Belle0616
11-15-2008, 03:05 PM
This is my first time talking about this to anyone. But 5 months ago I was leading a happy normal life. But then on July 16th I took my children to the beach and I went in the water and a wave knocked me down. Sounds silly but my feet were stuck in the sand and the wave was really strong and down I went and when I got up my knee hurt!!!!!:confused:I went to doctor and was told I had strained my retinculum tendon and my kneecap had dislocated but went back in place. no surgery necessary.
I wore a knee brace since i was experiencing tightness in the back of my knee and couldn't twist it. After 4 weeks went to PT.
Now they say my knee is healed but it is worse than before. The really bad part is that the pain went into my back. I had an xray and it showed severe arthritis in my lower back. But the left side hurts too.
My dr. yelled at me and said my knee is healed and it would not cause back pain. It must be the opposite. My back never bothered me before. Now my right knee the muscles have compensated and it is tight on the inside too and turning my foot in a little so that my gait is off on both sidesnow.
I think that is what started my whole back pain. But now it spread up to my shoulders and my neck. My head feels real heavy a lot of the time. Also the tightness is spreading down to my left arm.
I cannot even walk much because of the pain .. Knees now ache. back kills me when I walk like muscles are pulling it and now my hips ache too.
I never even knew I had hips before. Doctors don't know what to do with me. Before this I never even went to drs. I feel so hopeless.
The reason I am posting on this board is that one of the knee drs is now sending me to a rhumatologist ..... She thinks I may have fibromyalgia.
My quality of life went from 100 down to 0. I can hardly walk through the food store. Most of my friends just say I hope you feel better. The truth is that every day I feel a little worse. I can't sleep at nights. My primary care dr. gave me ambien. I took it. Slept 3 hrs then i wake up. I am so tired yet can't sleep. I still have fairly young children. 15 and 12. They never want to be around me anymore. There is not much i can do. It is hard to exercise as that aggravates everything.
I am so afraid that i will end up in a wheel chair. There is no name for what I have so maybe it is turning into this.
Can anyone offer me any suggestions. I've tried anti-inflammatories but they don't help. Alleve doesn't help. Have been prescribed muscle relaxers. No help. I don't want to be doped up all day. Have Xanax but only take as a last resort. I hate taking pills. My older children keep telling me I need anti-depressants but I don't know if they will help as long as I am in pain and can't walk right.
Sorry this is so long but I am at my wit's end and I've only been like this for 2 months. How do you all deal with pain for years on end? I always thought I was strong but now I think I am weak. Hardly leave the house unless I have to. I used to love to get out of the house and my husband and I used to travel a lot. Now I can't walk. It's like my legs aren't even my own any more . The muscles are constantly changing.... Drs just look at me weird.
Has anyone ever experienced this. It started with cramping and then tightening.
I wore a knee brace since i was experiencing tightness in the back of my knee and couldn't twist it. After 4 weeks went to PT.
Now they say my knee is healed but it is worse than before. The really bad part is that the pain went into my back. I had an xray and it showed severe arthritis in my lower back. But the left side hurts too.
My dr. yelled at me and said my knee is healed and it would not cause back pain. It must be the opposite. My back never bothered me before. Now my right knee the muscles have compensated and it is tight on the inside too and turning my foot in a little so that my gait is off on both sidesnow.
I think that is what started my whole back pain. But now it spread up to my shoulders and my neck. My head feels real heavy a lot of the time. Also the tightness is spreading down to my left arm.
I cannot even walk much because of the pain .. Knees now ache. back kills me when I walk like muscles are pulling it and now my hips ache too.
I never even knew I had hips before. Doctors don't know what to do with me. Before this I never even went to drs. I feel so hopeless.
The reason I am posting on this board is that one of the knee drs is now sending me to a rhumatologist ..... She thinks I may have fibromyalgia.
My quality of life went from 100 down to 0. I can hardly walk through the food store. Most of my friends just say I hope you feel better. The truth is that every day I feel a little worse. I can't sleep at nights. My primary care dr. gave me ambien. I took it. Slept 3 hrs then i wake up. I am so tired yet can't sleep. I still have fairly young children. 15 and 12. They never want to be around me anymore. There is not much i can do. It is hard to exercise as that aggravates everything.
I am so afraid that i will end up in a wheel chair. There is no name for what I have so maybe it is turning into this.
