To ask about gabapentin and nerve pain/sciatica success stories?

[SpamChaudFroid]

After nearly 3 months of sciatic pain, (it's bad, I need a stick to be able to walk, well shuffle really) and many different drugs, (codiene, amitriptyline, diazepam) my GP has prescribed gabapentin. I am seeing a physio who has made an appointment for a second opinion as to whether it needs further invstigation, (eg. steroid injections or material removed).

Has this worked for anyone? please someone tell me it works

Morning! Hello avacuddl of course you can join! Being able to come here and talk about it has been a nice support for me and probably stopped me from going mad with pain when it was at its worst. Have the HCPs told you what the next step is now that they know the problem is herniated discs?

Eggbert, if it's any comfort, my pain went crazy like yours before it began to improve. That was its worst time. I'd get an entire day where I thought I''d shaken it off for it to come back with a vengeance. I had to keep my pain meds in my bedside table to take first thing and let them work before attempting to get out of bed, (who knew that was so complicated, and requires strict choreography!) I hope you do make it to your concert. If you really want to go could you borrow a wheeled chair? And perhaps ring the venue, they may swap your ticket for a seated one? The Spice Girls are all mums, they'd want you to go!

The seated tickets were more expensive and I didn’t want to be on my own / make my group move. I’m on my way but not feeling it. Had acupuncture this morning to no avail - in fact I was so tense the needles really hurt (they don’t normally)! Think I’ll end up having a few drinks and then leaving unless the pain miraculously abates.

I made it!!! My amazing friend bought me a little fold up camping stool that I could sit on when pain was bad. It was awesome.

Hoping pain isn’t this bad tomorrow because it’s Father’s Day and I need to be able to get out and about to treat my husband - he’s looked after me so much these last weeks

Yaaaay! I think doing things like that with your friends really is like medicine for the soul, (which then filters down to the wayward nerves😉). I'm so glad. And I hope the pain remains manageable today. I doubt your Dh is batting an eyelid at doing more than his usual share. You just pushed a baby out after lugging him around for 9 months. Do you know, in the 1950s it was the usual thing to send existing dcs into LA care for a few weeks whilst the woman was in the hospital giving birth? Because a man just wasn't expected to look after his own children.

Awh yay @EggbertHeartsTina so glad you made it and enjoyed it!! Bet it was amazing!

How are you all feeling this Monday morning? I'm feeling crap and hoping to see the GP today to discuss referral/more meds/general life. Feeling that my mental state is not good either but I don't know how to articulate it. Hoping I get a good gp to discuss it with but it's pot luck and some of them are absolutely useless.

Hi @avocuddl sorry to hear you’re not feeling good today. The problem is that mental state makes the pain worse but the pain affects our mental state so it’s a vicious cycle. I definitely notice a correlation between how relaxed I am and the pain.

I’m getting desperate now so I’ve been looking at mindfulness and alternative ways to treat the pain. Last night I went to bed early and did the methods described below:

mrsmindfulness.com/mindfulness-meditation-for-pain-relief-in-simple-5-steps/

I slept 8 hours for the first time in ages (with one wakeup for feeding my baby) and I woke feeling less sore than usual. Im up now and as I’ve started to tense up moving around etc it’s getting worse again. I think I need to relax more as every professional I’ve seen about this have remarked how tense I am.

This is probably why acupuncture worked the first time - because it relaxed me so much!

I’ve got my musculoskeletal referral call this afternoon. Gonna ham it up as much as possible (not that I need to, I will probably cry on the phone).

avo let us know how GP goes if you get in.

spam you’re right, I’m spending a lot of time feeling guilty about my husband but I forget how much my body has been through for us to have our lovely baby - so I need to stop feeling like he’s doing me favours! Luckily he is the total opposite to a 1950s husband!

Hope everyone is ok today xxx

Oh shit, I didnt mean to imply your dh was like a 1950s throwback Eggbert! It was just as I was typing that and thinking about attachment styles that that little nugget of info fell into my conciousness.

I hope you get some joy with the musculoskeletal expert. The hcp who referred me to scan is one of those, ( I didn't realise, just thought I was seeing a more senior physio).

Ava I also was heading for a dark place, pain sucks the joy out of everything. Like you I also struggle with communicating how are bad it actually is. If there's a Gp you find less intimidating, try and always book an appointment with them. I found having a (female) Gp I like and trust made all the difference.

