Lightning pain in the back and in between shoulders!

HAS ANYONE EVER HAD PAIN LIKE LIGHTENING. IN CERTAIN AREA OF YOUR BODY??

PLEASE LETS HAVE A CHAT ABOUT WHAT TO DO FOR IT.

I WILL BE CHECKING IN ALOT TO TRY TO CATCH UP WILL SOME OF YOU.

JUST NEED SOME SUPPORT FOR THE PAIN!!

MICKEY

Hi Mickey,

How old are you? How many hours or days have you had this pain? Are you short of breath, any nausea or vomiting,dizziness, new onset of fatigue? Is the chest pain aggravated by movement, eating food etc.?Have you recently had a upper respiratory infection? I would like to help. Butterfly Babe

DEAR BUTTERFLY: I AM 60, WHICH I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT MYSELF. I LOOK 40 BUT, THE FACT IS IT COMES UNEXPECTEDLY, BEFORE BEDTIME OR EARLY MORNING AND SOMETIMES WAKES ME UP.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS CAUSING THIS?? WHAT CAN I DO FOR IT?? I THINK I AM LOSING MY MIND WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF I DO TO MUCH TYPING ON THE COMPUTER I HAVE PROBLEMS.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW, IF ANYONE HAS A CURE FOR THIS!!!!!

MICKEY AND RUSH

Sandy’s right, first you need to try to tease out whether the pain is coming from. It could be something like pleurisy, which lupies are prone to. It could be your heart- women manifest heart trouble in different ways than men, often in strange pain patterns that are not typical of what you think of for heart attack pain. It could be something orthopedic, from either soft tissue or bone problems in your back, neck, or shoulders. That particular area was the first area of acute pain I had when I first became ill 15 years ago - first they diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, because there are a lot of trigger points back there, but then with further tests, it also turned out I had two badly herniated disks in my neck and both of my rotator cuffs were fully torn! So you never know.



My advice is get to your doctor right away. There are things this could be that are dangerous to you that you need a doctor to rule out right away - or treat right away if, heaven forbid, there is something bad going on. And whatever it is, it’s better to find out and get treatment than guess, worry, and white knuckle it through the pain. (Trust me, I’ve made that mistake too many times myself, and I’ve paid for it later.) Please see your doctor right away, ok? hugs

THE ONLY THING THE DOCTOR SAYS IT IS LUPUS. HE KNOWS I DO NOT WANT STERIODS AND WALK OUT THE DOOR. NOTHING ELSE IS DONE OR SAID.

MICKEY AND RUSH

I can relate to both unhelpful doctors and not wanting steroids. People may think I’m crazy, but I am not a hard person to get along with (I’m usually the one people come to with their troubles, which I don’t mind in the least) but I’ve seen probably six different rheumies over the past 10 years, and I’ve yet to find one that wasn’t rude, unsympathetic, mean, or downright crazy. Each time I went in with an open mind, hopeful maybe this would be someone that would listen, work with me, and help find a real diagnosis. But each time I end up getting dismissed like you were, not really diagnosed or treated. It’s been extremely frustrating.

I’m still concerned that you need a real diagnosis of this particular issue. Ok, say he’s right, it IS the lupus: WHY is the lupus causing you this pain, what is it? Is it pleuritic, is it costochondritis, what? Did he even take your BP & listen to your heart, to rule out a heart problem? You really need an EKG to do that, anyway. I’m not trying to scare you, really I’m not, but in 15 yrs I’ve seen some truly lousy drs, and I’d hate to see something bad happen to you because that guy was a slacker & didn’t want to be bothered. It’s your body, and you have to sometimes push back a little to get the care you need & deserve, either by going to another doctor (could be a good GP or internist), or by going back to that guy & saying, “hey, I STILL hurt a lot, what is it, WHY is it, isn’t there anything you can do about it!?!” Truthfully, based on what you’ve said, you’d probably have better luck getting a second opinion elsewhere than going back, if you can swing it.

