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Painkillers?

Posted , 12 users are following.

david11111
david11111

I've been diagnosed with frozen shoulder recently and have been pescribed Tramadol but this is having no effect whatsoever! 

Are there stronger alternatives I can ask my doctor for ? I can't sleep and suffer constant pain, it's excruciating and I've never experienced anything like it before ! 

0 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • cindy_45475
    cindy_45475 david11111

    Posted

    Hi David. From what you read on this site and from my own experience pain killers do not particularly work with this awful condition. Have you tried any other forms of relief? I have found heat to help and also a TENS machine. I take vitamin D and magnesium cod liver oil and glucosamine for muscle repair/joint maintenance. There is a great source of information on this site; we are all so different and unfortunately there is nothing 'text book' about Frozen Shoulder. We all need to find what works best for us. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

    • hilary36369
      hilary36369 cindy_45475

      Posted

      So well said - it's so challenging to suffer this condition with no real relief and no easy answers and we all know this mental anguish as well as the relentless and excrutiating pain. Very gentle pendulum exercise for emergencies took a minute edge off the pain for me in the early hours when I couldn't sleep and only cry in pain. Also, prescription anti-inflammatories (Meloxicam 15mg/day). Good luck, and read all the old posts on this site for good tips.

  • sirdone
    sirdone david11111

    Posted

    Cortisone shot is the only thing that finally helped. After that spot you will be able to have full movement with out pain.
  • ann75691
    ann75691 david11111

    Posted

    Hi

    I started with tramadol and eventually ended up on high dose codiene called Zapain along with Amitriptyline 40mgs. Realised that I had no idea what was going on day to day and unable to work as drugged up to the eyeballs but still in pain all the time. Ended up coming off everything and no change to pain. Had MUA (manipulation under anaesthetic) in the end with cortisone injection.

    Sorry you are going through this, it will end.

    • crystale
      crystale ann75691

      Posted

      Did MUA help you out the most? What is the recovery period from that?  Di it hurt you bad?
  • ami117
    ami117 david11111

    Posted

    Oh poor you! I'm on naproxen then I top up with paracetamols if necessary - as others are saying painkillers don't really help always - try heat pads/hot water bottles/hot showers and also cold helps too! gentle excercises from a physio maybe? I'm having acupuncture which has dulled the pain greatly and a tens machine seems to help some people too.

    • crystale
      crystale ami117

      Posted

      I am going for accupuncture this Thursday!  How many treatments did you need to feel better?  I have FZ and get very little sleep due to the achey pain.

       

  • ad78671
    ad78671 david11111

    Posted

    I am suffering from my second frozen shoulder😱. Tramadol didn't work last year, nothing did!  This year I am on Naproxen, a friend used it for her frozen shoulder.  I learnt a lot last year, so as soon as I felt the pain at night in my shoulder went to the doc.  I also organised an early steroid injection.  This is not pleasant but the pain I endured last year was beyond description.  More and longer lasting than child birth!  I set up a Pinterest board to help others.  Do not put any heat on your shoulder, just frozen peas! Get a chiropractor too!

    • ad78671
      ad78671

      Posted

      Ps first 6 months is the worst.  Try to distract you mind with some reading and gentle walking helps too.  I am still suffering but the pain is significantly reduced.  Last year I booked myself in for surgery in London  with Mr Cobiella!  Can't afford that again but I was desperate.

    • crystale
      crystale ad78671

      Posted

      Hello, what kind of surgery did you use the first time?  

       

  • david11111
    david11111

    Posted

    Thanks for all your replies, I've tried Physio in the past without success so I'm reluctant to try that again. I'll pursue the heat treatments as that sounds more appealing.... 

    I will investigate further on this site for more info too... 

  • david11111
    david11111

    Posted

    Also, I've been off work for 6 weeks already with no indication of an improvement, I'm hopefully organising light duties at the moment which will enable me to at least get out the house and do something. I'll go mad if I don't......

