So pissed off with Dr i saw today.. don't know what to do about it.

[Skullyton]

ive been in pain with my hip/back for months.

i was initially referred to a physiotherapist after 8wks of pain relief didn't fix it.

Physio diagnosed compressed disks in my lumbar spine because of having a very deep curve in my spine that would never get better and my only hope was strengthening the muscles that support it, and suggested my sciatic nerve was getting pinched. Gave me exercises for my back, saw me another couple of times and sent me on my way.

Last month i had a serious asthma flare and i've had to come off the NSAID pain relief. I have 30/100 co-codamol and while its helping with the now mild back pain, it is NOT touching the excruciating pain in my hip/leg.

This pain starts in my backside and radiates down to my knee, sometimes my toes. Its been so painful some days i can barely walk on it and have ended up CRAWLING to fucking bed.

After 2 weeks of this shit i finally took myself back to the Drs today.

The GP (locum) i saw did the following

1. Declared it wasn't sciatica because the sciatic nerve terminates at the knee so i wouldnt be feeling it in my foot. & also because i 'passed' a straight leg raise test (doesn't make pain worse)
2. referred me back to another physio (wtf?)
3. referred me for x-ray (only thing i'm happy with)
4. refused to offer me any other pain relief, basically because i can't take NSAIDS, i'm stuck with the fucking co-codamol WHICH ISNT HELPING.
5. gave me a lecture over my weight, which the previous physio said wasn't a factor in this.. yes losing weight will help because of pressure on my joints, but it wouldnt fix this.

I am SO sick of being in fucking pain, i'm sitting here now and all i can feel is my hip/thigh/knee just throbbing away. I just want some help.

I have this which sounds a bit similar- Piriformis. It is very painful.

i get my thyroid checked every year, both my mum and her mum have issues and have to take thyroxine, so the dr insists my levels are watched closely as they both developed it in their late 30's and i'm 34.

If it is sciatica I had this and it required a long period of gentle exercise and stretching which was awful at first.
Plus lower back support from a pillow while driving and a softer bed.
My spine curves a lot too.
Painkillers did almost nothing.

I just know any thread about being annoyed by a Dr will include an overweight person being told losing some weight would help. Every. time.

Drs have to say this, because it is true. It is not a moral or aesthetic judgement, but a medial one. Any back/leg/hip pain will be exacerbated by excess weight.

The Dr seems pretty thorough - referral for physio, xray - rather than just doling out more painkillers. Sorry you are in such pain & I hope the physio can help.

Skully, I am sorry to hear this, chronic pain is the pits

I think you are right to be concerned, if she doesn't know the basics about the sciatic nerve, then not ideal. Also those tests aren't brilliant - I allegedly did some stuff I ought not to have been able to do when I'd actually broken a bone. I realised later on that it didn't make the pain worse because it was at max anyway IYSWIM.

I would get a second opinion. I can see the issue with NSAIDs (also have asthma) but couldn't take cocodamol either because it upset my stomach. If you see someone else, ask about amitryptaline (sp?) because that helped me - it's a tricyclic antidep but interrupts the pain signal (lay person's explanation there).

best of luck and I really hope you get it sorted soon

Parathyroid and calcium regulation very different to thyroid hormone and thyroxine (although they're in the same area of the neck fairly close to each other). Just a thought 😉

marking to come back to this tomorrow.

I don't know if this will be any help. I've had years and years of shit shit backpain. It's got much worse recently, and I was beside myself. I was practically mainlining tramadol to get through the day, and waiting for an appointment at the chronic pain clinic.I've have had absolutely loads of physio/chiro/oesteo, none of which has made any difference ever.

In desperation, I saw a Pilates instructor who specialises in back pain for one to one sessions. The difference that has made in just 2 weeks, is way beyond any other relief I've known. She taught me loads of stretches which were tailored for me

Skully sorry you are suffering so much. HicDraconis has kindly given you fabulous advice from a medical perspective. From a patient side I can confirm everything she says. I have chronic (permanent) nerve damage causing back and leg pain. As an aside, it is usual ime for doctors to use the term 'leg pain' rather than sciatica. If you can trace the exact route of the pain it helps identify which nerves are being compressed. I have huge sensitivity in my shin, for example, which implies L5 nerve root. GPS are exactly that, generalists. If you feel you aren't getting the correct advice ask for another opinion but pain control should be well within their remit at this point.

Anyway,I'm totally agree about trying a nerve targeting med like amitriptyine or gabapentin. I take both ( actually pregablin) as well as cocodamol and naproxen. The point of combining meds is that they are all doing different drugs. I agree it also might be worth trying Tramadol instead of cocodamol but do add paracetamol as that increases the efficacy of the opiod.

I suggest calling the surgery and asking to see another doctor urgently. Ask politely to try either amitriptyine or gabapentin initially. Be warned that they both take a while to work and both cause side effects with sleepiness at first but it passes.

I would also be asking for an MRI but as they cost money you may have to try all of this first. With the above you could be feeling quite a bit better soon. And obviously look at your lifestyle and make adaptations where needed. Sitting is a huge trigger for me so I just hardly do sit.

all doing different jobs.

whattheseithakasmean

my irritation at the obligatory 'loose weight' speech is because trust me, someone my size is well aware that our weight is an issue.

this flare started while i was in the middle of trying to do something about it, i was then BANNED from doing ANY exercise whatsoever.

