Should I go to A&E?

[Aandespine]

I'm 5mo pregnant. Woke up yesterday morning with excruciating back pain. I cannot walk unaided (thankfully have a pair of crutches at home I've been using to shuffle to the bathroom and back), cannot sit, even on the toilet seat I'm having to lean to one side, cannot bend over. I'm struggling to lift myself up from the toilet seat, cannot turn over in bed. I'm climbing the stairs on all fours then I take a while at the top (in a lot of pain) to stand up straight again. My lower back is numb and I'm getting tingling pain under my belly, and shooting pains down one leg. One leg feels heavy and weak.

Have been to see the GP. They can't tell me what the issue is, no advice re recovery time or prognosis. They've just prescribed dihydrocodiene. No other advice besides to go to A&E if I experience incontinence or numbness down below. I pleaded with them for an MRI which they say they'll try to request without any guarantees/it will be at the discretion of the radiographer who will decide if there's an indication for it.

Now I've had sciatica in the past and the pain was in no way near this. I'm in tears numerous times a day and the pain is literally exhausting me. I dred going to the toilet. I'm bed bound. I have a family member taking care of my 2 young children.

I haven't yet been to A&E because I cannot sit and wait there for hours to be told the same thing (pain meds and no further diagnostics).

Please tell me what to do

In both my pregnancies my back just went around the 3/4 month mark and it was unbearable, could hardly move. I was referrred to the hospital physio. They were really helpful and so I would try and get your midwife/gp to refer you that way. I wouldn’t be pushing for a scan. I was also told that your back muscles relax in pregnancy so fairly common and if you have had prior issues it is worse. How many days have you tax it, mine lasted about 5 days each time.

I had crippling pelvic pain in my bum/hip area second tri and actually struggled to walk.
I remember it got so bad I asked my work if I could wfh as I could no longer take the train and walk to work, baby was back to back and head was misshapen so I have a feeling they were pressing on my spine/pelvic area and that's what caused the actually horrific pain.
The good news is when I got close to delivering the pain completely went away, I have no symptoms now.
Just giving my side, as bad as it might feel it could just be spd or pelvic girdle which while awful will go away after birth.

Call maternity triage x

Sorry i didn’t read your updates! I see you already called them. Hope you get sorted.

Could it be relaxin hormone kicking in? I had this at week 14 and I couldn't walk. Then it went away as quickly as it came. But better get checked out if it gets worse etc

I had the same issue as you last yea when I was pregnant. I also have sciatica flare ups from time to time and being pregnant aggravated it. I had some Physio sessions and a strap which I wore around my hips. It sounds like you're having a flare up, you need to rest ask your GP to be referred to a Physio.

Year*

you are pregnant. You are worried. Please go to A&E

Don't go to maternity triage, they will send you to A&E.
The midwife on the phone said to go to A&E because like you said, it's outside her remit as it's a medical problem. Midwives will always say GP/A&E if you need to be seen but not in maternity.
If the GP who you have seen in person has said you don't need to go to A&E right now then that trumps the advice of the triage midwife who has never met you.

It does sound like a sciatica flare up. Sciatica can range from a mild irritation to intense pain. This is what I would recommend:
Do not sit, lie down in the most comfortable position you can find, use an ice pack on your back, try to relax.
If you lose control of bladder or bowel or have numbness in this area head straight to A&E as this could be cauda equina which could be serious.
Unfortunately there is very little that can be done for back pain and sciatica, even after an mri. It does usually get better within 6 weeks - 3 months. If no better after this time they may operate but it's not a hugely successful operation and can lead to further issues down the line.

You’re a physio yet you’re telling someone to lie about their symptoms to a Dr in A&E? Really? As a HCP that is truly terrible to read another HCP advising. You know that her saying she’s incontinent will lead Drs down the path of Clauda Equina and therefore a possible misdiagnosis .

OP DO NOT LIE IN A&E about your symptoms to force them to give you an MRI.

Happened to me from 14 weeks onwards - worst pain I ever felt. Slept on a matress in the lounge as climbing stairs wasn't possible. Agony to wash, turn over in bed or sit on a chair. Had to wee in a bucket and walking was only possible by shuffling along very slowly with two sticks. Midwives not bothered as it wasn't affecting the little one. 🙄

Coming back to this… preterm labour and placenta issues can cause similar pains. Those who are confirming that it’s “definitely sciatica”, what makes you so certain? I certainly hope it’s nothing serious but pregnant women shouldn’t be told to grin and bear extreme pain without assessment by a specialist.

I wouldn't be going to A&E at 11pm. You could be sat there all night which won't help. Go first thing in the morning at 8.

I forgot to say - only relief I found was visiting a Chiropractor who specialises in treating pregnant women. This was privately funded and only when I could just about manage to get in and out of the car.

If someone can wait until the morning then it's not an emergency

OFFS! Get your arse to A&E now!!!

Yes go to a and e
Or a great osteopath tomorrow

I've got strong painkillers and diazepam to relax muscles from back pain in a and e (but not when pregnant)

I've sat for hours with my DD in A&E thanks to injuries she's had from sudden drop seizures. I sit there seeing drunk people go in ahead of her often escorted by police. It's frustrating if I could avoid having to put her or myself through that I would.

It's not about the baby - it really sounds like SPD. Go to a physio, not an osteopath.

Another vote for pvg 😔 it is brutal you need the supports

Ambulance?

When I eventually saw an NHS physio (after the symptoms had greatly improved) it was a group session. She spent 90% of the time talking about pevic floor exercises and then handed out a leaflet about stretches. No pratical help, no advice, total waste of time.

I had awful SPD in pregnancy and the NHS was useless, I got a referral for a phone call and that’s it. A private physio helped me a lot. I was pregnant this year so this advice is relevant, it started about week 16 for me and lasted until I gave birth.

Is the pain definitely muscular? I would be worried about a kidney infection if not.