Bulging disc? Sciatica?

[FudgeGirl]

I'm at a bit of a loss really. I've had back problems, diagnosed as sciatica, since I was 14 (30 now) and it used to just be the horrible twingey pain that I would feel deep inside the left hand side of my back, but I could usually walk it off and it's never lasted more than a day or two on and off.

Just before Christmas, I started to get twinges in my butt cheeks, and strange tingling sensations down my legs, worse when I was in bed.

The past couple of weeks, the pain is there whenever I get into bed, when I wake in the night and in the morning. It's not bad in the day, sometimes it just feels a bit weak and achy. It is disturbing my sleep.

It's by no means agonising but it's different to the pain of sciatica (if anything, it's nowhere near as bad as it can be when I used to get massive occasional twinges of sciatic pain.)

The symptoms in my legs are really bothering me though, I'm getting tingling, twinges and cold sensations right down my legs and even in my toes and arms sometimes.

I will go the drs this week (I feel like a fraud, I've only been registered there two months and have already had three appointments to get blood tests done for possibly thyroid problems!).

But I'm dreading either a) them dismissing it as sciatic pain and just giving me painkillers - I want to know what's going on but b) equally I'm scared I'll have to wait ages to have a scan and it turning out to be something horrendous like a tumour or something that needs an op :(

Anyone had anything like this?

Sciatica gone bad, or I'm thinking it could be a bulging disc? I'd be so grateful for just any ideas or experiences, and what to expect at the drs and if they'll take it seriously or pack me off with painkillers.

Thanks :)

Go to the doctors and request an MRI to rule out a disc problem.

DP had a herniated disc causing serious Sciatica (down to the foot serious agony type pain) and an MRI confirmed this, end result loads of Physio loads of rest and he's 100% better.

Go get seen.

I had three prolapsed discs, had an MRI that discovered them. (L5) being the worst. The pain I had was very severe, I also had total numbness in certain parts of my left leg. I had a disectomy 5 years ago, but am still troubled with very severe back pain unfortunately.

Hi, I'd also encourage you to push for an MRI scan to figure out what's happening. In the past 4 years I've had two sets of cortisone injections into my spine which have reduced the pain lots - I have a vertebra 'out of place' and disc under pressure and gradually collapsing. So far, I've avoided major surgery and have worked hard to strengthen my core muscles (wrecked after having children) with physio and pilates, BUT only if you go to a small class with someone who has injury training! Good Luck.