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Trochanteric bursitis. Medication?

Posted , 7 users are following.

Cheetah
Cheetah

I first noticed pain in my right hip in January 2014 and my GP diagnosed trochanteric bursitis by pressing my hips.  He gave me a steroid injection in the right hip, but this made no difference.  I was then referred to an orthopaedic surgeon who gave me another steroid injection into the right hip.  By this time, both hips were painful.  Again, this did nothing.

I asked if I could see a rheuatologist and she injected both hips.  This time I did get relief and could finally climb upstairs again with only a little difficulty.   That was 8 months ago.  My hips are, once again, painful and I feel as though I am carrying a heavy weight around my pelvis.  It is really getting to me, as I also have osteoarthritis in my knees and feet, as well as fibromyalgia.  The pain goes down the outside of my legs to my knees and makes me feel extremely tired and off-colour.

I saw the GP again a few weeks ago and she decided to send me back to the rheumatologist again.  However, this time, the same rheumatologist only injected my right hip.  It was an injection clinic and I believe the reason was time, but no real reason was given.  It's too early to say whether this has worked or not, but, of course, only one hip has been treated.

I will be seeing my GP in a couple of weeks and want to ask if there is anything else I could try to combat this.  I've had physiotherapy, but this was excrutiatingly painful and I didn't notice any improvement.  I'm wondering about taking some kind of anti-inflammatory, e.g. Naproxin.  At the moment, I take Nortriptyline at night for fibromyalgia and paracetamol during the day.  The paracetamol does very little!  The rheumatologist told me that the Nortriptyline should work with all aches and pains during the day as well as at night.  Unfortunately, not!

I'd be interested to know what medication others take, or if there is anything else I could discuss with my GP.  Any help or advice would really be appreciated.  I don't know anybody else with this and feel that, perhaps, others don't really appreciate what it is like.

 

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • carmelina52473
    carmelina52473 Cheetah

    Posted

    I too was diagnosed with hip bursitis for which initially I was treated with an injection of cortisol but the pain continued for 3 months during this time I suffered with a urine infection which was treated with several antibiotics, also at the same time I had a post menstrual bleed so had to go for a hysteroscopy during which they removed a large polyps.   This was last Tuesday and I have not had any more pain which was actually in the groin.  As I have not been back to my doctor, I am wondering if in fact that was the reason for the unbearable pain for three months and nothing to do with the hip bursitis at all.  Thought you may be interested in this and I hope you have had some pain relief by now.
    • Cheetah
      Cheetah carmelina52473

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply.  So sorry to hear that you had so much pain for so long, but pleased it's been sorted and your pain has gone.

      My pain is definitely down the outside of my leg, so I'm pretty sure it's bursitis.  I'm looking forward to seeing my GP now and, hopefully, will be able to talk it all over with her.

      Take care.

  • annette_92211
    annette_92211 Cheetah

    Posted

    I was diagnosed with trochanteric bursitis last year by the physiotherapist he gave me excersises to do. These made the pain worse i was then given steroid injections in both hips. These gave me great relief for 3 months. I could walk for more than 200 yards now without having to stop coz of the pain i could walk up the stairs i could sleep all night and not wake in the morning in tears because of the pain.

    After 3 months the pain was back had the injections again which did not have the same effect and only lasted for 3 weeks.

    I was taking naproxin 500mg twice a day and tramodol 100mg 4 times a day and trying to work full time as a nurse. I was being sick and still in pain.

    3 weeks sgo i had the injections under xray they have worked a little but i am still in pain especially in a morning when walking and climbing stairs is still one step st s time. I am now off the tramodol. GP put me on the morphine patch with the naproxin morning and night. I am hoping this works as I am not fue to see the specialist sgsin until January.

    I hope you get your pain under control let me know how you get on.

    • clarice_76451
      clarice_76451 annette_92211

      Posted

      After a right hip replacement (the new anterior surgery) in June, 2015, and two hip dislocations 2 & 3 weeks following surgery, I began having terrible pain first in my right thigh and hip and then in my left thigh and hip, as well as my low back. I felt the right thigh pain was due to the 2 dislocations I had had following surgery but the orthopedic doctors told me the thigh pain following dislocations should only last about 6 weeks. By August, I still had pain & my surgeon wanted me to stop the Norco for pain following my surgery which I finally did after going through some terrible days of withdrawals. After seeing several doctors, no one could diagnose my thigh pain. I did my own internet research & learned about trochanteric bursitis. I read that chiropractic care (physiotherapy) can help. I had previously seen my physical thereapist who did several massage & laser treatments on my right thigh which helped a little but not enough. I started seeing my chiropractor 2-3 times a week for muscle stimulation & Active Relief Therapy (ART) which helped to relax the muscles in my right thigh between my hip & knee. The muscles began feeling much better but every time I bent or stooped down & then tried to stand up my muscles felt like a tight rubberband that did not want to stretch out & I had to stand back up very slowly or else experience much pain. I then began having the same symptoms in my left hip & thigh. My chirpractor waned me to get more laser treatments from my Physical Therapist. When I reported to her that I was having the same symptoms in my left thigh and hip, she thought about it awhile and then said that the pain on my left side would not be coming from my right hip replacement or dislocations. She felt that it may be coming from a problem in my back and advised me to have back X-rays, which I did immediately. My X-rays were referred to a new doctor who called me immediately to come in to review them with her. They showed that the L3 disc in my back had slipped out and dropped down and was hitting my L4 disc, leaving a gap near the spinal column which was causing a problem with the nerve in my spine that controls the thigh muscles. When I researched the internet for the L3 disc, the description was exactly what I had been experiencing for months. I was so happy to finally have a proper diagnosis. I was immediately scheduled for an MRI on my lower back again since I already had major back surgery in 2011 for the L4 & L5 discs which were fused & left me with 6 titanium screws in my back. I was also booked for an appointment in the surgery center on 12/21/15 for an Epidural Cortisone Injection (which involves an X-ray technician to keep snaping pictures to be sure the doctor has the needle in exactly the right location in the spine before injecting the cortisone). My doctor, who had given me the same injections before my prior back surgery reviewed my MRI with me before the procedure to show me where the problem was and explained exactly what he was going to do. He was very good & very compassionate and I appreciate the fact that he explained everything so thoroughly. There was no space between L3 and my spinal column was so tight that he had to make the injection between the L2 & L3 disc and then he said it would drip down once I sat up on the table. He assured me that he had hit "the bull's eye" and he was right. The very next day I felt much better and have been able to enjoy the Christmas holidays with my sons and grandchildren pain-free. It is so great to feel good again, although I realize this is only a "band-aid" since the cortisone will wear off after 3-4 months if I am lucky. Then I will need another injection, which I am allowed to have 3 times a year. In 2011, my L4 disc was disintegrating from arthritis and the L5 disc was herniated and hitting my sciatic nerve. The L3 disc had no arthritis in 2011 and now it is being chewed up by arthritis. The doctors recommend waiting as long as possible to see what may happen to L2 and L1. If they begin showing signs of arthritis, the surgeon may want to insert a rod to hold up L1, L2 & L3. so now I just wait to see how long the cortisone helps my pain.
    • clarice_76451
      clarice_76451

