Rustybucket Loc: England

Chinaman.... Thanks for the tip off. I've had a lot of stress and anxiety over the last two years. When depression settled in I started to sit a lot more that I usually would. I recently had a 700 mile round trip car journey to go to a family funeral so it may be that you're right and that just sitting too long has weakened my muscles. After hearing your outcome with painkillers I'll definitely try to come off them as soon as I can. I've cut them to a level where I do have some pain before I take my next dose. Pain is there for a reason and I think it's foolhardy to just blitz it out of existence. How would you know if you were getting better or not???

Rustybucket Loc: England

Michael....I've done that a few times in the past week and oh yeeeees it's very comforting. I think I'll have a nice long soak tonight again.....Thank for reminding me how good it felt :-)

Rustybucket Loc: England

4ellen4....Thanks for that. I've been doing stretching exercises and using a buckwheat pillow that I can microwave which is very soothing. I haven't heard about the Yarrow trick, but we have a health shop in town so I'll get some and try your recipe. It might even help my husband who suffers great pain with arthritis. Do you think it would help him too? I really appreciate you writing.

Rustybucket Loc: England

Hanoverfarms....I appreciate your comments. I fully intend to see either an osteopath or chiropractor soon. I'll speak to the doctor about it on Monday.

Rustybucket Loc: England

COI Jack. I'd totally forgotten that I have a tens machine (I bought it thinking it might help my husband's arthritis)....where should I place the pads? Either side at the base of my spine perhaps??? Thanks for your input.

Rustybucket Loc: England

NIKONUT. I already have a T.E.N.S. machine but had forgotten about it. I'll browse the net later and find out how to use it for this problem. I thought I might be able to catch up with some answers to you HOGGS but the pain is really nipping now to I'll have to catch up with the rest tomorrow. I'm amazed at all the information you guys have given me and very grateful. Ain't UHH just the best :-) Thank you.

Rustybucket Loc: England

Adicus....Thanks for the tip. I'll have to go buy some frozen peas. I don't like peas and always eat fresh cooked or raw veg. I've got one of those jelly filled bags that you chill in the freezer that you use for reducing pain...all I have to do is find it :-(

ConnieLynn

hope you get some relief soon.

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

Dry skin, especially inside my ears Rustybucket, although others suffered different skin conditions. You will be ok though as tablets are all "coated" so no active ingredients touch the skin. They were very expensive ( I think it was a prescription drug at first) as Zantac, but when the patent expired (7 years?) the generic versions took over and the price tumbled... I use betnovate ointment to control the symptons even after 25 years!!..and believe it or not I used to make Betnovate in the seventies!!

Rustybucket Loc: England

Doddy....What a coincidence. I suffer the same thing with my ears occasionally. They (well...one of them usually) go red and itchy inside and swell and go a little lumpy then it dries and goes flaky. Fat, red, flaky ear ain't a good look LOL. Good job you had the Betnovate :-). Just looked in on my way to bed. My 2 Tramadol have kicked in and my eyes are crossing...no more pain Yeah.

Rustybucket Loc: England

Hi Folk,

I'd like to thank you all for listening to my problem and for all the advice an tips. It has armed me a lot of information with which to steer my doctor round to my way of thinking. Here in Britain I feel we sometimes get fobbed off and sometimes you need some ammunition to persuade them to take certain courses of action. My mother was treated with antibiotics on and off for two years for chest complaints. Eventually she demanded some tests and by that time she had cancer in both lungs...all too late. My aunt suffered the same way and the cancer was not diagnosed until she started behaving strangely...it had spread to her brain. I've just come back from Scotland for my cousin's husband's funeral....again ... he was treated with painkillers for backache for about two years. By the time tests were done they discovered he had a tumor on his kidney which had gone into his bones and he was dead in three weeks. I went to the urgent care clinic last Sunday and the doctor there was so concerned about my symptoms that he prescribed painkillers and insisted that I see my own doctor the next day to arrange tests. My doctor didn't want to do anything for six weeks so you can imagine how angry I felt. Eventually my daughter bullied him into allowing blood tests and xray. When I got a letter saying to ring the doctor for my results they wanted me to see the same doctor again and I refused. She suggested appointment dates to see another doctor. One on Feb 17th and another on 10th Feb. I refused both and eventually she asked if I was prepared to have a doctor phone me with the results and I said yes. My xray didn't show anything but the blood test did show that I have inflammation "somewhere" which could be arthritis, infection or virus. So.... at least I'm pointed in the right direction.

I'm so grateful for all the information cos it gave me the confidence to stick to my guns and hopefully get the help I need.

I'm doing stretching exercises and they are helping reduce the pain when it's really socking it to me. I'm going to Holland and Barretts (health shop) to get some Yarrow as one kind HOGG suggested. I had to get out of bed at 4.30 this morning and take painkillers after a cuppa and a biscuit and got back into bed around 6.30 and got another couple of hours sleep. I feel OK today.

So thank you Doctors HOGG, one and all. I'll keep you posted. I had a little walk today with my camera but I'm finding it very different to an SLR. But it's beautiful to hold and feather light to carry.

Don't know if you remember me saying I was under a lot of stress because of legal problems. It concerned that sale of our business (which was leasehold). We found someone willing to take it over more than a year ago now. BUT...the Council who own the property mistakenly sold part of our premises to the shop next door when they purchased the building. The buyer for our business was held back so much that he almost pulled out of the agreement and it cost us the money that he was going to pay us for the remainder of the lease (the term of the lease is almost up now)...anyway after much running around and doing our solicitor's and the Council's work for them...the lease was finally re-assigned yesterday. Hallelujah. No amount of money is worth losing your health over...is it?

As soon as I feel well enough to look at my photos I'll post one :-)