Can anyone offer me any suggestions. I've tried anti-inflammatories but they don't help. Alleve doesn't help. Have been prescribed muscle relaxers. No help. I don't want to be doped up all day. Have Xanax but only take as a last resort. I hate taking pills. My older children keep telling me I need anti-depressants but I don't know if they will help as long as I am in pain and can't walk right.
Sorry this is so long but I am at my wit's end and I've only been like this for 2 months. How do you all deal with pain for years on end? I always thought I was strong but now I think I am weak. Hardly leave the house unless I have to. I used to love to get out of the house and my husband and I used to travel a lot. Now I can't walk. It's like my legs aren't even my own any more . The muscles are constantly changing.... Drs just look at me weird.
Has anyone ever experienced this. It started with cramping and then tightening.
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charlenef
11-15-2008, 07:18 PM
sounds like a lot of our stories of how fibro starts .a jar to the back then turns into pain everywhere. mine started 2 days after a sex injury (lol )try and tell that to the judge for ssd. when i was going to the dr at first i wouldnt even tell them what happened. i would just say i woke up like this one morning and at some point i told the truth. you might also look into chronic myofascial pain they go together a lot of the time. i have both good luck charlene
SD83
11-15-2008, 10:31 PM
I am so tired yet can't sleep.
Out of all of my symptoms, this is one of my absolute worst. The fact that you are even experiencing this, all from a seemingly "minor" injury, does lead one to believe you have hit a trigger point for fibromyalgia. It is hard to explain to a doctor that you're always tired, yet you can't sleep, and it all started with an unrelated injury, but that's how it is with fibro. No matter what you find out down the road, you have my best wishes. I would love to be able to help you further, all I can tell you right now is do not let doctors lead you down the wrong path. Believe in yourself, know yourself, and treat yourself.
<removed>
Out of all of my symptoms, this is one of my absolute worst. The fact that you are even experiencing this, all from a seemingly "minor" injury, does lead one to believe you have hit a trigger point for fibromyalgia. It is hard to explain to a doctor that you're always tired, yet you can't sleep, and it all started with an unrelated injury, but that's how it is with fibro. No matter what you find out down the road, you have my best wishes. I would love to be able to help you further, all I can tell you right now is do not let doctors lead you down the wrong path. Believe in yourself, know yourself, and treat yourself.
<removed>
mod-anon
11-16-2008, 03:02 AM
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DeBeachSiren
11-16-2008, 03:11 AM
Hi,
We were rear ended and that was the start of mine many many years ago. I'm so sorry that this happenned to you. I remember how fightening it was.
When your knees hurt it throws your gait off and works its way up.
I tried all sorts of things over the years and this has worked the best for me for years now.
At night.
Elavil 75mg, for depression and helps with sleep a bit. I think most people with chronic pain are depressed.
Ambien (not CR it doesn't work) 10 mg and when I wake up I can have another half a pill, so it's 15 mg.
Soma 350 mg. I take 1 at bedtime. It's a pain reliever and muscle relaxer. I can take this 3 times a day when I need to. It doesn't make me feel doped up, but I can only speak for me.
Also with the fibro I have the myfascial problem and get deep spasms also. I have Flexeril if I need it as a muscle relaxer. I have both Vicodine and Morphine that I rarely use cause even with anti-nausea meds it makes me sick if I'm up for more that 10 minutes......I'm fine lying down though and don't feel doped up. Even though these pain meds don't make me feel doped up, I do not ever drive.
See if there's a Dr. in your area that specializes in pain management. Mine is wonderful. He gives heavy pain medicine, but you have to sign a contract with him. It covers the abusing of it. He knows that when I go there that I'm really in pain that's out of control. He does alternative things also. I have a lower back deterioration and arthritis and a few months ago he gave me ablations on both sides of my tailbone and above it and it took away the pain pretty much. I'll probably have to have it redone every year or two, but that's a long time to go with less pain and I'm all for that. Sure you're a little sore for a couple of days. There are nerve blocks, trigger point injections, etc.. I have 2 electrodes in my head and wires running down to a battery pack in my lower back. It was the most painful thing I ever went through in my life, but those 5 days of awful have gotten rid of 80% of daily headaches. My headaches were from constant nerve entrapment in my shoulders and neck. When he turned that thing on in the recovery room it instantly took my headache away and we all cried, doctors, nurses, the rep. from the stimulator company, etc.. That was my last resort. By having that I've helped a lot of people to be able to get them as blessed relief from headaches. So there are things out there so you don't have to take a bunch of medicine.