I’m really sorry you’re going through all this, I truly am. Believe me, I feel your pain. I lost my job of almost 20 yrs. when that pain hit me & all my troubles began, & my employers’ hired drs to say it was all in my head, to deny me disability. It was a rough road, & I ended up having seven surgeries in the first 2 years. I wish you relief, and a lot of luck. Feel free to pm me anytime, if I can be of any help. I feel bad, like all I have given you is hard stuff & bad news… Being sick just sucks sometimes, no matter how hard you try to put a happy face on it. But For what it’s worth, since I got the things that caused that shoulder/upper back pain in me fixed, that’s ONE problem I have NOT had to contend with since. Some things can & DO get better - but first you have to name the problem. Keep us posted, please.

I get what I call hammer strike pain. It’s literally like someone hit some part of my body with a hammer. No doctor knows what is causing it and it hits totally out of the blue. It lasts for 5 to 15 minutes and then it’s gone as fast as it hits leaving me covered in sweat and shaky. Really bizarre. I have two cervical slipped discs and two lumbar discs as well as nerve damage from a car accident so it’s tough to know what the cause is. I hope you get answers soon.



MICHELE MCNEILL said:

DEAR BUTTERFLY: I AM 60, WHICH I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT MYSELF. I LOOK 40 BUT, THE FACT IS IT COMES UNEXPECTEDLY, BEFORE BEDTIME OR EARLY MORNING AND SOMETIMES WAKES ME UP.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS CAUSING THIS?? WHAT CAN I DO FOR IT?? I THINK I AM LOSING MY MIND WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF I DO TO MUCH TYPING ON THE COMPUTER I HAVE PROBLEMS.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW, IF ANYONE HAS A CURE FOR THIS!!!!!

MICKEY AND RUSH

Hi Mickey...full disclosure--I am a Nurse Practitioner with over 30 years of experience. I was diagnosed with Lupus 5 years ago. In the past, I have experienced sudden,sharp,stinging superficial pain in my arms and thighs that lasted for a few seconds.I call these sensations PARESTHESIAS which happens when Lupus affects the peripheral and central nervous system. What medications are you currently taking? Have you recently experienced a flare?I would you to see your primary care doctor asap.

sandy said:

P.S. Have you ever injured your neck in a car or swimming accident?

MICHELE MCNEILL said:

DEAR BUTTERFLY: I AM 60, WHICH I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT MYSELF. I LOOK 40 BUT, THE FACT IS IT COMES UNEXPECTEDLY, BEFORE BEDTIME OR EARLY MORNING AND SOMETIMES WAKES ME UP.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS CAUSING THIS?? WHAT CAN I DO FOR IT?? I THINK I AM LOSING MY MIND WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF I DO TO MUCH TYPING ON THE COMPUTER I HAVE PROBLEMS.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW, IF ANYONE HAS A CURE FOR THIS!!!!!

MICKEY AND RUSH

Hi Michele,
Your description of the pain as a “lightening pain” caught my attention as I had a similar pain in my hand this week. It wasnt the usual wrist or finger joint pain, or the regular arm pain - it was as if someone just stuck a hot knitting needle in my hand - between my thumb and first finger. It lasts for about 10 seconds then eases - its happened 4 times this week. I just looked at my hand in disbelief, lol. I’m just chalking it up to lupus, but I’ll mention it to my doctor next visit. I’m still on prednisone to manage the pain, apparently it doesn’t help this one! I didn’t do anything special since the pain eased relatively quickly.
Barb

I agree with the fact that your doctor just says i is lupus....how does he know this and exactly how is lupus causing the pain? As my husband always reminds me....turn it around and have them be responsible for answering what they just said was the cause.

I think too many times doctors schedule too many patients and do not a lot enough time to really answer our questions. that is one of my priority questions now for doctors is how long are there average appointment times per patient?

If you can email i would allow less time...if you can email your doctor i would ask them to explain how the lupus is causing the pain exactly...where is it coming from and besides steroids what can you do for this kind of pain? If it nerve than should you see neurologist possibly or some other specialist depending on their answer.

I am with you about using steroids...too many negatives. I have friends and family members who died from the side effects of them. I hope you get some answers and even more some assistance with the pain.



siskiyousis said:

I agree with the fact that your doctor just says i is lupus....how does he know this and exactly how is lupus causing the pain? As my husband always reminds me....turn it around and have them be responsible for answering what they just said was the cause.

