Lower back pain - feel like I'm in hell

[Thatsnotmynameee]

Dodgy back for years. Now for the 3rd time in 18 months it's gone suddenly, searing burning pain across lower back. This happened Wednesday. GP would only give naproxen which told him didn't work last time. Wouldn't refer me for physio as waiting list is 8 - 10 months. Have bought my own cocadamol 8/500, ibuprofen gel, voltarol, deep heat and nothing is making the pain even mildly better. I'm uncomfortable in every single position. Can't sleep at night for the pain. Any suggestions anyone. Feeling desperate. Have booked private MRI for Monday. Already regularly see osteopath.

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Have you tried hot water bottles? Much better than deep heat. Other than that and prescription meds, the only thing that helps mine is propping myself into weird positions with foam wedges.

On the plus side - you got to see a GP!!! 😂 sorry, probably not a positive for you at the moment.

As I said before my back went nearly 2 years ago, I’ve had 3 different physios, an MRI, 2 hospital stays, lost the use of one leg and had rehab for that... still haven’t ever seen a GP in person, all phone appointments 😐

If they don’t make it bearable, get back to them, there are still stronger painkillers they can give you.

I found lying and walking were better than sitting. Lying with knees bent, or if you can manage it bring both knees up and very gently rock from side to side which sometimes helps. Try to get up and walk a bit every 30 mins. Tens machine can also distract you. Longer term though need to learn some pliates, go to a proper teacher at first to make sure you are doing it properly.

I've had back pain for years. I then tore a ligament 4 years ago and was bed ridden for 6 weeks.

It comes and goes now. I find sleeping with a cushion between my knees helps massively at night, I have a firm foam mattress topper and have had to buy a sofa that's high and firm.

I feel your pain, I hope you find some answers X

GP put me on Gabapentin. I self referred privately. Had an MRI followed last week by an epidural complete with a camera imager ferreting around. I'll get those results soon. I've bulging discs L2 herniated? My osteopath is great basically I need to keep moving. Added to back I've hip impingement. I ordered some resistance bands doing those exercises which are helping. I've scoliosis only recently discovered by MRI.

Oh dear, @Thatsnotmynameee your doctor sounds absolutely useless.

I've got a spinal injury, with a slipped disc. I'm on (not currently, I am having a good spell) Naproxen and Tramadol, which are very effective for me, in combination.

Please don't take Ibuprofen and Voltarol with Naproxen, they're all the same class Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatories. Taking them together can lead to an overdose.

Did you tell your doctor and if so, did he advise you not to?

All sympathies.

A pillow behind the knees can be much more helpful than a pillow in the small of your back.

Yeah, I got to see a GP. Bit overshadowed by the fact I'm in constant excruciating pain and can hardly walk...

Sounds awful, @Thatsnotmynameee .

Is the 30/500 co-codamol working?

I don’t think GPs are any good for back pain - other than to give you pills to help the pain.

Hopefully the MRI will give some answers then I’d work with either an Osteopath or a Physio initially. Once you’ve got to the bottom of the issue, long term Pilates is fantastic for back pain. Completely sorted mine out. It gets to the route cause rather than masking the problem with painkillers.

Those heat patches up thread are brilliant
Yes it hurts and it's shit, I'm sorry and it can be lengthy depending what it is
Set an alarm to take painkillers before you get up (just watch the dosage)
The only thing that kept me sane was morphine and those heat patches. Try not to sit, stand or lie, and use a pillow between or under your knees
Don't bend over, but keep moving very very gently

I get it, I was whimpering with pain before I lost all feeling so definitely look out for any bowel/bladder changes or saddle area numbness (I had CES and was operated on)
Mine started in the Jan, was off work by March, operation May

Oh and try standing in the shower with it on your back, aimed at the worst bit and whack the heat up
Lots of people say cold but heat was better for me

I'm really sorry to hear about your pain. I was in a similar position to you last year, and when my back went altogether I was in bed for three weeks before I could even get dressed. There was no way I could get to the GP, and my surgery refused to do a home visit. I was prescribed a mixture of the maximum doses of 30 mg codeine, naproxen, and paracetamol, as well as amitryptylene. Because the wait for a referral for an MRI scan and physiotherapy was so long, I paid for a private scan myself, which wasn't nearly as expensive as I'd thought - it was just under £300 and an appointment was available the next day. I was able to stop the amitritriptylene after about six weeks.

I saw my chiropractor once or twice each week, but it didn't help and sometimes made the pain worse, but he was able to interpret the MRI scan for me. I saw the physiotherapist after about three months, and she referred me to the neurosurgery department at the hospital once she had seen the MRI scan.

I started to use a TENS machine at about that time, and that made the biggest difference of anything, and made life more bearable. I bought just a small wireless machine that cost under £30, and it's the best investment I've ever made in my life.

I haven't had surgery on my back yet, because I'm very worried about being away from home overnight (my husband has sleep seizures from time to time and there is no-one else who could stay the night to be here if he has one) but I had a nerve block injection in March, which unfortunately didn't work. The surgeon told me that the bulging disc was very gradually being reabsorbed to a point, and the injection would buy me time if it worked. There has been a gradual improvement over time, and I've managed to reduce the naproxen by 50% and the codeine by 40%. It sounds as though different drugs are effective for different people, and it seems to be a question of working out what helps you, but using a TENS machine made SUCH a huge difference to my pain level, and I couldn't possibly manage without it.

No difference yet. But have only taken two doses so here's hoping. Diazepam also hasn't done anything.

IME, if they haven’t worked yet, they’re not going to 🙁

I'm getting nowhere with mine. 5 months, mri, consultant basically washed his hands of me last week, suggesting I took paracetamol and give it time. Twat.

Don't tell me that 😫

Sorry to respond so slowly. It's something like 'my physio pilates' - a Scottish woman called Lyndsay!

Thank you :)

A seconded thank you. I will look her up.

I suffer with lower back pain/sciatica and have found gabapebtin to be about the only thing that works now, GP's probably won't automatically offer them like with cocodamol but it's worth asking x

I'm on Gabapentin it works. My son suggested I got resistance bands. They're helping too.

@Gabby10 what dose are you on?

Same here. It's not a magic bullet and I still have varying degrees of pain but I take gabapentin and amitriptyline (the latter does nothing for the pain but helps me sleep) along with using remedial Pilates and piriformis stretches. On really bad days I use a microwaveable heat pad and a TENS machine, and for the oh-shit-I-can't-move days I also have tramadol, which basically just knocks me out until the worst has passed. I sleep with a pillow between my knees too, or on my stomach with a pillow under my abdomen. With this 'toolbox' of remedies I've gone from having to use a walking aid to being able to run C25K.

Also, if any fellow sufferers have a desk-based job, look into a sit-stand desk or desk riser if you haven't already. Sitting all day is one of the worst things you can do for bad backs.

I hope your pain eases soon, OP.

I'm on 3/100mg but can up to 9/100mg a day if needed but it's rare now I have to take more than 3 a day

How is it now?