Read about these things, write them down and take them to your doctor appt.'s. I've found that the more you know the more they'll pay attention to you. Don't let them intimidate you......you hired them. If you can't find anyone, keep looking until you do. I have not had good luck with rheumy's or neuro's, but others have had great luck with them. Look for a book about fibro and myofascial pain that was written by a doctor with both of these diseases. Her name is Devin Starlanyl MD. It answers so many questions, even really out there things that only you think that are going on with just you.
Hope this helps you out a bit. We're all on here to help one another.
DeBeachSiren
We were rear ended and that was the start of mine many many years ago. I'm so sorry that this happenned to you. I remember how fightening it was.
When your knees hurt it throws your gait off and works its way up.
I tried all sorts of things over the years and this has worked the best for me for years now.
At night.
Elavil 75mg, for depression and helps with sleep a bit. I think most people with chronic pain are depressed.
Ambien (not CR it doesn't work) 10 mg and when I wake up I can have another half a pill, so it's 15 mg.
Soma 350 mg. I take 1 at bedtime. It's a pain reliever and muscle relaxer. I can take this 3 times a day when I need to. It doesn't make me feel doped up, but I can only speak for me.
Also with the fibro I have the myfascial problem and get deep spasms also. I have Flexeril if I need it as a muscle relaxer. I have both Vicodine and Morphine that I rarely use cause even with anti-nausea meds it makes me sick if I'm up for more that 10 minutes......I'm fine lying down though and don't feel doped up. Even though these pain meds don't make me feel doped up, I do not ever drive.
See if there's a Dr. in your area that specializes in pain management. Mine is wonderful. He gives heavy pain medicine, but you have to sign a contract with him. It covers the abusing of it. He knows that when I go there that I'm really in pain that's out of control. He does alternative things also. I have a lower back deterioration and arthritis and a few months ago he gave me ablations on both sides of my tailbone and above it and it took away the pain pretty much. I'll probably have to have it redone every year or two, but that's a long time to go with less pain and I'm all for that. Sure you're a little sore for a couple of days. There are nerve blocks, trigger point injections, etc.. I have 2 electrodes in my head and wires running down to a battery pack in my lower back. It was the most painful thing I ever went through in my life, but those 5 days of awful have gotten rid of 80% of daily headaches. My headaches were from constant nerve entrapment in my shoulders and neck. When he turned that thing on in the recovery room it instantly took my headache away and we all cried, doctors, nurses, the rep. from the stimulator company, etc.. That was my last resort. By having that I've helped a lot of people to be able to get them as blessed relief from headaches. So there are things out there so you don't have to take a bunch of medicine.
Read about these things, write them down and take them to your doctor appt.'s. I've found that the more you know the more they'll pay attention to you. Don't let them intimidate you......you hired them. If you can't find anyone, keep looking until you do. I have not had good luck with rheumy's or neuro's, but others have had great luck with them. Look for a book about fibro and myofascial pain that was written by a doctor with both of these diseases. Her name is Devin Starlanyl MD. It answers so many questions, even really out there things that only you think that are going on with just you.
Hope this helps you out a bit. We're all on here to help one another.
DeBeachSiren
rosebuddy
11-16-2008, 03:45 PM
The best advice i can give you is to see a pain mgmt doctor, which i did, and keep looking until you find a good one. and keep your rheumy appointment. I do take antidepressants, but it is a personal choice between you and a psychiatrist. I am so sorry that you are going through this, but don't give up.
julieleaps
11-17-2008, 07:20 AM
Oh, how I can relate. Sleeping? I get 3-4 hours 90% of the time. I cannot walk nearly like I used to, and I overdid it today. The pain in my feet and calves, but mostly my feet is verging on intolerable. I just took a pain pill. Makes me wonder, do I count that as one of yesterdays, because technincally yesterday hasn't ended yet for me because I've been up for 24 hours now, or do I add it on to today's dosages?!
Anyway, you have been through alot, that's for sure. Just keep pursuing answers to what you can do to help yourself.
Best Wishes and Gentle Hugs!
Anyway, you have been through alot, that's for sure. Just keep pursuing answers to what you can do to help yourself.
Best Wishes and Gentle Hugs!
DeBeachSiren
11-18-2008, 04:12 AM
Hi Julie,
Have you ever had the myfascial tissue knots massaged out on your feet? My sister is a PT and in May she got them all rubbed out for me, she said it was like popping bubble wrap. Did it hurt? You betcha and I made up some new 4 letter words, but man a couple days later if felt so good to walk again. I have a foot massage with raised bumps that rotate that break up the knots or I press my foot on a golf ball and roll it around. Underneath my small toe the spasms make it like the tissue under my middle toe were one big knot. Also I bought walking sneakers and they keep your feet like they're supposed to be. If my feet start hurting again I rub the knots out no matter how bad it hurts.