I think too many times doctors schedule too many patients and do not a lot enough time to really answer our questions. that is one of my priority questions now for doctors is how long are there average appointment times per patient?

If you can email i would allow less time...if you can email your doctor i would ask them to explain how the lupus is causing the pain exactly...where is it coming from and besides steroids what can you do for this kind of pain? If it nerve than should you see neurologist possibly or some other specialist depending on their answer.

I am with you about using steroids...too many negatives. I have friends and family members who died from the side effects of them. I hope you get some answers and even more some assistance with the pain.

I HOPE ALL OF YOU GET TO READ THIS!! IT IS A FACT THAT THE DOCTORS APPTS. IS SET TO SEE A NEW PERSON OR A REGULAR EVERY 15 MINUTES. HOW MUCH CAN THEY SAY IN 15 MINUTES??? THEY ARE LEARNING OFF OF US. I AM SO DEPRESSED, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!! I PRAY AND PRAY AND ASK WHY??

NO ONE KNOW ANYTHING!! BELIEVE ME. IT IS JUST A EDUCATED GUESS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MOST OF US. SO, PRAYERS ARE THE ONLY THING I FEEL IS A GUARANTEE.

I LOVE YOU ALL AND PRAY YOU HAVE MORE PAIN FREE DAYS.

ALWAYS MICKEY AND RUSH

helliongoddess said:

I can relate to both unhelpful doctors and not wanting steroids. People may think I'm crazy, but I am not a hard person to get along with (I'm usually the one people come to with their troubles, which I don't mind in the least) but I've seen probably six different rheumies over the past 10 years, and I've yet to find one that wasn't rude, unsympathetic, mean, or downright crazy. Each time I went in with an open mind, hopeful maybe this would be someone that would listen, work with me, and help find a real diagnosis. But each time I end up getting dismissed like you were, not really diagnosed or treated. It's been extremely frustrating.

I'm still concerned that you need a real diagnosis of this particular issue. Ok, say he's right, it IS the lupus: WHY is the lupus causing you this pain, what is it? Is it pleuritic, is it costochondritis, what? Did he even take your BP & listen to your heart, to rule out a heart problem? You really need an EKG to do that, anyway. I'm not trying to scare you, really I'm not, but in 15 yrs I've seen some truly lousy drs, and I'd hate to see something bad happen to you because that guy was a slacker & didn't want to be bothered. It's your body, and you have to sometimes push back a little to get the care you need & deserve, either by going to another doctor (could be a good GP or internist), or by going back to that guy & saying, "hey, I STILL hurt a lot, what is it, WHY is it, isn't there anything you can do about it!?!" Truthfully, based on what you've said, you'd probably have better luck getting a second opinion elsewhere than going back, if you can swing it.

I'm really sorry you're going through all this, I truly am. Believe me, I feel your pain. I lost my job of almost 20 yrs. when that pain hit me & all my troubles began, & my employers' hired drs to say it was all in my head, to deny me disability. It was a rough road, & I ended up having seven surgeries in the first 2 years. I wish you relief, and a lot of luck. Feel free to pm me anytime, if I can be of any help. I feel bad, like all I have given you is hard stuff & bad news... Being sick just sucks sometimes, no matter how hard you try to put a happy face on it. But For what it's worth, since I got the things that caused that shoulder/upper back pain in me fixed, that's ONE problem I have NOT had to contend with since. Some things can & DO get better - but first you have to name the problem. Keep us posted, please.

Hey!, I don’t really don’t know if there is something for any pain anymore! Smile Am sooooooo tired of taking all these different meds! Now I tell my doctor about how the pain is like knives stabbing me or a bed of nails at times and he give me a different type of pill every time , so lately I haven’t been picking them up from the drugstore ! They don’t HELP!! They only make me SLEEP!! And I can do that without the meds , I don’t want to feel like am a addict or have all these bottles sitting around , and people look at me like are you serious when they come to visit me . That is a crazy look ! I don’t know nothing but prayer and sleep at this point !..Beverly L.