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Pain from hip when sleeping

(36 Posts)
Elliebeth Tue 19-Jan-16 15:16:28

Hi. I have Copd but manage to do a fair bit of walking even though l get short of breath. The GP is pleased with my results and l feel well generally. Just lately l've been wakened by this horrible pain which starts in my hip and travels down my leg down to my foot. It's so bad that l can't move it immediately or turn over and have to move a bit at a time. During the day l'm fine, no pain at all. Has anyone else experienced this please

Synonymous Tue 19-Jan-16 15:51:14

Hello Elliebeth sorry to hear about your pain. Suggest you tell your doctor who will probably give you an examination and if necessary get an xray of your hip done.
Keep a pillow between your knees when in bed as that will help, I also have a bar tucked between my mattress and the divan with which I can get myself out of bed or even move. The doctor can refer you to Occupational Health for helpful suggestions and relevant gadgetry.
All in all, sounds like pretty classic symptoms for a worn hip to me and is the same as me at present. I have just had an xray on Friday and am now awaiting the results to see how things are 'progressing'. I have a stick which I find helpful particularly when having a flare up of arthritis.
Glad your doctor is pleased with your progress in other directions. smile

tanith Tue 19-Jan-16 16:26:44

Elliebeth it does sound like a hip that's getting to the stage when surgery might be needed , once I got resting pain in the hip enough to wake me at night my surgeon said it was time to operate, but I also had debilitating pain during the day causing me to limp badly which you don't seem to have. So maybe a chat with your GP is in order.
The only other suggestion is could it be Sciatica as that will cause pain from buttock to foot too , could be your hip is causing your spine to be out of line and so pressing on the nerves but its odd you don't have any daytime pain again.
I hope you find a solution though , waking at night is really awful on a regular basis.

Tegan Tue 19-Jan-16 16:38:46

I've got out of the habit now but when I had pain in my knees etc I always slept with a pillow which I placed between my knees if I slept on my side or under my knees if I moved onto my back. I agree that you need to see a doctor but a pillow might take pressure away from where it's hurting.

Elliebeth Tue 19-Jan-16 18:54:16

Thanks everyone. I think l am hoping that it's sciatica as would be very nervous of having an operation because of the Copd. It's come on very suddenly, been happening on and off for the last couple of weeks and as l said strangely no pain during the day. I'm going to get an appointment with my GP, hopefully by the end of the week. We have an online system which works very well providing you don't mind being on the PC at 7am !!!!

LullyDully Tue 19-Jan-16 20:22:40

What is COPD?

Dandibelle Tue 19-Jan-16 20:50:57

I have 2 new hips and I didn't have those symptoms. I think you are right and it sounds more like sciatica/trapped nerve

tinaf1 Tue 19-Jan-16 21:01:05

Elliebeth I have had the same pain as you describe,I have recently had to start wearing a built up insol in my shoes due to plantar facilities and asked the nhs podiatrist about this pain (she was very thorough) she said it was sciatica advice from other posters on here seem very helpful

Elliebeth Tue 19-Jan-16 21:02:10

Copd is a lung condition. It's mainly bronchitis and emphysema based and is usually caused by smoking. I stopped smoking over ten years ago and was diagnosed nearly four years ago. The inhalers l have are quite effective but the thought of going under anaesthetic frightens me. Let's hope it's sciatica!!

Iam64 Tue 19-Jan-16 21:14:14

Or possibly bursitis, inflammation of he hip bursa. It is very painful and disturbs sleep.

whitewave Tue 19-Jan-16 21:58:07

Just recently -well this winter really, I get disturbed with hip pain, pain in my inner thigh and pain similar to what is described as shin splints. I have decided that I am sitting too much reading or whatever and need to move much more than I am. So that is what I am trying to do and hopefully it is already a bit better. I did at one stage think that my hip was knackered but I am sure that type of pain I am getting is not associated with that. We shall see!

LullyDully Tue 19-Jan-16 22:00:20

Thanks Elliebeth. It sounds like you have a lot to cope with. Take care.flowers

annodomini Tue 19-Jan-16 22:24:17

It could be a trapped nerve. If it was osteo arthritis of the hip it would (if my experience is anything to go by) be painful when you were on your feet. However, if it does turn out to be your hip, don't worry about anaesthesia. Most hip ops are carried out with a spinal anaesthetic nowadays and you are given a sedative, not a general anaesthetic - very welcome to me as I react very badly to GAs. See your doctor and if he/she isn't helpful, better see a physio.

