In such pain and feeling very down

[mary8]

Hi, I have posted several threads about my anxiety and fear regarding a trapped nerve I have in my neck. I am convinced I have a tumour even though various Drs have tried to convince me otherwise.
I am into my 5th week now of pain that starts at the top of my spine and travels into my shoulder blade and all the way down the outside of my right arm. Sometimes it is so bad I just don't know what to do with myself. I am taking anti infammatory medication and have been to see a Chiropractor (cost a fortune and hasn't made a bit of difference). I had a couple of better days at the beginning of the week but today it seems I am back at square one and having a terrible time again with the pain. This is making me so depressed as I was starting to think it was actually getting better but obviously it isn't.
Has anyone else suffered, or knows someone that has, a trapped nerve which has taken a long time to recover from? I would be so grateful for some replies. I am starting to drive my husband mad because I keep going on and on about it, he is usually so patient with me but as each day goes by and I still don't get better I get lower and lower and seem to want constant reassurance.:weep:
Thank you for taking the trouble to read my post.

[amu]

Hi

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling this down. I think you could use the fact that you felt better for a while as reassurance - if it was a tumour it would start off as little pain and increasing over time, rather than being unbearable at times and better at others.

The symptoms sound like exactly what you were told it was - a trapped nerve. Tumours develop over a long time (months, years) and as far as I know pain caused by them never start suddenly, they build up.

Last year I had facial palsy because of an inflamed nerve which also caused me excruciating pain behind my ear and in my face, which lasted about 2-3 months. Took the doctors long to convince me that it wasn't brain tumour.

Unfortunately reassurance is like a drug for us, we can't live without it and obsessively search it because when we get it, we get "high on life"... until the next worry comes and we need our monthly/weekly/daily fix again. I read this somewhere about HA and it's so true...

[kittykat]

Hi there,

im sorry to hear you going through such a rough time at the moment, i dont have quite the same as you , i have disc trouble in my lower back , just posted about it " op after mri" .
I can totally understand though the pain that you are in any nerve pain can be excruciating so it will not be a tumour. I do know that these things can take many months to heal and 5 weeks isnt that long, i would see your doctor and ask for better pain relief im on slow release morphine at the moment as i cant take anything that has codeine in it. Has he referred you for physio or an x ray yet, mind you they sometimes dont do that until 12 wks have passed.
Im sure everything will be fine but definately see the doc , as for your hubby that's another matter mine is the same.......lol............ they dont truly understand how this pain and anxiety makes us feel. If you need to pm to chat please feel free as im always here. You take care xx

[bottleblond]

Hi Mary


It's so draining on the body and the mind when you are in constant pain like that.

I have never trapped a nerve but have heard how painfull it is.

I hope you feel better real soon

Love Lisa
xxxx

:flowers::bighug1::flowers:

[mary8]

Thank you all for your kind words, it is such a comfort and very much appreciated. I will try and take on board what you have told me.
Take care. x

[Ddcoo]

Hi Mary, sorry if this post is a little late, but I didn't get on my computer yesterday, but just wanted to assure you that this sounds very much like a trapped and inflamed nerve. My partner suffered from this last year and he was in a lot of pain, also he had difficulty in raising him arm above his head, is this affecting you too? Eventually he went back to the doctor and had a cortisone injection in his shoulder which helped an awful lot. The pain eventually subsided, but he did have it for about 9 months, just hope that yours gets better quickly and obviously if it doesn't then ask the doctor about an injection.

[mary8]

Thank you Ddcoo, the pain doesn't actually affect my shoulder movement, the pain I get is in my shoulder blade which transfers right down the outside of my arm. I have had another bad day with it tody and am feeling very down again. I can't seem to see any light at the end of the tunnel at the moment. I do really apprecaite your reply and I am glad your partner has now recovered.
Take care.

[countrygirl]

I have herniated neck disc with bad arthritis pressing on my spinal cord and in the multitude of symptoms I get one of them is pain down my arm all the way to finger tips, I usually have pain in base of my neck top of shoulder at same time. My shoulder movements are not affected but my neck movement is.
Have you got any stiffness or pain on moving your neck???

I don't know where you live but where I live the GP#s can refer your for an mri scan and you have it within a month so its worth asking to have a scan of your neck at least, other wise you can pay for one privately - the cheapest I have comea ccross is £250 for one area to be scanned - send me a message if you want details.

AS this is ongoing it would be worth pushing your dr for tests to find out what is causing it - most severe pain is related to your spine and while I don't for one minute think you have a tumour it can be something like a herniated disc or spondylosis ( arthritis) and just knowing your pain is not from antyhing life threatening can be very helpful.