there. I think you do need to see someone else as obviously he/she thinks they have done a correct diagnosis and they haven't. I do wish you the best of luck. My pain was so bad that it made me yell out on occasions, so I do sympathise.

[emmie]

the GP's haven't done any form of diagnosis, they passed me straight to physio, don't ask me why. They don't do much hands on medicine, more interested in looking at the computer and asking their twenty questions.

[jno]

agree with craft, find yoruself an osteopath. Easier said than done as they all work in different ways; so one may do nothing for you and yet another will solve all your problems. Can you ask friends for a personal recommendation?

And agree with alba: your GP sounds useless; could you change?

[emmie]

probably, however at least one or two are ok. Have been there a long while.
the first gp sent to me hospital for x ray, forgot to sign the form and put the wrong info on the prescription, things like that are cropping up time and again, slipshod.

[emmie]

there are at least 8 GP's, nursing staff, so it's not a small one man band.