     

    • mbazeley99
      mbazeley99 david11111

      Posted

      Hi David, how horrible.  I have been off work since the end of October, as I live remotely and driving and shifting gear was too painful and dangerous to try and steer a car.  I am suffering greatly not only financially, but also with pain. I applaud the fact that you want to go back to work and are organising light duties.  Fingers crossed this will solve the issue and long term you can resume your old position. All the advice given here is really helpful, I hope the pain settles, I can tell you I have tried everything for pain, but nothing touches it, and I am at a loss as to why?  Maybe in due course we will find out.
  • terry74787
    terry74787 david11111

    Posted

    I did better sleeping in a recliner. It kept my shoulder in a better position so the weight of my head was off my shoulder but wasn't pulling on my shoulder as when I lay on a pillow. I wore my tens unit at least 8 hours a day. Nothing really works for the pain in the world of pills. In fact some think even ibuprofen will eventually make the pain worse.  The arthroscopic surgery on my first shoulder was horrific and the rehab was as bad as the shoulder pain before and lasts for months. If you don't do it, your shoulder will refereeze. My second shoulder came and I just roughed it out. You can buy a tens unit with battery pack and wear it under your jacket unnoticed. When you are several months in, you can start going to someone who does therapeutic massage. In the end, you will recover more quickly as you thaw if someone is helping to break up the scar tissue and trigger points so you can get your range of motion back more quickly. I feel for you and everyone else with this. Save your otc pain relievers for the hours when you are not distracted with other things. 

    • david11111
      david11111 terry74787

      Posted

      Thanks for the good advice.....

      i think I will invest in a Tens unit for some pain relief and investigate therapeutic massage further down the line. 

    • crystale
      crystale terry74787

      Posted

      Hello, I had been prescribed 800 mg Ibuphrophin and after the 3rd bottle filled I also felt it really did not help the pain.  I am going though Physical Therapy, but it hurts so bad trying to get the back ward range of motion back that I just can not do those exersizes.  On my own I purchased a tens machine and do like it for about an hour or 2 at a time.  I was scheduled to have hydroplasty os something that sounds like that done but I cancelled after readying how painful even that would be.  I was told cortisone shot would be an option but other people said that won't really cure the problem.  Another option would be the Manipulation under anthestic, which that sounds horrible.  I feel like such a baby for the pain.  It is such a physically and mentally draining problem.  I cannot even put my hand on my waist anymore let alone behind my back.  How do I know what stage I am in as I do not really recall when the bad pain started.  Just want it over.

       

    • crystale
      crystale

      Posted

      sorry for the mispellings - for me it is 4:30 am and I have been up for 3 hours and am sitting in a dark room so I do not wake up my husband. (this is almost a nightly ritual- but I am also still going to work at 8 am-5)

       

    • ann75691
      ann75691 crystale

      Posted

      Sorry you are in so much pain!

      A lot of people stop all therapy because it seems to make the pain worse.

      I carried on with physiotherapy as he dealt with issues relating to compensation rather than the shoulder itself.

      Your pain should reduce once you get to the frozen stage but there is no time scale to that.

      As far as painkillers go I couldn't find anything to help and was taking maximum painkillers. There is not much point taking an anti-inflammatory as there is no inflammation as such just tightening and hardening of the capsule.

      I ended up having an MUA because it had frozen trapping a nerve and that needed to be released. MUA in itself isn't a quick fix and still needed a lot of physio after to prevent it re-freezing.

      Try ice packs or heat packs to see if they are more helpful. I found ice better for a while and then preferred heat!

    • crystale
      crystale ann75691

      Posted

      Thank you so much! I will try the ice today! Again I thank you.
    • terry74787
      terry74787 crystale

      Posted

      The pain from frozen shoulder will eventually go away. However if the scar tissue does not get broken up either Thru pt and therapeutic massage or surgery and pt afterward, you may still have pain from trigger points due to the scar tissue.  It's a no win situation.  Some people get help with low dose Tramadol/Ultram. It helped me but it is to be respected. Two 50 mg pills gave me my first migraine. You will have about the aame amount of pain with or without surgery. Surgery just gets it over with more quickly. You must do pt until your range of motion returns. I promise you this will get better.  In the mean time, I am so sorry for your pain and lack of sleep. I remember all too well....

    • david11111
      david11111 crystale

      Posted

      I find the lack of sleep just as bad as the shoulder pain.... I'm in a permanent daze especially holding down a full time job

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