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Feeling scared

Posted , 4 users are following.

julie00856
julie00856

I fell on my right side  about 8 weeks ago, lots of pain & thought it would sort itself out, 12 hr work days & annual leave meant I just booked to see my GP today. At work I was phoned with a cancellation for a rheumatology referral I've been waiting for. He thinks either osteo or psoriatic arthritis but took a look at my shoulder & said it is frozen & offered to inject it there & then, I agreed because this whole sleep deprivation gig is driving me nuts. Although it's been really helpful looking this condition up, I am scared by the fact that in in phase one & it can take so long to recover, My question is that seeing my GP tonight I've been told to rest for 48hrs, the consultant didn't say anything & as I was in uniform he knows I'm an NHS worker. Has anyone else been given advice after a steroid injection & if so what. It's so painful right now that may need to be off tomorrow as can't see me sleeping at all tonight. Thanks for any responses.

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • jenny72949
    jenny72949 julie00856

    Posted

    Sorry-to carry on I would strongly recommend that you get as much help as you can in terms of pain relief  physio it's all really expensive but you have to look at it as an investment in your future because without the right help it's a really lonely place to be as only other people with this can possibly understand.

    good luck push hard for the right help 

    • julie00856
      julie00856 jenny72949

      Posted

      Thank you Jenny.  Pain relief is difficult as I'm not good with Anti inflammatories. As I have a long standing upper back injury I have used TENS so may see if this might help, any things worth a try. I just wonder how I will work, but will see Health & Wellbeing to see if I can get Physio fast tracked. Have had Physio before & found some better than others, definetely going to ask about anyone that has more experience in treating Frozen shoulders. 
  • andreadurban
    andreadurban julie00856

    Posted

    Hi Julie

    The pain I felt the day after having a cortisone injection into my frozen shoulder was unbearable and was only able to get sleep after taking very strong pain killers for 2 days afterwards.

    My frozen shoulder started in Jan 2014 without having any injury.  It took me till June 2014 to get some treatment, I guess I just expected it to go away.  First I had 3 long sessions with a Physio Therapist, the first one was so bad I had to excuse myself to go vomit in the bathroom.  I didn't feel this made any difference.  Then I went to see an Orthopedic Surgeon for the Cortisone injection at the end of June 2014.  After the unbearable pain of the injection, I also didn't see any improvement.  Five weeks ago I went to see a different Ortho and he suggested I had Arthroscopy and manipulation of the shoulder under Gereneral Anesthetic.  He told me I would need intensive Physio afterwards and that there was no guarantee the procedure would work.

    In the past 4 weeks while I've been thinking about what to do, the daily pain of my shoulder has eased. So....I've decided to wait till the shoulder thaws naturally.  I accept that this may take quite some time and my reach is severely diminished but I couldn't face an operation and painful Physio.

    Hope my frozen shoulder story helps you to decide what to do.  It certainly helped me to hear other peoples stories of what they did about their FS.

    I hope you get over the worst of the pain very very soon.

    • julie00856
      julie00856 andreadurban

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your reply, just good to here your experience, don't like the idea of surgery either, I believe if the body can heal itself this is usually best, just don't know I can afford the time it could take. It seems that if I can get to the middle stage at least the pain will be better, think I can cope with reduced movement even though it's not easy, constant pain is so wearing as you will totally understand 
    • james80413
      james80413 andreadurban

      Posted

      Any treatment should be relatively painless, anything more is just tearing more fibres in the joint capsule. Go to page 7 of Frozen Shoullder- choices of treatment and read my several comments.
  • jenny72949
    jenny72949 julie00856

    Posted

    I have to agree with you julie the steroid jab was so painful both to have and afterwards but without being too negative that was nothing compared to the next stage of the frozen shoulder does anyone else get shooting pains up and down your arms...what's that about?

    Things have calmed down slightly since having the MUA 10 days ago but as I had both shoulders done at once I had to have massive pain relief morphine the lot.

    i had to go back to work after a week and as a tennis coach it's really difficult to work.

    if your thinking of having treatment my advise is to do your research .

    I'm going to start swimming this week as I've heard it can help with mobility -on the plus side I can at least get myself dressed now -slowly !!

    it does just seem to go on and on...can anyone tell me what it feels like when you get to the last stages un-freezing does the pain just fade away and you just realise your not in pain or does it suddenly go?

  • leslie61028
    leslie61028 julie00856

    Posted

    Hi Julie,

    Ice, rest, ice, rest, ice, rest and hot water from the shower on your shoulder, then ice again. 

    Bio- freeze and other topicals work for about 10 minutes. Shoulder massage work great for temp relief if you can find someone to help you out.