Maybe you could possibly see a pain specialist and get some of the major things taken care of and medication to help you sleep. I didn't think anything would help me, but that's been years ago. If things start up again, I try to get it addressed before it get too, too bad.
I hope that you will be able to find some bit of comfort soon. When you don't get enough sleep you can't fight the pain. My primary doc and my pain specialist are 2 awesome guys.
Bunchers of Hugs,
DeBeachSiren
Have you ever had the myfascial tissue knots massaged out on your feet? My sister is a PT and in May she got them all rubbed out for me, she said it was like popping bubble wrap. Did it hurt? You betcha and I made up some new 4 letter words, but man a couple days later if felt so good to walk again. I have a foot massage with raised bumps that rotate that break up the knots or I press my foot on a golf ball and roll it around. Underneath my small toe the spasms make it like the tissue under my middle toe were one big knot. Also I bought walking sneakers and they keep your feet like they're supposed to be. If my feet start hurting again I rub the knots out no matter how bad it hurts.
Maybe you could possibly see a pain specialist and get some of the major things taken care of and medication to help you sleep. I didn't think anything would help me, but that's been years ago. If things start up again, I try to get it addressed before it get too, too bad.
I hope that you will be able to find some bit of comfort soon. When you don't get enough sleep you can't fight the pain. My primary doc and my pain specialist are 2 awesome guys.
Bunchers of Hugs,
DeBeachSiren
Belle0616
11-18-2008, 10:55 AM
I tried last nite to take ambien to get to sleep. Slept 3 hrs. Then took another half pill at 2:30. Well that didn't work . I still couldn't sleep and then I was dizzy in the morning. Oh well you gott a try and see what works I guess. I don't know why my body automatically just wakes up after 3 hrs. I'm dreaming and then all of a sudden I am awake. What I wouldn't give for a good 8 hrs comfortable sleep..... Any suggestions?
Ladybug222
11-18-2008, 04:03 PM
Hello,
Yes, Fibro can start from something like you mentioned. After my fall, my doctor
requested an MRI to look at my back to see if I had other things going on, & besides being diagnosed with Fibro, I also had buldging disks...LONG STORY.
Sad to say, that many of us here have been to see many doctors, before we get a diagnoses of Fibro or whatever is wrong. I had no luck with a Rhem doctor.
I wish you luck, there are many other here that can offer good info.
Keep in touch & let us know how you are doing.
Good Luck to you, Ladybug222
Yes, Fibro can start from something like you mentioned. After my fall, my doctor
requested an MRI to look at my back to see if I had other things going on, & besides being diagnosed with Fibro, I also had buldging disks...LONG STORY.
Sad to say, that many of us here have been to see many doctors, before we get a diagnoses of Fibro or whatever is wrong. I had no luck with a Rhem doctor.
I wish you luck, there are many other here that can offer good info.
Keep in touch & let us know how you are doing.
Good Luck to you, Ladybug222
DeBeachSiren
11-19-2008, 12:41 AM
Hi,
Try some of these things maybe they will help. No caffiene after 6pm, this means chocolate too. Take a nice warm bath or shower with some relaxing music, Josh Groban is what I like. I take elavil at night, with soma about a half hour before the ambien. I usually sleep 3 to 4 hours take another half and sleep about 4 more. This is usually how it goes for me unless I'm in a flare or stressed about something major. One thing in the begining that I remember was that some doctors tell you to take a benedril at bedtime and it makes some people sleepy. Well, on the rarer side effects it said it may cause excitability in some people. That was why I wasn't sleeping taking the ambien. I read a lot also and bought some dollar store glasses because sometimes I fall asleep and the book hits me in the face. I don't want to mess up the good glasses, haha.
Hope these things may help you out. Oh!!!!!!!! Turn the clock away from you so you can't see what time it is. When I still worked and the kids were little I'd look at the clock and think okay, I've got 6 hours til I have to get up, I have 3 hours til I have to get up and so on. My mind doesn't shut off, so the relaxing bit above has helped me.
