tennis elbow...

[Colin Wilson]

I've had something building up for about 4 months and it finally hit crisis point on tuesday - couldnt bend or straighten my lefy arm at all (i'm left handed), couldn't pick a phone up or hold a pen, severe pain trying to move fingers at all - even a couple of mm, and discolouration (darkening) of the arm and hand - it's also swollen.

Went to docs weds am and got an injection in the elbow... he said it'd take a couple of days to kick in.

I know it's only thursday night, but there's no relief at all, in fact at times it seems to be intensifying with pain hitting even when keeping it still, but this comes in waves - often shortly AFTER taking painkillers (ibuprofen and dihydrocodeine 30mg). I think i'm getting numbness and tingling a bit more often now as well...

Has anyone else had this, who can give me a clue how quick the injections normally start to work ?

The NHS Direct site simply suggests calling 999 !NOW!

Thanks :-}

[Harry Bloomfield]

Colin Wilson used his keyboard to write :

Not an expert, but that does not sound like tennis elbow - do a 999!

[Cash]

Colin,

I would suggest that you take the advice that was given by NHS Direct

Cash

[Harry Bloomfield]

Harry Bloomfield pretended :

I had golfers elbow a couple of years ago, which is pain at the opposite side of the elbow to tennis elbow. There was no tingling and no pain unless I tried to actually use it. The bone of the joint just felt rather tender if I squeezed it at certain points. I was offered injections, but the injections sounded worse than the problem, so I declined - rested it and it repaired itself.

[Andrew Gabriel]

BUPA facts sheet also says numbness with tennis elbow requires urgent attention...

how it mentions using screwdriver, drill, and painting are common causes - that's most DIY.)

I'm not a medic, but discolouration (which isn't simply red due to increased blood flow to an injury site) doesn't seem to me to fit the description of tennis elbow. Sounds more like bleeding/ bruising. I would be inclinded to take a trip to A&E and get someone to take a look (although I probably wouldn't do a 999 call, more likely a taxi if there wasn't someone else to take me).

[Colin Wilson]

Ooer, that's 2 votes for the hospital... i'll see if it improves overnight and may have to consider a trip tomorrow...

If I croak in the meantime, nice knowing you all (i'm not covered for disability on my mortgage, only death, so if there's no easy cure the missus is better off getting part of the house paid for...)

The pain did originally start on bending or straightening after lifting stuff (i.e. a box of A4 paper), and about a month ago it felt like it was starting to "lock" if I straightened it out - around the same time I started to get a bad burning sensation in the elbow, but it felt like a really nasty chemical burn, not the normal sort of pull / twist.

I've just had to kinda dangle it for the last few days, I can't move it by itself, i'm having to flop it around with my good arm :-}

The worrying bit is the "good" arm has started to give that burning sensation too...

[The Medway Handyman]

No no no no no! An ambulance call costs the NHS £100+ and means highly trained staff are unable to deal with life threatening calls. Call NHS Direct instead.

[Cash]

Colin,

I occasionally take DHC (dihydrocodeine) with a dosage of 60mg x 2 pills - for severe joint pains and these usually get rid of the pain quite quickly, and for a least 10 hours [1], so it's quite possible that you may be developing something a little more serious that should be looked at quite quickly -- and I would still suggest a trip to the A&E (tonight).

[1] But I also tingle and itch like hell all night after taking them, so I only take them when things get a little more sore than usual.

Cash

[nightjar]

"Colin Wilson" wrote in message news: [e-mail]...

A cortisone injection (which I am guessing it was) does, as the doctor says, often take a few days to have effect.

If I had discolouration and swelling, I would certainly at least go down to A&E and ask someone to look at it.

Colin Bignell

[Frank Erskine]

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:43:32 +0100, Harry Bloomfield had this to say:

Rather than 999, or a long wait in A&E, do you have a local NHS walk-in centre? These are nurse-led, and triage is usually MUCH quicker than at A&E. '999' does seem a bit extreme, but IANAM.

A pal of mine called at one the other day with a bit of a pain in his chest and within minutes was carted off to CCU by the 'resident' ambulance at the WIC. (AFAIK he's still extant, although he's in another hospital - neither hospital can find any signs of VT). Looks like I may have to wait a while for a game of squash...

