To think drugs really DON'T work?!

[MummyStruggles]

I'm laid up in bed having been prescribed diazepam today for a "severe muscle strain" in my lower back.

I've been in pain since Saturday. It's complete agony and no matter what tablets I take the pain won't fucking budge!!

Not really an AIBU but I'm in bed and can't sleep. I'm wondering what else can I do? I can barely bloody move and poor DH has to help me with the loo and all sorts.

I'm only 34 and feel about 104!

Have you got an ice pack on your back? You should use ice for the first 24 hours, then a hot water bottle.

Is it a strain or a spasm? Did you injure yourself?

Sounds awful, how long have you been in bed for?
Gone are the days where you take to your bed for back pain.
Research shows that you need to keep moving.
Take regular Paracetamol and Brufen. Diazepam as needed.

Heat packs will help...
Tiger Balm is amazing too...

Also, lie on a folded duvet to ease the pressure. It really helps.

You would benefit from getting to a physiotherapist asap.
I agree that bed rest is not good for backs. Unfortunately the nhs is very out of date on this.

I recently had an epidural in for eight days following major surgery. When it was removed my back went into spasms. I had a pain nurse with me and was on morphine. What really helped was the tens machine and her massaging my back.

I can't say I've done anything that has injured it other than on Friday night I went out with my sister and wore heels. The next day I woke and I had the pain.

I used regular paracetamol/ibuprofen on Saturday and Sunday and tried to go about my days as normal. I saw a Physiotherapist on Monday (GP surgery closed) and he stretched me out/treated me for about 30 minutes.

Then I have a telephone assessment with GP on Monday (apparently this is new procedure at my GP surgery now ) and was prescribed Naproxen. She told me that I shouldn't have had the physio appointment because physio makes it worse 🤷🏻‍♀️

Today is the worst it's been. Managed to get an urgent GP face to face appointment today and she's prescribed me the diazepam. I know I've not given them much time to work but I'm just bloody fed up!

Will try the suggestions you've given! Thank you.

Sorry... telephone assessment Tuesday not Monday

It sounds like what you have is a really bad muscle spasms. I get them and they are awful, but the ONLY thing that really helps is to get up and gently walk as much as possible. Laying down only exacerbates it.

I had back spasms before and was given diazepam because apparently (showing my ignorance here!) it’s a muscle relaxant. Still, I feel you literally pain because it didn’t touch the sides. At least you had fun doing it - I got mine from SNEEZING. I was 24. What a high life I led...

What dose of Diazepam? Anything less than 10mg has no effect on me.
When I did my back/shoulder in the best thing I found was an osteopath. Recommended by the GP, a couple of sessions completely sorted me out. Plus lots of diazepam and a week lying on the sofa. Hope you feel better soon

Make sure to keep taking all the pain relief regularly, set an alarm if you can maybe an hour before getting up and keep them by your bed
Get up, even if it's just to stand as if it's muscle then try to move a little bit
Thermacare lower hip and back wraps are the best and stay warm for ages

(2 years post spinal surgery, been there and slugging oramorph out the bottle...)

She only gave me 2mg, 1 tablet 3x a day for 3 days. I don't think it's a high enough dosage but what do I know? I'll have a walk around downstairs considering I can't bloody sleep!

Try lying on your back with a pillow under your knees, or on your side with a pillow between them
If you have more than one pillow for your head then get rid, try and keep your spine straight and in alignment

Not helpful but heard on radio 4 today that the over prescription of opiate painkillers is about successful marketing to the medical profession by the producers, they're incredibly ineffective.

Try reading Healing Back Pain by Dr Sarno.

In the meantime get yourself to a physio and take nurofen and rest, rest, rest.

I find deep stretches (so seated on a chair/the bed, and slowly do a deep lean forwards until arms/head close to floor, stretching out your lumbar muscles) really, really helpful.

Another vote for gentle movement. I've had muscle spasm before and found the only way to stop it hurting was to move about quite slowly and weirdly (ie my kids told me I looked weird), but if I stopped it hurt again. Even making a cup of tea I kept moving around. Forget about sitting down. I did start to wonder how I would ever sleep again. In fact, by the end of the day I was so knackered, I found the one comfortable spot and was out like a light. Much better next day. Hope yours passes soon OP!

If it does carry on, definitely go back to the GP. I had a lot of helpful advice about Pilates/yoga/diet and exercise which was not useful when I was unable to do anything but stand there whimpering and mainlining drugs

If you get any numbness or odd sensations around your saddle area or issues with bladder or bowel, go straight to a&e. Cauda equina is rare but serious and is what they found when they operated on me

I don’t find diazepam at that dose helpful either. Have you got any codeine? OTC strength cocodamol will be enough if you don’t take pain meds often. Naproxen can be very harsh on the tummy.

Ultimately we’re all very different in our response to meds and other treatments. I find codeine really effective unless I’m in too much pain. While studies suggest it doesn’t help most people, particularly long term.

You are in an acute stage and need to calm the muscles. Try heat, ice, muscle rubs, massage and see what helps. As ridiculous as it sounds you need to relax and try not to tense more. Mindfulness meditation can be helpful. As can sleep and keep moving but gently. Go for a walk and try being loose and imagining your muscle relaxing and lengthening. Gently stretch.

Long term, exercise is great for strength and preventing this happening again. And ditch the heels.

I found painkillers utterly useless for back pain. The only thing that works for me is walking it off..... and I've often done 2 or 3 miles of hobbling before boom that muscle slackens and you're back to normal. Walking up and down the length of a swimming pool is fab, as is gently stretching and doing back exercises copied from Youtube. Naproxen takes a good week at least to feel the effect from, so keep taking that to help with any swelling but I'd ditch the diazepam.

Whatever you do, don't lie down!

Hope this shifts, if not physio or osteopath may help when inflammation subsides. Get some codeine, but take sparingly. Pain relief works best if you keep on top of it, don't let pain get hold. Gentle stretching, hug you knees one at a time. Swimming good later.
If it doesn't go get MRI scan to see if disc problem

I have an intolerance to codeine, soon as it hits my stomach I vomit! Nice!

Will keep on top of other painkillers, do lots of stretching and try not to stay still for too long a period.

Thanks everyone!

Hi OP, I'm in the same boat as you (inflamed spasming piriformis), and have been for the last 8 weeks!

Drugs-wise, I'm taking ibuprofen, paracetamol and 2mg of diazepam 3 x a day. I've been taking it at regular intervals to try to keep the muscles calm rather than waiting until the spasms start. It feels like I'm being stabbed in the arse combined with cramp all down my leg!

I'm also being prescribed amatryptilene (sp?) which is used for nerve pain. Pelvic tilts and stretches that my physio prescribed are bringing short term relief.

That dose is pointless. Truly. The only thing that actually made any difference when I put a disc out, was a shot of morphine in the arse.

Hi spam
Yes mine feels the same, a stabbing in the left bum cheek but lumbar back pain, rather than it travelling down my legs. GP (and a kind somebody in this thread) have told me to look out for change in sensation in the legs or being unable to control bladder/bowel functions.

Hope you feel better soon