Is this a sudden onset? If so, get thee to a hospital just in case it's a heart attack. Better safe than sorry.

I'm so sorry! You seem to be in terrible pain! Call a friend to get you tto the ER. If for some reason you can't go, 800mg ibuprofen. Ice, heat.

Even a minor emergency facility. Women have very different symptoms for heart attack. Just want to make sure.

I have been having very bad pain in my shoulder, neck, arm. I have gotten immediate relief from the red cold laser applied to the area. That laser has helped me often and it's totally painless. My doctors office has them, it doesn't take long, just lay down and rest while they put it on the hurting area. I know what's coming wait for it lol.

Good luck! If you can get some Biofreeze lotion or gel to apply it's good stuff. Walmart carries it now.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Biofreeze-Roll-On-3-oz/46009022

I get the roll on so I can do it myself.

I had that... and I learned, it was because my shoulder had gotten cold during the night. I tended to get it out of the covers. I have arthritis in all my joints. Seems like my shoulders get the pain worst, if I get them uncovered during the nights.

But, if there is a different reason... I think, it would be better to get it checked out.

Moni

There are all kinds of shoulder issues. I had frozen shoulder--that I thought was an injury. I hadn't even heard of it before.... It could be so many things. Urgent care or ER, depending on your symptoms.

I live with shoulder pain daily, due to rotator cuff tears and severe arthritis. I am in therapy, now, and had laser therapy, first time. this week. If therapy doesn't work, surgeon says shoulder replacement is the next thing for me.

Good luck!

Icing of the shoulder helps a lot. I do it nightly.

Oh, gosh. I don't want anything serious to be wrong with me. I'm away from home visiting my mother. I have an appointment with an orthopedic shoulder specialist when I get back in 2 weeks. I'm just in so much pain. I will look for the Biofreeze. Thank you all.

If it came on suddenly listen to TulsaRose. Go to the nearest ER and get checked out. It is far better to have it turn out to be a frozen shoulder or whatever than dying of an untreated heart attack. I lost a dear friend recently who ignored symptoms of heart attack in women because she was unaware of the crazy symptoms one can get or chose to ignore them. We had a memorial luncheon for her just a couple days ago.

I agree 100% about seeking professional help asap if the pain came on suddenly or unexpectedly. However, even if it hasn't been sudden or unexpected, sounds like getting to an urgent care facility could give you more options for temporary relief, until your appointment -- two weeks is a long time to put up with severe pain. Good luck!

Yes get to an urgent care or emergency, one of the signs of a heart attack is severe shoulder pain.

I love how people automatically try to scare the living begeebus out of you by implying or coming right out and saying, you are probably having a heart attack. You are not doctors for crying out loud. Do not do that to people on the internet.

Just go see a doctor. That is who you should be getting medical advice from. There are MANY reasons why you could be having this pain. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003171.htm

I don't see where anyone said she is "probably having a heart attack". It's wise to inform someone that those are symptoms of what -could- be a heart attack.

Well, considering she already has an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon, (which she didn't mention until much later), she probably already knows what the cause is.

Debby, her appointment is in two weeks!

If seagrass has been suffering with a shoulder that has been getting progressively worse over weeks or months, then with the help of NSAIDS and icing sessions, she may be able to deal with the discomfort until her appt.

If, however, her pain has come upon her suddenly and severely, then she should absolutely seek immediate attention. She hasn't made it clear to us regarding the onset of her symptoms.

There are many topical analgesics available these days, some of which I have personally used with positive results. Be sure to read and follow the directions on anything that you decide to try.

Ice packs can be an enormous help to inflamed joints and strained muscles.

If you aren't allergic to nsaids like aspirin, ibuprofin, or naproxin try taking the lowest dose or half dose on a regular basis to reduce inflammation of the joint.

Let us know, seagrass, how you're doing. Serious shoulder issues are extremely common.

From the wording of the OP, it appeared to me that this wasn't something she had been dealing with for awhile, but rather a sudden (unknown) onset. Seagrass was asking for help. In a follow up post, seagrass states she is in a lot of pain. My advice would be the same as what others have said regarding a visit to urgent care or the ER.

I am currently 8 weeks post surgery for a completely torn right shoulder.

Both shoulders have been torn over the course of the last 10 years with pain becoming severe in 2013. I suspect my tears are lifestyle and age related (I'm almost 64). I hike and travel a lot and carry heavy camera equipment.

I've had both shoulders frozen at the same time making sleeping, showering, dressing, etc. nearly impossible. Physical therapy and cortisone injections really helped.

Because of kidney issues, I cannot take pain meds and I was told my bones may become brittle if I continue with the steroid shots so I opted for surgery in April.

The MRI will give your doctor a good idea what's going on but may not give him/her the whole story. In my case what was thought to be an 70-80% tear turned out to be a 100% separation. Recovery is tough and long but so is suffering from shoulder pain.

I thank you all. This is an amazing forum. I was just so desperately in pain when I posted this cry for help. I wasn't thinking complete thoughts. I now, from your collective experience, know that there are a lot of possibilities for what my condition is - but I have recently had a very thorough cardiac evaluation and am deemed WNL. That never occurred to me and would be very scary.

Again, I am so very grateful to all of you.

I just remembered something......I went through a time when my right arm and shoulder, neck, and back hurt like heck. My fingers were numb, too. An x-ray revealed that my cervical vertebrae were compressed. The nerves radiating from that area were causing all of the pain.

I had three or four weeks of physical therapy, home exercise, and decompression therapy to achieve complete relief. I still do many of the exercises to this day, every day.

