Gluteal tendinopathy - endless pain - losing my mind

I developed it and a tear after hip replacement. My hip dr recommended Shock Wave Therapy. I haven’t tried it yet because other illnesses have intervened. The cortisone shots can take more than two weeks to work and you do need to rest to allow healing.

@twistedwillow
Thank you so much. The doctor did tell me the cortisone shots could take up to 2 weeks to work. I just find it so hard to deal with the pain, which keeps getting worse and won't go away. And I should probably rest more - trying to follow instructions on walking and exercises, but maybe I should listen to my body more than the doctors with some of that.
Anyway, I really appreciate your taking the time to advise. Best of luck to you.

I also want to thank the first person who responded to my post, by giving me a "hug." I really needed that!

@emarks
When did you have your last MRI of your lumbar spine? When did you have your MRIs of your hips/pelvis/sacrum?

I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, cervical myelopathy and neurogenic claudication. I have had 2 cervical and one lumbar spine surgeries. I may need 1 more cervical and 1 more lumbar due to new compression.

I was diagnosed with bilateral gluteal tendinopathy and bilateral partial hamstring tears. I had no idea how this happened but believe due to sedentary lifestyle/long term computer work, spinal stenosis, etc. that affected nerve communication and neuromuscular function. I currently have severe stenosis L2-L3 and may need surgery due to the significant impact on my walking, standing, stair use, hip/hip flexor pain and weakness. It is frustrating and depressing so I can relate. I am scheduled for a spine injection this Friday to see if it helps with any of the pain. I am doing physical therapy to try to strengthen my surrounding muscles which helps some. I am in significant pain in my hips/hip flexors when I wake up in the morning and believe it is due to swelling/limited blood flow overnight, gravity when I stand up, stiffness, etc. It gets a little better as I move around and my body wakes up.

Due to chronic pain for many years, etc. I take 450 mg Wellbutrin/bupropion to help with major depression. This has helped me get out of bed and do my best every day. I take one day at a time and prioritize what’s most important to accomplish each day.

I really don’t want more surgery on my spine but may not have many options due to being born with a congenitally narrow spinal canal. Degeneration with age is going to continue to cause me problems and I need to face my reality and make the best decisions possible to help improve my quality of life for whatever time I have left on this earth (I am currently 56).

emarks, I am so sorry you are in so much pain. I would hug you if I was there. Praying for you to get
relief. Blessings & Prayers.....

@dlydailyhope
Thank you so much for your reply, and I'm very sorry to hear what you're going through and have had to deal with. I hope your injection helps. Same thing here - mornings really bad, but it doesn't improve a whole lot during the day.
Lower back pain started first week of July, diagnosed as SI problem. I had cortisone shots that did nothing. First MRI, in August, showed L5/S1 issue, with herniated disc pressing on the nerve. I had an epidural that did nothing.
I had an MRI of the hip area two weeks ago - that showed the gluteal tendinopathy. During all of this I was also diagnosed with piriformis syndrome.
I hate to complain because so many people - like you - are dealing with worse problems. It's just that this is my first experience with chronic pain, and besides the pain itself it's have a really bad effect on my mental health. Really bad, Thanks for mentioning Wellbutrin. I'm going to ask a psychiatrist tomorrow if he thinks I should try an antidepressant.
And thank you again for replying. It really helps to hear from other people, and it's just so nice when someone takes the time to share experiences and commiserate. Good luck to you!

@covidstinks2023
Thank you so much! It really does help to get such a warm, supportive message.

@emarks

I can totally empathize with how hard it is to deal with sudden, chronic pain stealing your quality of life and mental health. I used to be able to do so much and loved to dance! I used to walk fast and was very independent. Things started to worse. after I had my only child at 40. My spine symptoms started around 41-42 and worsened gradually ever since. That is when I found out I was born with a narrow spinal canal. Normal width is 15-17mm and mine is 10mm and my current L2-L3 herniated disc makes it 8mm.

Before my lumbar surgery to decompress and fuse L3-L5, my MRI showed my L4-L5 severely blocked and no space at all for my spinal cord. It caused me low back pain, pain/weakness and numbness from hips/buttocks down legs to feet. If I stood for a few minutes or tried to walk my dog, my feet would go totally numb. Standing up, going up/down stairs, bending, lifting, sitting was hard. Lying down seemed the only relief. I had tried about 6 total spine injections over several years and when the last 3 in a row did nothing for my pain, I moved to surgery.

It is good to try a few more spine injections, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, pain patches/roll-ons/creams (lidocaine, Voltaren gel, etc.), and antidepressants. I did try several medications and there was a time that Cymbalta/duloxetine helped (prescribed for arthritis, nerve, fibromyalgia pain and depression). There was a period I took Cymbalta/duloxetine and Wellbutrin/duloxetine at the same time. I also have idiopathic small fiber neuropathy. Gabapentin and pregabalin (Lyrica) doesn’t work well for me because it makes me too dizzy/tired and actually increased my nerve pain.

You may want to look into to a psychologist that specializes in chronic pain and its impact on mental health. It is good you are working with a psychiatrist on your depression medications. I worked with my primary doctor when really struggling with depression in 2023 and they tried different medications and combinations but nothing was helping or caused too many bad side effects. My psychiatrist was patient working with me to gradually increase me from 150mg Wellbutrin/bupropion to 300mg then 450mg and stop everything else causing me bad side effects. I am in a much better place.

I am going to try the Signal Relief patch to see if it helps with my pain. They aren't cheap but I have heard they have helped many. Be careful taking too many NSAIDs like Motrin/Advil. I learned the hard way taking too much for pain and it caused me esophagitis and gastritis erosions. I now only take extra strength Tylenol as needed for pain/headache/fever.

Just fyi…my symptoms for cervical spine compression and myelopathy were daily headaches, tinnitus, neck/shoulder pain, arm/hand numbness/weakness, dropped things and handwriting worsened, bladder control was affected and walking/balance became difficult. After surgery on my C5-C6 (later C6-C7), these symptoms improved but delayed diagnosis caused permanent damage to my spinal cord due to longterm compression (have residual shoulder/arm/hand weakness). I have been told that your lumbar spinal cord/nerve roots may be able to repair/recover but some longterm nerve damage is possible if you delay surgery. Have you read in detail what your MRI shows in your lumbar spine? Do you have a herniated disc, bone spurs/osteophytes, central or foraminal stenosis, hypertrophy, thickening of ligamentum flavin? Do you have facet joint degeneration? Did you have an accident or injury before your spine/hip/buttock pain? Do you work a physical or office/desk job?

You are not alone in your suffering and you can reach out to me anytime as I am happy to share experiences of what works/doesn’t work.