Painful leg ulcers

Hello all, I am so thankful to have found this! No one understands but someone who has leg ulcers, the pain and the burning!! I have had 5 children 3 without any pain meds and that wasn't as bad! I have only had mine for a few months and it's getting worse. I read on another site a few people have been prescribed oxycodone TR 30 mg, and 10 mg IR oxycodone for the pain. As well as gnerotion (nerve pill) I wish you all the very best of luck..

I am with you...I can't take this pain.

My sister has had them for years in her leg. She’s been in awful pain with it. She had one that turned into a massive one and then 2 more broke out. She’s had a couple of operations to sort out veins in her legs and this time it seems to be working. When the pain was at it’s worse they gave her liquid morphine etc to help with the pain. They also sent her to a pain clinic which helped. There are also lots of different things to try on your ulcer to try and heal it. So try not to be too scared to have a go. What do you currently put on yours? How big is it? 

Your family however need to help you deal with this, maybe show them some off the internet. It affects the nerve endings which is why they are so painful but again you can take tablets to help so don’t be scared to ask. 

America have the best help for ulcers they are currently running a charity which involves sugar dressings. They are meant to be the best but not sure how far along the charity is yet 

Kelly 

Leg ulcer pain must be one of the worst. I feel helpless watching my poor 93 year old mum suffer this pain. She’s had one above right ankle for six months. Poor circulation doesn’t help. Now left leg as painful. Dressings changed every day by district nurses. Tried manuka honey dressing. Worse.. now Pain horrific. From feeling like daggers been drawn up and down legs to feeling like something crawling up and down them.  All I can do is give her the prescribed liquid morphine which makes her so tired. She’s also on slow release morphine capsule twice a day and pregabalin twice a day. Nothing seems to touch the pain. We’re waiting for appointment at vascular clinic. I’m hanging on to hope that they can suggest some pain management at least. This has taken mum’s quality of life away. It’s heartbreaking to watch. Feel helpless. You wouldn’t let an animal suffer like this. So sorry to moan but to have someone else understand how horrific this pain is , helps. Sorry this won’t help you though Coral.

Hello Coral, leg ulcers are a nuisance.  I have a big one on each leg and I've had them for nearly four years.  I go too the nurses at my local health centre to have them dressed three times a week.  They use Cutemed on each leg then cover it with a huge pad, then bandage with two K softs then about four L Lites.  Cutemed is very good, it's like a green square piece of material that goes over the wound.  I am well looked after by the nurses.  The ulcers are at the back of my legs so I can't do them myself.

?I have been in compression for some time but the bandages slide down my legs so they caused a lot of problems around my ankles.

?I don't have a lot of pain.  You have to be given good pain relief if you are getting pain.  I take 30 mg of morphine twice a day plus Paracetemol or Zapain.

Good luck anyway.

My note is perhaps directed at coral89788 with a bit of additional information to general readers. I have struggled for a month approx., having to curtail activity for perhaps 2 weeks. It is an exceptionally painful condition despite the wound area being only 50 cm (2" diameter. The surrounding skin had a fearsome lividity.

?First a few stats and facts:  Age - 76. Still working and physically active with 3-mile walks almost daily. Have generally trained a minimum of 40 miles per week for most of my life. No weight problem. I suspect my system, unsurprisingly, started shutting down from ~70.

In sum, I have been as active as Coral but it has not avoided blood circulation problems in the leg. I conclude that hereditary defects have a role here.

?Generally, I have found everything discussed under all forum topics very useful. Guidance provided by the NHS has been beneficial, and the notes on leg ulcers have worked. I am not -- other than as a last resort -- a believer in pharmaceutical drug use. Paracetamol as recommended eased pain for 2 weeks when it became unbearable. Pain was so severe that I had to lie prone for long periods. It was only last week that I surrendered to firm bandage application.

?At last I am now able to work 5 hours per day.

Hello @coral89788 ,

I know the pain. I'm 24 and living a nightmare at this age. After being injured during beach soccer my leg turned dark blue. Later it changed into a scar and now into an open wound one on my tybia and one on my ankle. My studies are being neglected and i can't even perform well during work placement. Its making me depressive and I'm so much in pain in the morning that I'm having suicidal thoughts about myself , like im a burden for my parents, my career is being destroyed by this. Please help ! Any suggestions ?