Its only in the last month i have been cleared to try something gentle like walking in the swimming pool or yoga.

Telling me i need to lose weight when i'm in extreme pain that leaves me only capable of crawling up my own stairs to bed is just stupid and annoying.

Definitely insist on an MRI. I had similar to you - compressed disc in my back causing horrible nerve pain down to my foot. In the end I went private and got tricyclics for the nerve pain whilst waiting for an operation. I had steroids injected into the key area whilst under epidural anaesthetic. It worked extremely well.

You need an MRI scan.
I have/had what you have. Compressed discs/central disc bulge L4/5. Only Tramadol did help, I can't take NSAIDs either. Co codamol is rubbish for me, makes me woozy and doesn't take the pain away.

I had a nerve root block (all sorts of lovely drugs injected between the discs) under General, it sorted me out. Had it done privately, as NHS doesn't do it under general and the failure rate is high. (My twin sister has the same issues and had 3 nerve root blocks under nhs, 2 failed).

Kick up a fuss, OP. I was crawling into A&E, the pain was worse than labour, and I've had 3 dc, one back to back. My leg went completely numb twice while I was at work, I couldn't feel anything anymore, it scared me rigid. I've been warned that I could lose my bowel and bladder control, that's an emergency! (cauda equina if I remember correctly)
Good luck!

I had the exact pain you described.
On seeing my GP he suspected 2 slipped discs. He checked my leg strength and referred me for an MRI. As well as a referral to see a Consultant. (I was so impressed with how seriously I was taken and the help offered).
GP prescribed amitriptyine (which I found didn't do much for the pain and same for codiene) and gabapentin which was fantastic and reduced the pain (also made me feel spaced out!).
The MRI showed 2x slipped discs. I chose to see if the discs would get better with rest and time (which they did although it took about 6 months) and declined surgery suggested by the Consultant.
I would request an MRI and pain relief.

Have you read Healing Back Pain by Dr Sarno? If not, I'd recommend it. Excellent book which helped me enormously;

www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection-ebook/dp/B00FOTRI4S/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

This sounds horrible OP. I had similar pain in pregnancy...3 different diagnoses. SPD, then sciatica, then they settled on sacroilliac joint disorder. I'd have done anything to get rid of the pain.

If you think a TENS machine might help you, please let me know. I've got an almost-new one that I'm happy to post to you.

Nothing to add but my sympathy. I've been there and it was hell.
I'm not convinced that they operate enough tbh...... I had my lower vertebrae fused- and am fervently grateful I did.

I'm going to say the same as above - an MRI and pain clinic referral, in fact pain clinic may refer for MRI, this happened to me as the GP refused as I 'didn't need surgery' - large disc herniation found and surgery a few months later. I wished I'd just paid up and got a private MRI but we trust the health professionals and sometimes this doesn't work out well.

Gabapntin, prgabalin, amitriptiline etc are all available for the GP to prescribe, SNRI anti depressants are another option - all of which I don't tolerate but others do. Tramadol is an option as is a drug I'm about to try - tapentadol, although I do find codeine useful.

I'm probably still suffering because it was left untreated for so long so please don't wait to get the MRI and referral, pay private if you can - I've just had a private pain consultation and am fast tracked onto the NHS treatment wait list after seeing the same Dr as the NHS referral. And try to lose weight because it will help, especially if it's SI related or arthritis/degeneration. Plus they will get off your back about it, although they should still take you seriously. I know I was glad I had lost my three stone of baby weight when seeing Drs/physios as I just knew they be critical.

A family member of mine still has no feeling in her foot because she was fobbed off by her GP like this for months.
She supposedly had sciatica, after being completely unable to move and having to call an ambulance, then being hospitalized but refused pain relief or any real assistance she finally got an MRI and was sent for immediate surgery as she had a prolapsed broken disc that was pressing on her spinal column. It partially severed a nerve so despite now being almost fully recovered she still has little to no feeling in one foot.

Ask for a second opinion and get an MRI in any way you can.

BTW I was told to stay well away from Yoga, and swimming is only ok with back stroke. Front crawl and particularly breast stroke is BAD for lower backs.
I was only able to do exercises the physio gave me, nothing else except walking. No sitting, no standing for too long.
I got myself a new memory foam mattress which lets me sleep, and a swopper chair for the dining room.

I even find Naproxen only dulls it. The best thing is heat

gabapentin usually best bet for nerve pain in terms of effect to side-effect ratio but it can take a good while to kick in and may need dose-titration to effect so don't give up on it (should you ever get it) too soon.
MRI best test if it's getting worse not better
pain teams usually try to get an anatomical diagnosis to guide their treatment (MRI again)
the radiating to the foot bit sounds v like sciatica, neither hip nor SIJ pain usually gets that far down
good luck

I'm with you op. GP's have to follow guidelines and procedures. If I had the funds I'd go private.

I feel my docs will never get to the root of my problem.

Skullyton trying to say this gently. It is possible to lose weight without exercising. Weight is more than 75% diet and less than 25% exercise.

So just being banned from exercise doesn't mean you can't (or shouldn't try to) lose weight.