Should I go to A&E?

OFFS! Get your arse to A&E now!!!

If someone can wait until the morning then it's not an emergency

I forgot to say - only relief I found was visiting a Chiropractor who specialises in treating pregnant women. This was privately funded and only when I could just about manage to get in and out of the car.

I wouldn't be going to A&E at 11pm. You could be sat there all night which won't help. Go first thing in the morning at 8.

Coming back to this… preterm labour and placenta issues can cause similar pains. Those who are confirming that it’s “definitely sciatica”, what makes you so certain? I certainly hope it’s nothing serious but pregnant women shouldn’t be told to grin and bear extreme pain without assessment by a specialist.

Happened to me from 14 weeks onwards - worst pain I ever felt. Slept on a matress in the lounge as climbing stairs wasn't possible. Agony to wash, turn over in bed or sit on a chair. Had to wee in a bucket and walking was only possible by shuffling along very slowly with two sticks. Midwives not bothered as it wasn't affecting the little one. 🙄

You’re a physio yet you’re telling someone to lie about their symptoms to a Dr in A&E? Really? As a HCP that is truly terrible to read another HCP advising. You know that her saying she’s incontinent will lead Drs down the path of Clauda Equina and therefore a possible misdiagnosis .

OP DO NOT LIE IN A&E about your symptoms to force them to give you an MRI.

It does sound like a sciatica flare up. Sciatica can range from a mild irritation to intense pain. This is what I would recommend:
Do not sit, lie down in the most comfortable position you can find, use an ice pack on your back, try to relax.
If you lose control of bladder or bowel or have numbness in this area head straight to A&E as this could be cauda equina which could be serious.
Unfortunately there is very little that can be done for back pain and sciatica, even after an mri. It does usually get better within 6 weeks - 3 months. If no better after this time they may operate but it's not a hugely successful operation and can lead to further issues down the line.

Don't go to maternity triage, they will send you to A&E.
The midwife on the phone said to go to A&E because like you said, it's outside her remit as it's a medical problem. Midwives will always say GP/A&E if you need to be seen but not in maternity.
If the GP who you have seen in person has said you don't need to go to A&E right now then that trumps the advice of the triage midwife who has never met you.

you are pregnant. You are worried. Please go to A&E

Year*

I had the same issue as you last yea when I was pregnant. I also have sciatica flare ups from time to time and being pregnant aggravated it. I had some Physio sessions and a strap which I wore around my hips. It sounds like you're having a flare up, you need to rest ask your GP to be referred to a Physio.

Could it be relaxin hormone kicking in? I had this at week 14 and I couldn't walk. Then it went away as quickly as it came. But better get checked out if it gets worse etc

Sorry i didn’t read your updates! I see you already called them. Hope you get sorted.

Call maternity triage x

I had crippling pelvic pain in my bum/hip area second tri and actually struggled to walk.
I remember it got so bad I asked my work if I could wfh as I could no longer take the train and walk to work, baby was back to back and head was misshapen so I have a feeling they were pressing on my spine/pelvic area and that's what caused the actually horrific pain.
The good news is when I got close to delivering the pain completely went away, I have no symptoms now.
Just giving my side, as bad as it might feel it could just be spd or pelvic girdle which while awful will go away after birth.

In both my pregnancies my back just went around the 3/4 month mark and it was unbearable, could hardly move. I was referrred to the hospital physio. They were really helpful and so I would try and get your midwife/gp to refer you that way. I wouldn’t be pushing for a scan. I was also told that your back muscles relax in pregnancy so fairly common and if you have had prior issues it is worse. How many days have you tax it, mine lasted about 5 days each time.

Hi op, this basically happened to me at 17 weeks pregnant, I have a herniated disc and get sciatica anyways but this was next level pain like you've said. It was a rush of relaxin that made my back go, by 24 weeks I was so much better ! I do agree A&E will only prescribe pain relief and very doubtful they'd xray, I would use a hot water bottle and take the painkillers

I wouldn't place my hopes on an MRI any time time soon. Been waiting for an 'urgent' MRI brain for my 1 year old for over 6 weeks. I don't think you will get anything out of going to A&E to be honest. Ring maternity for advice.

Sounds like the SPD I had was fine one day next day woke up and I couldn’t get comfy sitting or standing I was crying rocking hunched over a chair. Needed a support belt and physio. It eased once baby arrived but it was agony

Sorry to hear about your pain. Please read this link.

https://patient.info/bones-joints-muscles/back-and-spine-pain/cauda-equina-syndrome#symptoms-of-cauda-equina-syndrome

Scroll down to symptoms. If you have any of these you must go to A&E. If you have relentless severe pain you should also go for pain relief.

If you don’t have either of those then going won’t be helpful.

You will wait for hours and hours. Get seen. Get examined. If you report any of the symptoms on that link you will get a bladder scan after you’ve emptied your bladder and also a rectal exam to assess your anal tone.

If these things show concerning signs in conjunction with your other symptoms then you will then have to wait for an MRI. In some cases you will get admitted and wait for it the next day as smaller hospitals don’t do MRIs out of hours. If they were really worried they could transfer you elsewhere but that is rare.

If you don’t have any of those symptoms then they won’t be doing an MRI as it is not indicated for acute sciatica or back pain. They will try get your pain better controlled and ask you to follow up with you GP.

There’s a lot of bad advice in this friends so be careful.

There was another pregnant mum when I was in hospital with SPD I'd never heard of it before, it sounded horrendous.

Add in @Aandespine previous sciatica issues the pain must be off the chart.

Also another one for osteopathy and physio/pilates. I had osteopath treatment for PSP for both pregnancies and it helped keep my chronic back pain at bay too. The numbness and heavy legs are 🚩 that shouldn’t be ignored! Hope it gets better for you!

I often wonder about this type of totally unsympathetic replies???
Why?.....

It sounds like you could have a compressed nerve. I’d brave a&e to get an MRI if I were you. As painful as it is, try to keep gently moving and keep mobile. The movement will help. Good luck and hope it eases 💐