Struggling with Constant hip/back pain, Femoracetabular Impingement 9 month wait for consultant
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Hello
I've not had a hip replacement but another poster suggested I post my issue here as there are lots with hip experience.
I'm 39, female and have always had very clunky hips. For many years I would have a feeling like they were not sitting right, like slightly out of their socket and I would need to do a little movement to click them back in so I could move properly. I never thought of this as odd as other joints were a bit like this and it wasn't all that painful and was just the way I was. Things started to change a few years ago, I found lunges difficult and then about a year ago things started to get painful. It started to hurt when walking, my left hip had a crunching feeling, I could hear it in my body and it felt as though the bone wasn't sitting right but I could no longer pop it back in. Walking hurts, it's not excruciating but it's like a stomach churning feeling. It feels like bone on bone. I also get aching feelings at the top of my thighs, a more acute pain in my groin and a very painful lower back that feels more like a nerve type pain, particularly when I'm in any position for prolonged periods, so this usually wakes me and makes sleeping difficult . I find the lower back pain the hardest to cope with and can't tolerate this much at all. I also get a feeling in my hips that I can only describe as being like there was a knitting needle being stabbed into the joint. I was a very active person, exercised a lot (excessively), ran, did weight lifting but all this spec about 2 years ago because I also have chronic fatigue. Now my activity is daily yoga practice and about 20 min walk. If I walk longer, my hip really begins to hurt. I've been told that I'm hypermobile.
At the start of this year, I went to physio for about 4 months, I was very good with doing my exercises and during this time my pain and mobility got much worse. I don't know if that was just this issue progressing or the physio. They suggested I see a my Dr, get blood tests and x-ray. The bloods were fine but x-ray came back saying I had Femoracetabular Impingement but the GP didn't explain much about this and referred me to orthopaedics, which has a 9 month wait. I'll be seen in March.
I'm really struggling to manage my pain at the moment. I also have chronic fatigue syndrome. My fatigue started around the same time that my hips started to feel different. I know that when my hip and lower back pain is bad, my fatigue is much worse. I just don't know in which way they're related.
I hate using pain killers, normally I would never use anything but recently I have started to use things a lot more to try and improve my quality of life. Paracetamol can take the edge off when it's dull pain and I dint mind using that. The only thing that seems to help when it's bad is codeine but I'm now finding it's really bad a lot more often and I know that's addictive so I'm not taking it as regularly as I'd like to. I don't want to take nsaids as I know the havoc they play with the gut and I've had ibs in the past and worked so hard to resolve this.
I wondered if anyone had any advice about what I could do that could possibly help me just now managing this. I can manganese the pain during the day but it's at night I can't cope as it affects my sleep so much and then really impacts my energy and chronic fatigue symptoms.
I've also been prescribed a low dose amatriptaline but I've been too scared to start as it has so many side effects. I was going to wait until I'd seen the consultant but it's just so long away.
Can anyone share any advice or experiences that could help?
1 like, 4 replies
michelle87539 bettybetter
Posted
bettybetter michelle87539
Posted
My GP actually prescribed me amatriptaline too but I've been too scared to try it! I've read about it being difficult to tolerate and to come off so I thought I would try wait until I saw the consultant. But it is getting a lot worse now and I'm considering giving it a go. I'm really cautious about medication. I'm probably not helping myself though. Can you remember what it was like for you starting on it? I was advised to just take 10mg. I actually did take it to the first night after getting it. I slept more soundly than I have done in years but felt pretty out of it the following day. It wasn't unpleasant but I'd struggle to get much done... Although it's not like I'm doing much now. I just find it so hard to decide what to do.
I've actually been practicing yoga daily for the past 2 years. I feel it's been crucial in helping me cope and keep me moving as much as I can. I love yoga!
Thanks for your advice.
michelle87539 bettybetter
Posted
auntiebeanie bettybetter
Posted
Betty, start the amitriptyline, I had that post surgery for nerve damage and it helped me sleep, I also took it some years ago for bladder problems. Don't think of the side effects they are all maybe not will. In regards to your current pain at night. try a rolled up towel lengthwise, sit your coccyx on it and lay back with your spine on the towel for around 20 mins. it opens up the spine, which may relieve pressure, I do it when my back plays up and it helps.
?Also get your GP to contact the hospital, I cannot believe you have a 9 month wait to see a surgeon. I was moaning at 3 months recently to see a foot surgeon!
?If you don't push you wont get anywhere. If GP is useless then call the secretary of the surgeon you are supposed to be seeing and see if she can speak with the surgeon to move you forward.
?Before my THR I had to wait just over 3 months to see surgeon, when I turned up to see him, they told me I or my GP had cancelled the appointment, we had not, it turns out he wanted to see me urgently 2 weeks after referral but they never sent any letters out! Had to wait a further two weeks and someone else was at the same clinic who had the same as me, apt moved and not told! I complained big time, and they put new procedures in place to stop it happening to others.