    I just had MUA, arthoscopy along with subacromial decompression, bone spurs removed and of course a cortizone injection.Very glad I did it.

    I suffered from AC for over two years. Not "frozen shoulder" but the real deal adhesive capsulitis.

    I did the cortizone and PT first about a year and a half ago, but it only made things worse, then eight months ago I went for the MUA. That went well but I froze again. So I decided on surgery and I am very happy. They found things in my shoulder the MRI did not show and I was able to get those fixed. I feel that the injuries in my shoulder were the main reason I could not recover the first time MUA and quite possibly the reason I froze in the first place.

    I was in so much pain I could no longer do my work so I lost it. Along with the many enjoyable things in my life. Everything was excruciatingly painful. I never felt anything ease up on it's own, only become unbearably worse (for over two years...) till I could not stand the pain. Finding a good OS, PT and ice pack are key.

    I am five days out of surgery and feel about the same pain I was always in but I am on my way to recovery now. Cortizone shots hurt like heck BUT so does AC especially when it never ends. Do you get the crippling pain with the tremendously looooong residual pain yet? That one is absolutely lovely. Don't mess around or wait for anything. Put yourself first and take this seriously. It is a very long and painful process. Get on the best path you can ASAP. This is a horrible disease. no kidding. 

    My heart goes out to you all -may you be pain free asap- my sincerest good luck. I will keep posting my recovery and any helpful thoughts.

    • julie00856
      julie00856 leslie61028

      Posted

      Hi Leslie, thanks for your reply, glad to hear things seem to be improving for you. I have constant pain in my shoulder & reduced range of movements, it's my dominant side, so causing more issues. Has anyone you've come across had the feeling of something moving in the shoulder, as I feel a clunk type feeling fairly often, also have dreadful shooting nerve pains down my arm into my hand / fingers a lot. Waiting for X-ray results to see if it's arthritis causing the Frozen shoulder. Have had general pains in joints for years, can get pain like I've sprained my ankle that is awful but disappears after a few days like a switch being flicked. It was this pain I was referred to the Rheumatologist for in the first place & while there he diagnosed the frozen shoulder. He said to have the cortisone shot that day & I'll need PT, but he mentioned nothing about the condition, left the clinic thinking the shot & PT would sort it all fairly quickly, what naivety! Having googled it I am scared of how long it can take, I'm only 2 months in. Another problem is I already have a long standing injury from which I made 90% recovery in the same area & that has flare ups too although usually I can move my arm with that, just neck & back pain. I am looking for any ideas on getting a decent sleep, I can't take anti inflammatories & codeine is only ok if I don't need to work & I worry about addiction to it. Think lack of sleep will be a big issue as have to be 100% on the ball in my job! Already thinking of physical ways to adapt. I really feel for you & all that have this journey, I've gone from normal to disabled in the course of weeks & think there's not enough out there for the general public to realise how dreadful this condition is.

      virtual hugs to all, the real ones would hurt too much! 

    • jenny72949
      jenny72949 julie00856

      Posted

      Hi Julie I do so want to reassure you that things will get better soon but-in my experience they don't I was so optimistic that a lot of PT and sports injury massage would sort it out -sorted out my overdraft thats for sure it's soo very expensive.

      ive had MUI on both shoulders two weeks ago the left should is pain free but my dominate right shoulder is still really painful but I'm back at work with the aid of large doses of paracetamol and co-codomol at night god knows what all these pain meds are doing to us in the long term!,

      can someone please tell me what the feelings are when you start to thaw-is it a gradual lesson ing of pain or improved mobility how do you know it's happening? I only ask because I must be 9months -1yr in now and permanent pain really can depress the best of us.

      ive found the best way to sleep is -red wine & painkillers also propping pillows on each side of me then lifting affected arm on to pillow try not to turn in the night as movement wakes you up and you have to start again.....and on and on it goes....sorry to be negative 

    • leslie61028
      leslie61028 julie00856

      Posted

      It's like a big medical mystery. No one really knows how you get it or why. They think some sort of impact, or not. Diabetes, or not. Women 40-60, or not. Less dominant shoulder.... or not. It can take 3 months to 3 years or more. You may not get full range back. 

      I'm glad you found this sight. It is very lonely to have this awful disease with horrific pain and no one knows anything about it (except us fellow sufferers).

      Julie- bring the "clunk" in your shoulder up to your PT or OS. (Dr.s ignore, PT's explain) I thought my shoulder was going to pop out of its socket (for years) and it is very painful. I was told that it was an unstable shoulder due to lack of muscle use. Yes, lots of strange movement, popping and grinding. When you get to the strengthening part of your PT it slows down (hopefully).