I have a phone consultation with my GP today and am going to ask if I can increase the gabapentin. I can walk for about 2mins at a time now before the pain's unbearable, but would like to be able to get a bit further. I haven't bothered with the codiene because I can't feel any benefit from the dose I'm taking and don't want to increase it.

Using phone atm because device in menders, so apologies for any sloppiness, (I hate typing with my thumbs!)

Hey spam no I didn’t think you were implying that! I thought your fact about kids going into LA care was really interesting... although v v depressing!!! I think some partners nowadays would want to do that but my DH is actually better with my preschooler than I am, ha!!!

Hope your GP is helpful and lets you increase your Gabapentin.

I am just waiting for the musculoskeletal phone appointment; annoyingly (although not really annoying) I am having a good day today and feeling quite positive! I’m really going to have to ham it up. If it had been Saturday (spice girls day) when I was in agony and couldn’t walk more than 20 yards it would’ve been better.

Hey @EggbertHeartsTina how did your appointment go? Glad you're having a better day! And you had a good night sleep. Hoping for the same tonight! Totally going to try the mindfulness thank you!

How did you appointment go @SpamChaudFroid ? I'm the same with the codeine, I don't bother all the time as i don't feel the benefit and it just makes me more drowsy.

I couldn't get an gp appointment today so got one tomorrow. Good job anyway as the hospital hadn't sent it over so I spoke to 5 different people at the hospital before they finally agreed to send it over for me so my appointment won't be wasted tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Not sciatica but gabapentin is the difference between no pain and constant screaming day and night from shooting nerve pain in paralysed/nerve damaged arm/hand. Good luck!

It is a sad study Eggbert, and funded by the Tavistock centre. But they worked out from that and other -experiments-- studies that all children need is a "good enough" (ie you don't have to be super mum) mother in order to thrive.

What you describe happens to me. It's just like when I take the animals to the vet if they look a bit ropey, miraculous recovery for a few hours! How did you get on with the call from the musculoskeletal specialist? It's so frustrating waiting for the various experts to decide isn't it.

Good luck for your GP appointment today avo! Forgive me if I've missed it, but are you receiving any meds? Like OneHanded says, it's the difference between screaming non-stop and, well, less screaming! GP has doubled my dose so am to increase to1800mg over the next few days. I feel slightly queasy today, but nothing even remotely terrible.

Am planning to watch a friend play at an open mike night on Thursday. First time I've planned to go "out" since my sciatic nerve began waging war!

Just got out of the appointment. Feel a bit deflated. Just one of those things that gets better with time and to just keep moving...

She was really nice and maybe she's right but I feel like there's no way out. She's prescribed a couple of new drugs to try. Can't remember the names. Something beginning with M and something Amoxy. Will let you know when I've picked them up. She's also going to ask physio to see what more they can do.

I totally bottled talking about how crap I feel too. I just couldn't bring myself to say the words. I know that's pathetic isn't it. So now I'm just crying in the car. Ffs.

Your night out on Thursday sounds great Spam. I got an orthopaedic back pillow that makes uncomfortable seating a bit more comfy!

Oh @avocuddl I’m so sorry your appointment didn’t go the way you planned. It’s so frustrating when you hear that it just takes time. I can’t believe you’re at the point where you’re borderline cauda equina and it’s been 3+ months and they are still throwing “time” and “physio” at you?! I get that physio is obviously great for some people and is preferable to anything invasive but it clearly isn’t working and you have a small child to look after! Has anyone mentioned steroid injections to you? I have a number of friends who resorted to these with great results. Sometimes results are not permanent though. Could be worth mentioning to physio? Are you having regular physio?

I had my phone appointment yesterday, they’ve booked me in for a face to face in a month (that’s the earliest they had!!!) I wish I had pushed for them to consider an MRI referral but I didn’t. I did cry though

Yesterday was a good day, today I woke up in agony and lost it with my husband and DS1 (nearly 4). I have so much mum guilt right now it’s crushing me.

spam that’s great you feel able to go out Thursday - I do find it gets better if something is there to distract me. Open mic should definitely do that!!! And good luck with the dosage increase

Hey @EggbertHeartsTina I'm glad it's not just me who thinks its ridiculous. I wish I had asked GP about steroid injections. I was reading about this last night but I completely forgot to say!! Grr. I suppose I'll try the new meds for a week maybe and then go back if no change? I don't know what else to do. I'd say I've had e-physio... the most ridiculous thing imo. I spoke to someone in the phone and they sent me an app...

