11 replies to this topic

[Edinburgh Colin]

Looking for suggestions as I'm looking at another 6 weeks or so of bed rest to re-heal a pressure sore on my bum that was healed but now isn't.

It's complicated, been cutting back my spaz meds for 2 months and was doing good, down to 15mg Baclofen and 100mg Dantrolene per day. Now I'm mainly in bed again since my healed sore is "unhealed" and my Kidney Stones (3 left side, 8 right side) seem to be causing problems.
End result is horrendous pain all across my lower back and down over my hips like steel bands tightening, and heavy weights pushing down on me. Suspect it's deep muscle spasm or similar.
Really struggling to find any position in bed where I am comfortable.
My pain threshold is pretty high but even 100mg of Tramadol can't touch it, most comfortable sitting up, best in my chair but because of the sore not supposed to be up at all.

Basically screwed!!!

Any suggestions most welcome.

EC

Edited by Edinburgh Colin, 30 March 2012 - 12:53 PM.

[AdrienneDeYoung]

Protein, water, creams recommended by dr or nurse, and sleep Good luck.

[knightrider]

Sorry to hear about your pain Colin, i don't have any suggestions other than drink plenty. Maybe the stones are on the move and that's why you've got increased pain and spasms, hopefully they pass with ease. It's never nice being in pain especially when you are stuck on bed rest. I wish i had a top suggestion to help but sorry i don't. Hope you don't suffer for too long mate and your wound heals up quickly too.

[Zack]

Oh EC, I feel for you buddy. I know Severe Pain all too well. No Pain Meds truly help unless they knock you out!
That reminds Me, in my rehab days when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, on the Head Nurses office wall was a mounted BaseBall Bat. The inscription on it said "Pain Shot!" Just a thought!
Many times I've had an Aide come in, and before I could say "Hello" they're "Oh my head is killing me." just they're way of trying to say they're not in any mood to work. Soon as they're close enoug to Me I back hand their Elbow or arm. They say "Ouch! Why'd you do that?" I replied, "I Made you forget about your headache!" now you can start working! They never find that funny, but I sure do!

STAY off you Bum!!

[LeviM]

Hey EC,
Sorry you're having such a rough time. I echo what Knightrider said about drinking lots. Have ya tried laying on your side with a big fluffy pillow between your knees? You don't even really need to be all the way on your side just at an angle and use pillows to prop behind your back and maybe under your upper thigh, keeping you off sore. I find myself in some pretty strange positions with pillows propping me up. I've learned to think outside the box when it comes to finding a comfortable position because sometimes nothing else works.

As far as the pain you're having. have you tried heating pads? How about topical muscle rubs? I have really big knotted up areas between my shoulder blades that spasms and hurts constantly and I have found that the topical muscle rubs help. one in particular is called Bio freeze. A therapist introduced this to me and it's a huge help.

I hope you get some relief soon!

[greybeard]

I've no idea if this would work, but it might. If you've got a vibrating massager, like a Magic Wand, you might want to get to work on those kidneys while you are upping the water intake. If you've stones on the move, it might hurry things along a little. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with feeling in the kidney region, but you should be OK. Hope you get some relief soon.

[Tetracyclone]

So sorry EC. Maybe
is the best medicine?

There is a cushion available in the US called a Body cushion which allows you to sleep or rest on your belly.
http://www.massagema...c-bodyCushions/

I used to love mine but foolishly gave it away before injury. The only weakness was that my face would get swollen from laying in the face cradle, but it was ideal for keeping stress off the neck. It allows some variety in positioning and you could ask the 3 year old to get after the kidneys with that massager. GBs suggestion is worth a try.

Good luck. You are due for some.

[Edinburgh Colin]

Thanks guys, so far I've been drinking like a fish, upped my baclofen again to 30mg, doing the semi fetal thing on my side with one leg in front on a pillow, still spasm often but the addition of 10mg Diazepam had helped. At 200 mg of normal Tramadol and 100 mg of MR (slow release) so not too sore. Just as well I'm in bed because I don't think I'm straight enough to be up or driving!
Just took nearly 5 hours to watch Tower Heist as I kept nodding off until a particularly choice spasm woke me up again.