      Pain down arm to fingers is your neck. If your PT gave you neck stretches be sure to do them, if not, get them on the internet, they really help with that part of this disease. The 'sitting in the chair' neck stretch helps a lot but you got to do the stretches every day at least one session.

       

      If you have an MUA you are 'supposed' to be done with the frozen shoulder. The surgeon has broken up the scar tissue and reestablished your ROM- your job is to go to PT, do your exercise homework and keep your ROM. After 3 months or so you are 'supposed' to be fine. If not, something is wrong. Maybe more than ACap. MRI's are not the end all. Keep looking for your answers.

      For sleep, besides 'good luck', definitely use a soft pillow under your arm -can't be too hard- and a GOOD ice pack $30-$40. A bag of peas will work too, find your position with pillow and full ice bag after taking your drug. Tramadol seemed to work for me -a bit of a taboo drug?- it gave me a little reprieve when the Tyl-3, hydrocodone, ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen could not. Use your tricks to get a few good four hours of sleep, then things seem better. AND NAPS. Get used to taking naps when you can, like it or not. You have to give that to yourself. 

      On a side note: DAY 6 after surgery for me- I fell asleep with 2 ibuprofen and one T-3! I have not done that in loooong while, I got my 4 hours! I also lifted my arm to my desk with no pain... shocked the geezers out of me. I look forward to PT today because I may gain more pain free ROM! Imagine that! Yippee!!!!

       

    • james80413
      james80413 leslie61028

      Posted

      You say Frozen Shoulder a mistery. Not so, read the other forum

      '' Frozen Shoulder-choices of treatment'' dated 12th August 2014. The whole of page seven maybe of interest to you.

    • james80413
      james80413 leslie61028

      Posted

      Please no more ice. Ice is out a long time ago. It stops the normalprocess of inflammation and protracts the normal healing process.
    • leslie61028
      leslie61028 james80413

      Posted

      Hi James,

      I have read the other forums. I found this site a few days before my scheduled surgery and was so grateful to hear fellow sufferers pain and solutions. I thought your shares interesting, intelligent and well written. I myself have tried to find out as much as i can on my own along with my "team" OS an PT the last two years or so, but I have never heard the info you have shared about being genetically predisposed. Being a member of AA I get the genetic predisposition thing. I can only tell my story, and I still am of the opinion that my shoulder adhered and capsulized because it was protecting my body from further damage. It needed a rest. And ice really seems to work for me, to keep the swelling down because when my tissues are swollen I am in pain and the fastest way for me to get out of pain, with and without medication, is to reduce the swelling by icing. I agree falling asleep with ice may not medically be the best ( 10-15 hot and cold)... but hey, it worked for me. And desperate times call for desperate messures. Of course, I live in the tropics and ice is just a great thing, so maybe i am a little bias. I did not start icing till the last six months of my affliction because it was so bad and I was so desperate.

      On a side note: day 11 post surgery. I finger walked my way to the top of the door jam this morning! my table slides were maxed out and painless (almost) my arm can make it to my back by itself. I am gaining ROM!

       

    • leslie61028
      leslie61028 james80413

      Posted

      Also James, I looked for your story and could not find it. You are a vaunt of information but i would like to hear your story. Do you think you could re-share? I think it could be very helpful to me and others. smile
    • julie00856
      julie00856 leslie61028

      Posted

      Great to hear the op has helped, agree with the desperate measures. My GP just told me to take regular Codeine & wait for Physio, don't think he really understood how Painful this condition is, the lack of sleep is driving me mad
    • leslie61028
      leslie61028 julie00856

      Posted

      Hi Julie,

      Did you get any imaging results yet? Has the cortisone shot helped you at all?!! 

      Be safe with your meds. Remember to stretch your neck. Your neck can be responsible for a lot of your suffering. I'm so sorry for your pain. Hang in there, it can, and will get better but it will require more of you than you thought.

      PT made me worse- be sure to speak up to your doctor and PT asap if that is your case. Doctors use the least aggressive treatment first -try not to hate them- and some people DO recover with PT. I don't know them... but I have read that it can happen.

      I am still so pleased that I pushed for surgery. It was a tough week or so- I'm less than two weeks out of surgery and I feel kinda great. Like I may have licked this thing(Touch wood). My PT said my FS is gone and i am just dealing with sore bones and muscles now. Yippee! I feel my deep depression starting to lift.

      I too was affected in my dominate shoulder. I was supposed to be building my dream home with my husband, now I hope to be well enough for the finishing jobs. I think I may.

      Stay well and safe- L. ​

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