to go to A&E for Sciatica?

[doyouseeme1]

I'm one of those people who don't like making a fuss, I hate going to the gp or health services as I always feel like theres someone worse than me.
I hurt my back a few months ago at work, a few days later I got sciatica. It wasn't bad and I was managing well with exercising and pain killers. Two weeks ago it started to get worse and really intense, I ended up going to the gp and he gave me stronger tablets and advised to keep moving which I had. Yesterday the pain got horrendous, I cant stand up, walk or put my foot down. I've had to get my dp to help me to the toilet and I've cried 5 times in the last 15 hours when I'm never one to cry, especially in front of others. I can't keep active as I feel my leg just isn't working properly and the pain is too much, I'm sobbing with every step.
I know it's not an accident or emergency but I can't move without being in agony

If you have a change in your bladder function this could be cauda equina, a medical emergency requiring urgent surgery.

Other symptoms are numbness around your anus, weakness of your anal muscles so you can't squeeze them and altered bowels (although codeine can also cause constipation).

This is a legitimate reason to go to a and e, I would in your shoes.

If you prefer to see your gp today be sure they know about your bladder symptoms. They may want to examine your back passage to check the muscle tone is normal.

Sadly it is quite often missed by doctors and this can cause permanent loss of these nerves,,e.g. permanent incontinence. So prompt diagnosis does matter.

Hopefully it isn't that, but do be aware and make sure you explain your bladder symps fully.

I suffer with Sciatic pain sometimes. A gp asked me about bladder and bowel control. It is a symptom of a more serious issue. Get to A&E now.

Medical bod here.
The pain you describe along with the bladder symptoms require urgent assessment, for the reasons given above. A&E is appropriate.

I've had cauda equina, misdiagnosed originally so my emergency surgery was 3 days after the numbness set in. The delay resulted in 8 months of no bowel function and 12 months if no bladder function post surgery; but both did impove long term. The same can't be said for saddle area numbness, which will never get better.

My GP put failing bowel function down to codine causing constipation. My GP never warned me that numbness can creep up on you without you realising. I just thought the pain was going, that I was getting better. It wasn't until someone in poked pins in my legs and pointed out I had no knee or ankle reflexes, that i realised I was numb. You can still walk normally with muscle control but be going completely numb.

I wasn't diagnosed until the point I had not pooed for 2 weeks, had not weed for 6 hours and had zero feeling from the waist down.

The most vivid memoy I have of the day I was diagnosed was a doctor telling me he needed to stick a finger up my arse to check for anal tone. He appologised and said it would be unpleasant. I panicked, cried. Turns out it wasnt unpleasent, i wasnt even aware it happened. I had to ask when he would start, he was already rummaging around in my netherregions at that point and I didn't even know he'd started. It was then I realised something was very seriously wrong.

So if your bladder function feels odd, you might not be able to explain or understand how it is odd, you need to get it checked.

I've worked in A&E (still do on occasion) and we get a lot of people coming in because they're in excruciating pain (and I mean crying and screaming, not 'oh ive had a sore leg for a week) and none of us begrudge those people because despite the fact you're not going to die from it, you need help.

Coupled with the bladder issues, I'd go.

Like Honey and FATE I slipped (yet another) disc in my spine and ended up with Cauda Equina.
Agonising pain, tried for a wee but couldn't go. Stood up from the loo and pissed down my legs.

A&E via ambulance (thy didn't muck about) at 7pm, transferred to spinal hospital by midnight, MRI at 9am, operated on by 10.30am.

Get thee to A&E as you're having bladder issues (the morphine did wonders!)

Oh dear op, you need to be seen asap.

I've just been asleep thanks to the side effects of codiene, argh am even more worried now! I've sorted childcare and my appt is half hour so I'll go there and see what happens. I have no idea how I'm gonna walk to and from the car or even sit in the docs.

Are you safe to drive? Can you afford a taxi?

Cabbie will probably be happy to dive into the surgery and grab you a surgery wheelchair when you get there, if yours has those.

Thankfully my dp can drive me. My surgery doesn't have wheelchairs or any comfy seating so no doubt I'll be trying to fight back the tears. I seem to sound like I'm in labour when I'm in pain with controlled breathing which makes me feel awkward!

I went to A&E with sciatica a couple of years ago - symptoms similar to yours. They checked reflexes and movement and gave me an injection of diclofenac into the base of my back which helped release the spasm which could only THEN be controlled with Diclofenac tablets, codeine and diazepam alternated. I couldn't move, I had to get a wheelchair at the hospital. I had to call my husband from work as I couldn't move and (sorry for tmi) had had to piss on a small pile of clothes I could reach from the bed whilst screaming in agony. It was honestly as bad as labour, and if you haven't had the pain I honestly don't think you can understand what it's like. I'd go to A&E - they told me I was right to go as I was in full back spasm. Good luck OP.

Been to see gp, he doesn't want to risk it and has sent me to a&e.

Good luck doyousee, at least they have the good drugs help you with the pain

Good luck.

Best of luck OP - Just wanted to say I totally understand how you feel as right this second I'm in hospital, having just had a caudal epidural for slipped discs / sciatica issues and am praying it works.

Both the GP and Physio told me they'd rather give birth again than have sciatica - Not having children myself, it's made me less scared of labour but the last 4 months if not being able to walk without crying and not sleeping due the pain is so horrific.

Hope you get it sorted soon :-)

I was also going to say Cauda Equina. I'm glad the GP took it seriously.

Flappy I've gave birth before and I've been saying to everyone i'd rather give birth 10 times over compared to having sciatica its horrendous. Hope your feeling better soon!
Thank you everyone, this is one of my first posts on here and you're all a lovely bunch!!

I hope all goes OK for you doyouseeme. You are definitely right to go to the hospital. Sciatica is no picnic and I completely agree it is more painful than childbirth. I'm still having real issues 2 years on but nothing was more painful than the first 2 weeks!

How are you? ?

Finally on my way home, I dont have cauda equina thankfully but still in a lot of pain. I've been given diazepam and told to continue with codeine, naproxen and paracetamol and see how it goes and I've been referred for physio again as the dr said I'd be seen quicker through the hospital one.

I agree, this pain is worse than childbirth.
So relieved GP reacted the way he did. It's far better to get it fixed asap. I've had the pain, but not quite as much of the intimate problems, so they won't operate on me unless it gets worse. The thing that eased the pain for me was a tens machine. It helps release the other muscles that are in spasm.

Very glad to hear it's "only" pain, so to speak.

Hope things improve quickly.

I had sciatica and it turned into a blood clot from my groin right down to my ankle. In your op you mentioned it feeling like your leg isn't working properly and you sob with every step, I was exactly the same. I would definitely get this looked at. I went to GP twice who didn't detect it, and eventually ended up being rushed to intensive care in an ambulance when the clot inevitably made its way to my lungs.

Are you on the pill, overweight, or smoke? It probably isn't that but please just be vigilant and wary of keeping active.. When its painful its so easy to over-rest. Keeping active is the best way to prevent DVT

Yeah as horrendous as it is I'm glad its nothing more serious.
Hamiltoes wow that sounds scary. I'll keep a look out for that, did you have any other symptoms? I'm overweight but not on the pill nor do I smoke. I'm trying to keep active, so much easier said than done though! Wondering if I'd be jumping the gun by getting some kind of walking stick for support as I'm struggling to move without holding on to walls or my dp.

My chiropractor helped fixed mine when I had the really really bad pain (no position relieved it). She told me I have piriformis syndrome so I have to do regular maintenance (at the chiro) and daily specific stretches to keep the pain controlled.