Flare up in Neck... Help! | Arthritis Information
Yesterday night my neck started to hurt... now it's my left shoulder, up my neck, into the back of my head. This is the worst pain I've honestly ever been in. I feel like I can't even hold my head up. Basically have just had to lay in bed on major pain meds. What can I do about this?? Brian's coming home today and I can't even get out of bed.
Hi habr,
Sounds more like a stress pain or pulled muscle that is a little swollen that is affecting the nerve that runs up the shoulder into the head. Been under any stress lately?
LEV
Yes, LOTS. They were thinking of sending Brian to Spain after him only being back in the states for less than two weeks.
Plus, I'm obviously very stressed about all of this RA stuff.
How do I make this go away? It hurts so bad :-(
Relax, we are not in control of much in this life and it's probably for our better well being, I'm sure we would totally screw things up. Even things that you find dangerous or not wanted in your son's life he probably finds to be exciting and adventurist and a good part of his life story. Worry for yourself and let him worry about himself or not.
Anyway, everything that I have found or pretty much everything shows bad posture of the neck and head and that the pain should subside in about three days but, never take what I say as if speaking with a healthcare professional. Anyway, read this if you want:
LEV
Oh yeah,
It just doesn't sound like RA symptoms but more like muscle pain but, that does not mean that it can't be something serious. It's strange how disease works on our brain, prior to my ra every pain was just somethng that would pass and now every pain is (in my mind) something very serious. Before a stomach ache was a stomach ache, now it's possible ulcer or worse but fortunately every pain that I've diagnosed to be the worse just passes and is still just normal aches and pains and not my brains wildest immaginations coming true. I wish that I could convince you to relax and not worry but I know that it's not possible, I and probably every person ever diagnosed with a scarey disease has to go thru that period. I still worry, just not as much and so still can enjoy my life, if I ever find that fountain of youth or the youth elixar, whoo baby, look out world. Now though is the time for you to dwell on your well being including mentally for your sake and the mental well being of your friends and other loved ones, know what I mean jellybean? Your attitudes and worries are passed off to them.
LEV.
levlarry2008-02-29 07:56:51Thank you!
Brian is actually my boyfriend... I'm toooo young for having kids right now!
Yes I really hope this passes quickly. I'm supposed to pick him up at the airport tonight. Not sure what to do about the pain today.
Oh,
Then you have a free pass to worry and wish for him and I'll wish the best for both of you, luckies.
LEV
Have you tried some anti inflammatories, like advil or motrin and maybe a heating pad. If it is stress/pulled muscle the heat might help relax it a bit. Can you afford a massage, check with local massage schools they usually have a clinic that offers massages at a reduced fee. I hope it feels better soon.
Well that is a misserable thing to go deal with. Call your doctor. Seems like alot of people are having this in the neck this week and last. I hope it feels better soon. This is when it is good to know if this is fibro or RA. As a muscle relaxer may help alot if it is fibro. I do sometimes honestly swell in my joint at the top of my back where the back and neck attach. I also get fibro and the tendon that goes up into the back of your head gets so darned stiff and it really hurts. Get the flare under control and i also put pain cream on my neck along with pain pills and pred if RA flare and flexeril if fibro.Girl~I feel your pain! Mine isn't as bad as your today; but I've had it bad this week as well. Just took 2 advil for the same reason.
Driving is hell on the neck too so try to do as little of that as you can.
Muscle relaxers, pain meds and heat has helped me this week. I have this little rice pack type thing that I heat up in the micowave and it's been my saving grace this week.
I hope you feel better. Neck problems are killers. You don't realize how often you move your neck until your neck hurts, huh?
Be careful driving. It really is dangerous.
[QUOTE=levlarry]Oh yeah,
It's strange how disease works on our brain, prior to my ra every pain was just somethng that would pass and now every pain is (in my mind) something very serious. Before a stomach ache was a stomach ache, now it's possible ulcer or worse
[/QUOTE]
Oh boy, that is SO true. Nothing is a "simple" this or "simple" that once you've been DXd. Every ache, itch, rash, swelling, etc. is suspected as being a major problem associated with our disease.