Something to think about.

I stand by my heart attack symptom warning. The OP has posted she has had multiple health issues in the past. Just because you have one issue you are aware of doesn't mean there can be no overlapping issues.

Men who suffer chronic indigestion have also died from heart attacks because they decided it was just their stomach issue acting up more than usual.

Anyone posting that they are in acute pain that renders them unable to function should see a doctor ASAP no matter what the reason. Not be taking advice from a forum that may even do more harm to their particular condition even if it is not life threatening.

Please re-read my post folks: I never said, "don't take ANY advice". I said see a doctor. That is who you take advice from. :)

Seagrass, I've been thinking of you. How are you?

Hi, katlan. What a sweetheart you are, thinking of total stranger. I still have debilitating pain in my shoulder and in my travels have acquired a head cold, a sore throat fever and the blues.

I hope you get a diagnosis and relief from the pain soon. I had severe shoulder pain; dr. thought it was Bursitis and gave me steroid injections in it, plus PT, but nothing helped. Finally had an MRI which showed 3 rotator cuff tears + severe arthritis damage. Dr. said he was more concerned about the arthritis damage then tears. Had shoulder totally replaced by a wonderful ortho surgeon in Tyler 3 years ago. PT was much easier than with knee replacements and I've done unusually well; they said I'd never be able to lift my arm over my head, but I did and can! Good luck, seagrass!

I had that for about 2 yrs. Mine was a frozen shoulder, at least that's what they told me. You can exercise it, ice it, use a heating pad. Mine just finally went away. Its a real pain!

So, you didn't see a doctor yet about the pain you have right now?

I'm away from my home until the middle of next week and have an appointment on the 22nd with a shoulder specialist. I just have to tough this out, I guess.

Why suffer? Can't you go to urgent care or ER where you are?

Well, Seagrass, just be careful to not worsen the condition. No lifting, etc if you can.

I have impingement tendonitist in both shoulders and I was in a lot of pain until I went to the ortho doc. She asked which shoulder was worse and gave me a cortisone shot in the right shoulder. That really helped and she told me to stop carrying such a heavy purse! Still have some issues, but it has improved. Wishing you well, please come back and let us know what the doc says is going on.

"Where should I go? What should I do?"

"I'm away from my home until the middle of next week and have an appointment on the 22nd with a shoulder specialist"

This is what bothers me about this thread. You asked for advice. You got a ton of advice. You did nothing anyway. This type of thread is what bothers me about any social media. Just because you're away from home doesn't mean you can't get help. Don't ask for advice if you don't want to take any of it. Just my 2 cents. IMO, it's attention grabbing. My mother in law used to do stuff like this all the time. I finally told her, "why ask me what to do if you don't plan on doing anything anyway. I'm just wasting my time and breath". She finally stopped asking me for advice. ;)

Many years ago I visited an orthopedic specialist because I was having severe knee pain. He offered no advice other than cortisone shots and I declined...I wanted some other alternatives before I chose that route.

His response? He superciliously declared, "You obviously aren't hurting enough. Come see me when you are."

I didn't take his advice, he didn't like it. I sought other alternatives which allowed me to have ten pain free and active years and I'm extremely happy with my decision.

I've had to seek out a specialist again. My condition is pretty bad at present, but he recommended PT over shots and my knee is so much better after a few sessions. I am fully aware that surgery is in my not so distant future. When that time comes, I'll be ready for it.

I do not want an emergency one time treatment but someone who can evaluate and treat long term. I was/am just in so much pain when I posted. I appreciate all of the perspectives.

Debbie_ab - I appreciate your response, as well, My apologies for grabbing your attention.

You'd rather have died instead if it is or had been something more serious (that you don't know enough to have considered) and it went unseen by a physician? Urgent care would have probably been the right direction to go.

I hope it turns out okay and is nothing serious. If so, you were lucky with your decision, not correct in what you chose to do or not do.

Agree with Elmer...Urgi care at leadt would have outruled something serious and life threatening..than you could have dealt with the pain until your appt at least knowing the ortho is the best place for you..currently you don't even know for sure its an ortho issue do you?

Instead of posting on a forum, I call the 24 hour nurse line when something happens and concerns me when it's not something I know requires an ER or UC visit. During the past years I've been warned by the doctors and nurses to beware of certain symptoms and conditions and sometimes they come up. More often than not the nurse line will cover their butt by saying you could go to ER but sometimes they can calm you down and have you think rationally. They also have access to your medical history so they can see if you have a condition that might be an additional alert. Apparently nobody here has heard of this or used it and if not, you should look into it. It's an incredibly valuable resource.

I have arthritis in my shoulders. When I do certain work I can pretty much count on limited movement for a day or so afterward. I take pain meds and live with it until it's such a point where I need to consider surgery again. I've had enough cutting and replacing on me to last a while. My surgeon wants me to try injections if it gets worse but I won't do that unless things are a lot worse than now.

Not sudden onset, just becoming severely worse. I'm grateful for all of your responses. I'm almost 1K miles from home - so doctors here would not have access to my medical records. I have 7 days before my appointment with the orthopedic doctor. I've been seen in urgent care and ER's for other things. I do not want a botched treatment for this issue.

I read this forum several times a day so I reached out. You are all wise in your responses. I was looking for comfort more than anything. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

A Chiropractor might help. I would not allow one to adjust me without xrays. They can be a huge help but sometimes it is not ok to adjust if there are certain issues.

Massage as well and same thing about not getting a massage until you are diagnosed.

BioFreeze or Tiger Balm