Swollen Arm Pain

[jackthehat]

Further to my question of 9th December.
My Mums arm is dreadfully swollen; she is getting excruciating spasms/pain in her forearm and hand.......these are preventing her from getting much sleep.
She is on some pretty heavy medication but precious little seems to stop this pain breaking through.

It's heartbreaking to have to watch and listen to, does anyone have advice or personal experience of how I can deal with this?

As ever, I thank you.

[woofgang]

what is her diagnosis?

[jackthehat]

She has a broken humerus and is in a 'soft' brace.
From the elbow down she is terribly swollen and the pain is 'to be expected', apparently, but she begs me for help and I don't know what to do for the best.

[anneasquith]

Allowing for the heavy medication a change in combinations sometimes helps ?

[anneasquith]

Had a thought, ask gp to refer to pain control clinic, I suspect waiting list will be long ,or " go private" normally you l see a consultant anaesthesiologist.

[Sqad]

Still swollen almost a month after injury, just isn't normal.
What medication is she on and when was the last time that her arm was checked?
My initial reaction would be to take her back to A&E as one must now exclude injury to the nerves of the arm or more importantly the brachial artery. Unlikely but one must keep a high level of suspicion on older patients.

[jackthehat]

She's been backwards and forwards to the hospital including a 3 night stay over New Year to get her analgesia correct. The Medics seem quite content that the swelling is 'part and parcel' of the break/healing process.
She takes a combination of Morphine Sulfate, Oramorph and co-codemol and has an analgesic gel to rub in.
She spends a lot of the day with an ice-pack on her arm which helps but I have to keep an ear open for her screaming for me at night because of the pain. Her arm goes almost solid and it is difficult to massage it soft again.
She's back at the fracture clinic on Wednesday for X-ray and progress report but that's a further 2 nights that my Mum, Dad and I won't get much sleep.

[Sqad]

That is a heavy analgesic package......I am sorry for you all, but i haven't got anything further to offer.

[bednobs]

how much mst and hw much breakthrough oromorph? doctors have a tendancy to not prescribe the correct dose

[jennyjoan]

please go private