Hip joint pain

[essarge]

Saturday night I was sleeping soundly (and I mean soundly) when my right hip joint woke me up. I was in so much pain it wasn't funny. So I figured "ok, roll over to the other side and go back to the sleep" so roll over I did. Didn't even get to sleep, the left side was just as painful. This kept me up most of the rest of the night. The only relief I got was to lay on my back and even then the pain was still there. When I got up out of bed the next morning, the weight on my joints made it even more painful. Soooo I called the doc and went to see him. When he had me lay down and moved my leg away from my body, I almost kicked him, the pain was so great (on a scale of 1-10 it was definetely a 10! It was a "feel like a horse kicked me....burning pain). He then said that we were going to get some xrays and probably an MRI afterwards. He also stated that it may be rheumatoid arthritis or Leggs Perthe disease. He prescribed percocet and set up another appointment for me for a follow up.

Went for the xray and when I got home I researched Leggs Perthe and found that it was a juvenile disease of the head of the femur (degenerative) and it affected mostly males from age 5-8 (I definetely don't fit into that category)

It woke me up again last night even with the percocet!

Has anyone experience/seen anything like this before...if so, what was it? Any ideas would be greatful (please be blunt, because research is how I found my adenomyosis). Thank you.

[frann]

Have you tried Glucosamine?

My gp had been trying me to try it for years for my joint pain in my knees. (I fell and injured them a few years ago) Finally tried it

and it really works. I take 900mg/day . takes few weeks for it to work when you first take it. Its kind of expensive, but sure beats narcotics. If only I could remember to take it.

[essarge]

Thanks, I'll talk to my doc about it. He's really really really thorough with me because my body never does what medical science says it's supposed to! LOL! This is just one of my great "mystery trips" with my body!! If nothing else, it's an adventure!:)

[kewlnurse]

Sounds more like a herniated disk. I forgot which nerve goes where but there is a chart that shows what nerve when compressed will affect the hips/legs, doesn't sound lie a hip problem since it is bilateral

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Hmmm. When you say hip joint....is it actually that...where the femoral head fits into the acetabulum?

Or perhaps is it more like down lower where the greater trochanter is? If that is the case it MAY be a trochanteric bursitis. That hurts like all get out.

Have you changed shoes lately? Higher or lower heels? Different

gait? Have you done a great deal more walking than usual?

Are you sitting any differently lately like if you carry a wallet in your back pocket and it throws you to one side when sitting?

If you are having "sciatica" down your leg on the outside it would point more to a L5-S1 disk problem. That is felt kind of behind the acetabular area and down the "sciatic notch."

Does your mattress need turning? Don't do this yourself on the off chance it is a disk.

Legg-Perthes is kind of a far out dx I agree. Probably the first thing that your doctor thought of without thinking :)

Try lying on your back in bed, head slightly elevated and your hips and knees at 90 degree angles. It's a "Paul Williams position." Also known as semi fowlers with leg elevation.. You can use a stack of quilts or blankets to obtain the 90 degree leg flex.

I hope it is none of the above and you just had a bad night and woke up with a temporary problem.

Good luck. Let me know if you need more references.

[essarge]

P-RN,

Thanks!! The pain is where the greater trochanter is. It is especially painful when laying on my side (either side) and since I am a "side sleeper" it's really hard. I should get the results of the xrays today or tomorrow. The doc gave me percocet to handle the pain and I only take it when I can't stand it anymore (have never been one to take things like that unless it's absolutely needed). He said that we will probably do an MRI and get to the bottom of this real soon.

I haven't changed shoes or done anything out of the ordinary so it is a great mystery because of the sudden onset!

Gotta tell ya though....this is not fun!!!