I also have had neck issues the last couple of weeks but mine is not RA related as far as I know. It's degenerative disc disease. Have you had an MRI to find out exactly what's going on there? Or, as Lev said, it could be just stress that's tightening your muscles till they hurt. Anyway, I find a hot bean bag type pad that you put in the microwave is very helpful, wrapped around the neck.
Well Lev I understand the worries of the stomache ache being a possible ulcer. But all that medicine could cause an ulcer, thats why my thinking goes that way. I often hope for the best for people. I personnaly have had an MRI of my total spine. And i have damage to several disk. I do have fibro. But on the MRI it clearly shows very bad arthritis. The origanal reading said herniated disk, I was sent to a spine specialist. The spine specialist said it was not herniated at all, but that there was alot of arthritis all around my spine but on the outside of the disk not in it, also i have a node in the disk I am sure that doesn't help. Last flare I swelled as bad in this joint as i swelled anywhere else. And lets be honest the pred is probably not good for our spines. As well as a dew years back i noticed that things i did when i was younger and more flexible now make me break. After several buldged disk and a torn ligement i changed my life style from supergirl to knowing my limataions. But i do get fibro and somedays i think oh no, and then i am fine a few hours later and i am saying what a relieve.
Milly; what happens with the buldging disk over time? The spine specialist ordered an MRI for me and says I have two of those. Any idea what I should expect out of those over the years? DO you know?
Over time for now mine feel better. I mean origanally they hurt as it was an injury for that caused my mine to buldge. I got shots in mine, they say it is best to let them heal naturally but i must be a real whimp. I put up with the pain along time and went to a neurologist pain specialist. As with anything else i would expect it to develope some arthritis of the injury type of arthritis. I am about eight years into it. Also this was shen i got my fibro dx. As I had ripped all of the muscles in my lower back and torn the ligemant in my knee. So they had a hard time trying to tell me i had fibro. I am like I'm injured it's on mri. They said if you fibro and you get injured it's going to bring on an attack as physical and emotional stress and lack of sleep will bring on a fibro attack if you have fibro. So all of the pain and of course i couldn't sleep and oh my i down six months. So between the fact that i had what my orthos were sure was a fibro attack and the arthritis in the films they refered me to an RD. I do tend to feel pain more on the rightside then the left side of my body. So is the pain amplified on the rightside from nerve damage or am i getting a break on the leftside of my body and not feelling all of the pain. After i injured my neck i have had fibro more on then off. The lower back thing i came back from the neck injury i have never been quite the same. SO the buldged disk healed for now but have certainly caused me trouble with the fibro.what would you all suggest for a muscle relaxer?
I've been taking ibuprofin and vicodin today. I hate taking vicodin so I only took a half pill. I know I'm taking too much ibuprofin but I can't make this pain stop. It's been a day of just laying in bed.
call your doctor. Flexeril is usually helpful but you would need a presciption. And like i said in a different post for same problem get capsasion pain cream i am not exactly sure if that is the proper name or spelling but you just get it at walmart or local pharmacy. and pick up some nurse gloves so it does not soak into your fingers as it would burn if you get it in your eyes or on your face. Really helps. It's better then taking to much ibuprophen. Use sparingly it does not take much and last all day. But then your boyfriend can not kiss you on the neck but at least you could hug him.Oh, habr,
I meant to tell you before i came to the fork in the road and took all for prongs, I had the very same thing once, gosh, so painful. I drove to the drug store(that was dangerous, I couldn't turn my head or up and down it) and asked the pharmacist and he said to take, i think ibuprophin and put on one of the topicals, not capacaisin but one of the others, the ultra and next morning, bada boo bada bing, so much better, I was also going to suggest sending a luxury sedan to pick up your fiance but forgot that too. So cool. Used to be I could only blame my memory and brain fog on being old and now I can blame it on the ra, the drugs, being old or any combination thereof.
LEV
Lev don't you love it when something works like that bada boo bada bing. It was a pharmacist stirred me to the cream. Well i asked him if any of them really worked and he came around the counter and picked it out for me.Now if they only made something for our brains that worked that fast and that well we would be set.
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