      Posted

      Forgot to mention that I was also prescribed 60 mg/day of Cymbalta by a Rheumatologist I saw recently. My GP had prescribed 20 mg/day of Cymbalta for my Fibromyalgia but it was gradually increased to 60 mg which the Rheumatologist said was the standard dosage Fibro. I had been taking Prozac for almost 20 years but now was told Cymbalta was better. Also was taken off Etodolac and put on Meloxicam 7.5 mg 1-2 times a day. Once my L3 disc problem was diagnosed I was prescribed Gabapentin 100 mg 1-3 capsules at bedtime for the nerve/muscle pain.   
    • annette_92211
      annette_92211 clarice_76451

      Posted

      I was very interested to read your post. I now know some else who knows the pain and appreciates what its like. Nice to know your not alone.... since my last post I have been referred to a pain clinic who sent me for an MRI scan. The results should disks L3 L4 L5 are prolaspsed i too have just had the injections into my nerves to releave the pain down my left side. Like yourself its not long term..i am due to see a surgeon at the end of March. My physio has referred me to podiatry as he thinks my bursitis is due to my feet rotating inwards when i walk..go to see them for an assessment on 17th March as well. I too have been prescribed Gabapentin 300mg 3 times a day as well as the butrons patch 15 microgrammes and Naproxin 500mg twice a day.

      Before my last injections i was finding it inpossible to sleep due to the pain. My physio recommend sleeping sat propped up with pillows under my knees..which helped tramendously i could not believe i slept for the first time in 2 weeks it was then that i knew it just was not the bursitis that was causing my pain. Good luck with your pain management take care.

  • skellitor
    skellitor Cheetah

    Posted

    Hi! Have you ever taken Turmeric supplements? Turmeric is an extremely effective anti-inflammatory and is great for things like arthritis and bursitis. There have been studies on various anti-inflammatories testing each of them and ranking their effects, aspirin and ibuprofen scored the lowest while turmeric was one of the most effective.

    The only problem with it is that it's really difficult to get a good enough dose, I find. There are a ton of really poor quality supplements out there that give only a fraction of an effective dose (I know because I accidentally bought some in the past and had to take 9 turmeric capsules a day, haha). It also doesn't damage your stomach the way that things like ibuprofen do.

    So if you wanted to try it, what you need to look for on the label is the curcumin content of the turmeric. No matter how much turmeric it says a capsule contains, it's the curcumin dosage that matters. (Bear in mind that they all claim to be the strongest dose.) Normal turmeric only contains about 5% curcumin so look for turmeric capsules that have been standardized to contain 95% curcumin, to give a dose of around 1900mg of curcumin per day (usually two capsules of 950mg curcumin each).

    You also need to make sure that the capsules contain something like 'black pepper extract, 'piperine', bioperine', etc as turmeric on it's own is very poorly absorbed and this will greatly improve absorption. Don't buy it if it doesn't contain something like this, even a really high dose of curcumin won't be absorbed enough to be effective without some help.

    Seriously this has helped me so much with my bursitis and various extensive hip problems. I think ginger is also an effective anti-inflammatory but I've never tried it. Some supplement capsules contain turmeric and ginger together. Take them twice a day regularly and consistently for the best effect - this is how you should take any anti-inflammatory as the effect is building not one quick hit like normal pain killers.

    • scooter123
      scooter123 skellitor

      Posted

      hello can you suggest a  brand on amazon or something? There is so much  back and forth on this im afraid ill get the junk stuff. annette how did it go? Im having a huge flare up and drs wont give pain meds
    • Tricia127
      Tricia127 skellitor

      Posted

      I found your article very interesting. I was diagnosed with great trochanter and would like to know the brand name and or where you purchased the turmeric with 95% curcumin and Black pepper extract, pipeline, bioperine etc., for absorption.  I am not interested in having shots and or taking medication for the pain.   I am looking for a natural way, to help the pain  and or make this go away. I want to make sure I purchase the correct one that helped you. Thank you for your help.  
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