The chiropractor has been much more helpful though. I look forward to seeing her again as she said once we get the MRI they can tailor the treatment a bit more too.

I'm sorry you're having a bad day 😔 please don't feel guilty, this is just the worst thing and it's not your fault you're in so much pain.

Maybe we just need to take each day as it comes. Tomorrow is a new day and we can just hope that our pain eases. I was thinking of trying yoga. The pregnancy yoga I did was very gentle and focussed a lot on mindfulness. I feel I need to do something to improve my mood. Just can't stop crying.

Is your face to face with a physio? I'm so annoyed for you that it's a month away!! What did they say for between now and then?? Are you on any meds? Sorry if I've missed that.

Sending you a very unmumsnetty hug. Things are shit. They must get better right??

Thanks @avocuddl. Hugs back :)

Yes definitely mention steroid injections to the GP next time. Would you be in a position to go private? At least you’ve had the MRI.

Will you have your MRI results for your next chiropractor appointment? That’s good that they are positive. I’m still seeing my osteopath who had problems like this when she was younger, so I feel like she “gets” it.

My physio in one month is face to face which is good. They also sent me the app! So I have exercises to do in the meantime.

Agree to taking each day as it comes. It’s just when I have a good day I’m doubly miserable when I wake up in pain the next morning!

I am on meds including naproxen and pregabalin. And codeine when I’m really bad.

I'm so sorry you're both having such a shit time of it. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like caring for young dcs. I'm bloođy heartbroken for you both. That you have herniated discs avo - you have been told just to ride it out? I agree with Eggbert re. the steroid injection. If the GP's prescribed gabapentin or pregablin to you, they do take a couple of weeks to reach maximum therapeutic dose. I think it was only when I told GP about my mental state that she really sat up and took notice. Awful leaving a doctors appointment in tears. Make another appointment with your GP avo. They didn't provide what you want or need. Do they offer same day appointments, so you don't have to wait for ages?

Have a big kindly hug from me, both of you. Remember Daniels wise words, Gotta Get Thru This!

*maximum therapeutic levels, not dose. Bloody hate using phone to type, so apologies for temporary illiteracy.

Long time mn lurker, occasional poster - I’ve had to revive my mn account after seeing this thread!
I’m in the midst of a nasty sciatic flare up. Usually I’m very active and fit and healthy, busy job, two little dcs. I ran a half marathon 10 days ago, having had some minor back pain and discomfort before that but I’m used to running injuries and niggles and just run through it usually. After the half marathon my back totally locked up, could barely walk and was in agony with pain I’ve never experienced before, especially down my left leg with pins and needles. I started off trying to work from home for a couple of days (lucky enough to have remote working if necessary). Saw a physio who examined me carefully and said I should be on complete rest lying still and doing nothing! I’ve managed to see a spinal surgeon for my health insurance he thinks it is probably a slipped disc or something similar in the L5 vertebrae. I had an MRI at the weekend and I’m going back to see the surgeon this afternoon to get the results of the MRI and talk about treatment. Trying not to panic too much about what he tells me.

Oh dear bit of a shocker at the hospital. Apparently quite a big bulge, probably need a microdiscectomy

I've just come across this thread. I've suffered with sciatica on and off for a couple of years now, I had three months of constant sciatic pain down my right leg, had a MRI scan which showed a massive herniated disc l4/5.
I'm a runner and was told by my physio, also the neurosurgeon agreed, to keep running as it can only help and will definitely not do any more damage as it takes huge force to herniate a disc, so I plodded on and it eventually got better after about three months.
I did see a neurosurgeon who said that the majority of cases right themselves eventually and it isn't the size of the herniated disc that causes the pain, even a tiny herniation can cause huge pain.

Last November it started again but this time it was agony! Like a knife digging Into my hip, I could barely get out of bed in a morning and I hardly slept. In the end I asked my friend if I could borrow some morphine off her (bad I know) I only used a little if it woke me.
Eventually the doctor prescribed me gabipentin and it went away. I still suffer with my back sometimes but overall I'm doing really well. I've done a marathon and few half marathons this year. I'm convinced movement helps though I appreciate it isn't always possible for some of you.

Wishing you all well and a speedy recovery!

@bloodybackpain interesting our physios said two different things.

Loobyloo be careful! I’m the sort to run through all sort of pain. Clearly wasn’t the right thing to do here for me