[Tim S]

Colin Wilson coughed up some electrons that declared:

I'd concur. Funny colours and numbness would have me straight down the out-of-hours surgery or A&E. I'd be nagging for an MRI or at least an X-ray.

However, take heart: I've had a hint of RSI and a dodgey kneecap in the last few years and a few sessions at physio fixed both of them. Don't know what your problem is, just saying that physio can do a lot these days in lieu of surgery for certain joint problems if you get it early.

My "RSI" was simply a nerve getting caught (lots of tingling and some pain) - the exercises I had were to encourage the nerve to stretch so it could run easier over the joints. The knee was a kneecap slightly out of place - again, excercises to stretch some ligaments to encourage it to settle in a better place.

Good luck

Tim

[Colin Wilson]

I wish they had as good an affect on me when my back goes - i've had a Butrans 10ug patch on before now, taken about 6 DHC and it wasnt touching the pain in the slightest - it was that bad I couldnt have even taken a taxi to A&E because there was no way I could get into it...

Drinking a couple of pints of bacardi & coke on top of it got some way towards easing it off though, but it's not ideal...

OK, you're all getting me worried now, might take a trip...

[Tim S]

The Medway Handyman coughed up some electrons that declared:

I agree with the ambulance sentiment - but I've found NHS Direct to be pretty much utterly useless (kids issues). Luckily, we have an excellent Out of Hours doctors surgery based at Tonbridge and they are excellent.

Otherwise, for Colin's problem, I'd taxi to A&E if it didn;t look like it could wait until morning.

[The Medway Handyman]

Any mention of chest pain or indeed difficulty in breathing automatically kicks in as a CatA call and the ambulance service have to respond in 8 minutes.

You are much more likely to get an FRU turning up to meet the target and they can't transport you to A&E, so a regular ambulance will have to attend as well - more cost to the NHS, longer time to get you to A&E & less staff available to react to emergency calls - but never mind, it meets the Guvmint targets.

[Frank Erskine]

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:32:30 GMT, "The Medway Handyman" had this to say:

Ermm - NHS Direct suggested that the OP uses 999.

[Frank Erskine]

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:55:08 +0100, Colin Wilson had this to say:

It sounds the perfect way to get Bacardi (and Coke) prescribed for your affliction ;-)

(although I personally prefer Pepsi Max).

Good luck, anyway.

[The Medway Handyman]

Then they should know better. I have every sympathy for the OP's suffering, but if NHS Direct can't help they should have suggested a visit to A&E - which is where the ambulance staff would take you anyway - and you don't get to jump the queue just because an ambulance brought you in.

[Frank Erskine]

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:35:20 GMT, "The Medway Handyman" had this to say:

Then why is it best to call NHS Direct instead, Dave?

I'd have thought that 'NHS Direct' should have the best advice that the Country can give, regardless of politics, or economics which is what you seem to be concerned about.

[nightjar]

It takes me longer than that to drive past the Ambulance station and I can do some of that at 70mph, which I've never seen an Ambulance achieve.

What is an FRU? When I had a suspected heart attack (I'm still waiting for someone to make a positive statement as to what it actually was) and when one of my employees reported chest pains a few years ago, what turned up on each occasion was called a Cardiac Ambulance. In the case of my employee (he actually had a collapsed lung), they attached an ECG machine that was radio linked to the hospital and spoke to the doctor who was looking at the results. It took about half an hour before they took him away. With me, they simply took my pulse - 240bpm - and put me straight into the Ambulance.

Colin Bignell

[TheOldFellow]

I was given the tip by a nurse to have a very hot long bath after having a cortisone for Tennis Elbow (I call it Carpenter's Elbow). First time I did it - three hours later no pain. Second time I forgot - two weeks before the pain went. Not a statistically valid sample, I know.

The other thing I have found good as a preventative for Inflamed Tendons is Tai Chi. Very good for strengthening the tendons without inflaming them.

But these symptoms are very severe, and worrying. I'd be at A&E fairly pronto.

R.