Hi all, my mum is due for her second discharge on Monday (following an unsafe one 3 weeks ago from the stroke unit), and I’m worried about pain she seems to be experiencing.
I’ve seen it happen twice in the last 3 weeks - once at home and once in hospital yesterday. She has complex needs and can’t speak clearly so we struggle to understand her especially when she’s distressed. But there seems to be a wave of pain that increases in intensity along the back of her unaffected side. She always tries to lift herself away from the area in pain (could be her lower back) which is dangerous when in a chair - she’s very strong and could easily push her ourself out.
Her current ward have been taking good care of her (no thanks to the stroke ward whose discharge was a shambles and ruthless) but they don’t seem interested in investigating the pain.
Can anyone suggest what might be going on with this pain?
Thank you - as always - for your insight. I’ll try to talk to her today to try to get to the bottom of it. With her being nil by mouth I don’t know how we can support her at home unless we can just crush some paracetamol and inject via her peg. It seems to take the edge of things when she’s had it in hospital.
Paracetamol is also available in liquid form rather than having to crush up tablets.
You may want to suggest this as part of her discharge meds pack
Whilst we can’t take anti inflammatories as tablets I have been prescribed diclofenac gel fir my frozen shoulder which, i’m told, doesn’t interact in the same way with blood thinners as the tablets do. Pain patches may also be another option if she cant take meds.
I’m not sure if i’ve got muddled & apologies if I have. Did your mum hurt her hip resulting in the return to hospital? If so maybe the pains are related to that?
If she’s in hospital abd in pain I thought they were obliged to try & get the pain under control.
Hope you manage to get it sorted.
Best wishes
Ann
Done. Thank you for your advice.
I have used the gel regularly for spinal and hip problems , and it works great for me as do the tablets, and not had a problem … and same with tramadol … paracetamol are rarely strong enough for me particularly if my back goes out if I have done too much …