Spoke to the Urology Surgeon today and I'm going for another Ultrasound to see if the stones have moved, some are 7mm in size so they won't pass easily if they move!!!

Any other suggestions welcome, letting a 3 year old loose with a vibrator near my lower back while I'm in this position is an interesting but I'm not taking the risk!!!
EC

[catmint]

So sorry to hear this Colin.

I think your on the right track. My husband has had a lot of trouble with stones and increased severity and frequency of his spasms is always an indication that all is not well.

A couple of years ago just before he was due to go to the Spinal Unit for his check up his spasms started to get really strong and he got that tight feeling across his back. Very difficult to explain.

Turned out a stone had moved and was too big to pass. The urologist couldn't believe he was still able to PU.
They sorted it out but it seems to go with the territory....

[Edinburgh Colin]

So sorry to hear this Colin.

I think your on the right track. My husband has had a lot of trouble with stones and increased severity and frequency of his spasms is always an indication that all is not well.

A couple of years ago just before he was due to go to the Spinal Unit for his check up his spasms started to get really strong and he got that tight feeling across his back. Very difficult to explain.

Turned out a stone had moved and was too big to pass. The urologist couldn't believe he was still able to PU.
They sorted it out but it seems to go with the territory....

Thanks for that, good to hear someone else having similar symptoms.

[brockit79]

Colin,

Wow, one heck of a run of bad luck. I, as you know, ended up with a sore on my bum that would heal then break down then heal and over granulate (resembled a mushroom eek!). In the end with the right cushion; some posture advice; sitting up for longer; moving about more; standing; and a change of dressings from 3M to a Smith and Nephews type I was healed. On my burn DNs have been using protosan, no joke the wound has halved in size in 3 applications as well as using alginate dressings, obviously a burn is totally different to a pressure sore but it is good for de-sloughing the wound.

Infection can bridge the skin to make it appear healed but it will break down again. Insist that your DNs swab it, is all I can say really. I found that my nightmare bladder had an affect as the wound most deffo did not like urine.

I really rate juice detoxing and there is a liver and kidney detox that you can maybe try??? I found this link which recommends pre prepared juice but I like to juice my own fruit/veg using a masticating juicer.

http://www.curemanua...st-liver-flush/

I eat a protein rich diet and have cut out a lot of sugar too.

I wish you some peace from it all very soon!
Kel

[munkypoop]

Looking for suggestions as I'm looking at another 6 weeks or so of bed rest to re-heal a pressure sore on my bum that was healed but now isn't.

It's complicated, been cutting back my spaz meds for 2 months and was doing good, down to 15mg Baclofen and 100mg Dantrolene per day. Now I'm mainly in bed again since my healed sore is "unhealed" and my Kidney Stones (3 left side, 8 right side) seem to be causing problems.
End result is horrendous pain all across my lower back and down over my hips like steel bands tightening, and heavy weights pushing down on me. Suspect it's deep muscle spasm or similar.
Really struggling to find any position in bed where I am comfortable.
My pain threshold is pretty high but even 100mg of Tramadol can't touch it, most comfortable sitting up, best in my chair but because of the sore not supposed to be up at all.

Basically screwed!!!

Any suggestions most welcome.

EC

I use an air mattress that is fairly inexpensive http://www.vitalitym...-with-pump.html I have had it and have not had even a pink spot on my butt. Winter here is eight months long so I am in bed a lot in the winter. The air moves through chambers and the mattress simulates being moved very slightly. You still need to be moved as often as you can, but if you must to can prolong the moving. I have gone without being moved 14 hours had not a single pink spot, let alone a pressure sore, haven't had one in five years. You can also use it to transfer. When I go to the ER, the paramedics keep me on my air mattress, and just transfer me with it from bed to bed. There are a lot of different versions of it, I highly suggest it! And my dog, a boxer, jumps on it all the time and never put a hole in it, but it does come with hole patch kit. If your kidney stones are made of calcium, it is very common. Because of limited motion, the bones will release calcium which you cannot do nothing about. That calcium will then gather in your kidney, which then are kidney stones. I have this same problem. Stay away from a lot of calcium if you can. I personally find that air mattress comfortable. So does my dog and my mother. Whenever I'm in my chair one of the two take a nap in my bed. I hope any of this will help you!