Elliebeth Fri 22-Jan-16 15:35:49

Hi. Seen the GP today and he thinks it's a trapped nerve so given anti inflammatories. If no improvement in two weeks l am to go back and he'll investigate further. Going to try and do a bit more walking and see if that helps. Thanks to everyone who replied.

tanith Fri 22-Jan-16 15:44:09

Thats good Elliebeth , I hope the anti-inflammatories help and that be the end of the matter.

Gagagran Fri 22-Jan-16 16:31:11

Elliebeth I get spasms in my lower back/hip area and find that the stick on heat pads (you stick them on your pants over the painful area) work wonders. I get mine online from Amazon - much cheaper than at the chemist. Worth a try.

FarNorth Fri 22-Jan-16 17:41:20

I've been getting hip pain which has gradually got worse over the years. Recently I went to a physiotherapist who said she thought it was a back problem rather than a hip problem.
She did some manipulating and gave me some exercises to do and advised doing more walking, cycling and swimming also.
I hope she's right and things improve.

grannyqueenie Fri 22-Jan-16 17:53:34

I had similar pain, it was bursitis caused by a hip that needed to be replaced. Hopefully yours can be treated as your GP hopes and you won't need surgery. But if you do need a hip replacement you may find it won't be a general but a spinal block that's used. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be and it avoided the after effects of a general. Good luck with it all and try not to worry, easier said than done I know.

Iam64 Fri 22-Jan-16 20:56:30

I'm a cracked record on this subject but i'll say it again. I've found a combination of yoga and pilates has helped with low back, neck, shoulder and hip pain - with all kinds of aches and pains frankly. It's not expensive to join classes and it can be fun as well as "good for us"

whitewave Sat 23-Jan-16 04:15:48

Well although having a sleepless night - getting over DHs thing - but tonight pain free - so it could be what I thought - move more as I have been on the move every waking hour including walking the dog for 2 hrs. since DH went I to hospital - now out. Mind you I am so tired now I can't sleep! Will settle eventually.

f77ms Sat 23-Jan-16 07:26:10

I have that pain too . It wakes me in the night . You seem to have a good GP if he is going to investigate so soon . I have been going back and forth to the docs for years with mine . I did have an Xray once but don`t think that was the right test as it only shows bone and from my symptoms it seems more like sacroilliitis .
Hope you get sorted and you `on the move ` plan continues to help .

Humbertbear Sat 23-Jan-16 09:11:35

Pain at night in bed is symptomatic of something being wrong. It's caused by the muscles relaxing after having to work very hard during the day so persevere with the GP. If they propose an MRI make sure they do knee and hip.

Elliebeth Sat 23-Jan-16 11:00:22

Bit of an update. Didn't have the pain last night but GP put me on steroids as well for the copd. Been more breathless than usual and one of the side effects for me is they make me more restless and in a couple of days will probable sleep very little. It's just for five days and l take six at a time. So wondering if because l'm moving about more in bed this made the difference. Anyway off for a walk now so see how that goes.

GrafterPA Sun 24-Jan-16 12:03:14

Sorry to hear about your hip probs Elliebeth, so spoke to my boss who's a Biomechanist ( only 18 in the UK) and he has GPs, Physios, Pilates and Yoga teachers, Osteopaths and Chiropractors as clients.

He says you could well have something called 'Olechranon Bursitis' which he's dealt with quite a few times in his 47 years of work. On the outside of your hips, you have fluid filled sacks called bursae, which act as shock absorbers and if these get inflammed you can get the reactions you describe.

You need to put that into the frame and voice the possibility to your GP. My boss says it's very unlikely indeed to be sacro-iliac related, but as he can't examine your personal Biomechanics and what messages your movements are flagging up, he wouldn't attempt to advise further.

He did say that unfortunately for quite a few people who's bodies don't actually suit Pilates or Yoga ( both these have numerous flaws as well as good things) doing them can actually escalate problems, a statement which surprises many people, but is nevertheless a clinical fact. x

GrafterPA Sun 24-Jan-16 12:06:19

Big Apologies Elliebeth ( shows what happens when you stay up until 4-15am on Sunday mornings, and you 'lose it' with self inflicted fatigue!! ...lol)

It's not Olechranon Bursitis!! ... the boss said 'Trochanteric Bursititis'!!!

Sorry about that and I think an early night is advisable here!! x