DeBeachSiren
Try some of these things maybe they will help. No caffiene after 6pm, this means chocolate too. Take a nice warm bath or shower with some relaxing music, Josh Groban is what I like. I take elavil at night, with soma about a half hour before the ambien. I usually sleep 3 to 4 hours take another half and sleep about 4 more. This is usually how it goes for me unless I'm in a flare or stressed about something major. One thing in the begining that I remember was that some doctors tell you to take a benedril at bedtime and it makes some people sleepy. Well, on the rarer side effects it said it may cause excitability in some people. That was why I wasn't sleeping taking the ambien. I read a lot also and bought some dollar store glasses because sometimes I fall asleep and the book hits me in the face. I don't want to mess up the good glasses, haha.
Hope these things may help you out. Oh!!!!!!!! Turn the clock away from you so you can't see what time it is. When I still worked and the kids were little I'd look at the clock and think okay, I've got 6 hours til I have to get up, I have 3 hours til I have to get up and so on. My mind doesn't shut off, so the relaxing bit above has helped me.
DeBeachSiren
Belle0616
11-19-2008, 12:16 PM
What are those 2 things you mentioned? Some and the other one? I think my problem is that I am so anxious because I don't know what is wrong with me. I just seem to be getting a little worse each day and I am by myself a lot. My husband works a lot and when he is home he has chores to do since I can't do them anymore. I feel so helpless. I am only 52 and just a few months ago I never even had to take an aspirin for a headache.
I went to the food store yesterday with my husband. We were there only for about a half hour. My knees ached so bad and my back oh I had to sit with the heating pad on for the rest of the night. I can hardly walk and the doctors tell me my knees are healed.
So I am very anxxious about how the rest of my life will play out. I am also depressed so I can't even concentrate on reading a book and I used to love to read. As I was getting ready to go to bed last night I got up and did a calf stretch since my left leg and knee was extremely tight feeling. Well all of a sudden when I tried to walk I got a pain in my left heel. I don't know how much more I can take.
I can't get comfortable in bed. I sleep on my back. Try to turn onto my side but my neck and back won't let me lay in any position long. My shoulders even start to hurt. I had torn my rotator cuff in my left shoulder about 4 years ago and I hurt my right shoulder so of course they are hurting more now and then I get a pain down my arm.
It is the pits. I don't really complain to my family expcept my husband when I see him and I feel so bad doing it but I can only hold it in so long. I am still so new at this pain thing and I am very anxious and depressed because now I am basically house bound and I used to love to go and do things Also I lost 20 pounds already and I just have no desire to eat.
I am sorry this is so long. I just need someone to talk to. Just made an appt with an ortho dr. at the University of Pennsylvania. I need to be able to walk correctly and there has to be something still wrong with the muscles in my knees or something.
So I think that is why I can't shut my mind off at night. And from what I read on the posts is that things do get more painful so I am trying not to take pain medication right now as I am using the heating pads.
My body is just a mess all of a sudden. Any encouragement will be happily accepted. please keep in touch as I feel I have no one to really talk to about this as I don't want to feel like I am complaining all the time. Then no one will want to be around me.
I went to the food store yesterday with my husband. We were there only for about a half hour. My knees ached so bad and my back oh I had to sit with the heating pad on for the rest of the night. I can hardly walk and the doctors tell me my knees are healed.
So I am very anxxious about how the rest of my life will play out. I am also depressed so I can't even concentrate on reading a book and I used to love to read. As I was getting ready to go to bed last night I got up and did a calf stretch since my left leg and knee was extremely tight feeling. Well all of a sudden when I tried to walk I got a pain in my left heel. I don't know how much more I can take.
I can't get comfortable in bed. I sleep on my back. Try to turn onto my side but my neck and back won't let me lay in any position long. My shoulders even start to hurt. I had torn my rotator cuff in my left shoulder about 4 years ago and I hurt my right shoulder so of course they are hurting more now and then I get a pain down my arm.
It is the pits. I don't really complain to my family expcept my husband when I see him and I feel so bad doing it but I can only hold it in so long. I am still so new at this pain thing and I am very anxious and depressed because now I am basically house bound and I used to love to go and do things Also I lost 20 pounds already and I just have no desire to eat.
I am sorry this is so long. I just need someone to talk to. Just made an appt with an ortho dr. at the University of Pennsylvania. I need to be able to walk correctly and there has to be something still wrong with the muscles in my knees or something.
So I think that is why I can't shut my mind off at night. And from what I read on the posts is that things do get more painful so I am trying not to take pain medication right now as I am using the heating pads.
My body is just a mess all of a sudden. Any encouragement will be happily accepted. please keep in touch as I feel I have no one to really talk to about this as I don't want to feel like I am complaining all the time. Then no one will want to be around me.