Back Again! Back Pain Support Thread

[PavlovtheCat]

Only right I start the new one seeing as I was responsible for the last one ending so abruptly !

This is a support thread for people with back pain (that does not even cover the description of hell that back pain causes). It's for all types of back pain, for long term posters with chronic pain (including those on the upwards journey to recover), short term advice through tough acute episodes and all the in betweens.

We moan, winge, share successes, guide each other and hand hold through the maize of a million medical routes and options, treatments, investigations. We internet shop as a form of pain relief, drink wine, take strong painkillers, eat cake and we go through lots of heat packs!

We don't always have the answers but we do have a lot to say about it all

Here are the links to our previous threads:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1871592-The-Back-Story
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1992406-The-Back-Story-Continues
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2023274-More-Terrible-Back-Stories

gp has given me Amitriptyline for the nights and cocodomol 30/500 and naproxen 500mg for the day..

That sounds good mamicar. I think you will be able to drive with those day time meds, but the Ami can make you sleepy of course. Hope you get some relief from pain.

That sounds good mani, thank goodness for a GP who listens.

I am back from the big town city with a brand new hearing aid, I'd killed the old one apparently, oops, . I had the male audiologist for the first time and dear goodness he should have been a surgeon the arrogance he had going! I asked him about being able to purchase a spare or something similar because it's very hard being on my own with three children and not being able to hear and he was really sneery towards me and threw a couple of shop names at me and then said 'but the one you have there retails for £720 in a shop not that I really know, I'm not in the business of retail' (retail said in the tone of voice usually reserved for paedophilia and such). Honestly there was no need. I am going to make sure I have all my appointments with the lovely blonde woman from now on. She understands my need for pink glitter moulds and talks to me like a human. Humph.

Holidays start tomorrow here but I've had DS2 with me today because he had a bang to the head playing rugby and is all achey, he is a brilliant shopper so we had a lot of fun .

Hi everyone

Can I join? I have slipped disc L3/4 and L4/5 happened 2 years ago and not really got any better :-(. I tried cortisone injections but it failed because they couldn't get the needle in the right place. So I'm on naproxen, codeine and gritting my teeth!

I work full time and have 3 DCs. DH works away from home during the week so it's a bit of a juggle.

The latest flare up has been quite nasty so I'm seeing the consultant on the 30th (I'm very lucky to have private insurance.)

The main reason for posting us that I'm worried about cauna equina.... Over the past 24 hours my nether regions have been feeling a bit, well tingly. Not quite numb but definitely different. I'm a bit paranoid about it because my physio is veryy careful to warn me about CE. Trouble is I don't know whether it's in my head, I have no child care to go to hospital to get checked out and the local hospital to me has an appalling back surgeon so I really want to avoid going there. Don't know what to do. Should I sit and wait to see if it eases off?? I'm going to go try putting some different trousers on to see if that changes anything. I haven't done anything that hurt my back other than driving for 5 hours yesterday to get to Leeds and back for work.

Any advice would be very much welcomed.

Thank you

Hi grumpy and welcome to our thread, it is very friendly and we chat a lot. I am not an expert but cauda equina is a big worry when you have severe back pain and loss of sensation. Other signs are difficulty passing urine and having a bowel movement, are you having any problem with that? Could you call your GP if A&E is a problem?

Poor losty it was your turn for an arrogant git today then. At least you can now listen to Frank. Glad to hear you are training your ds2 to go shopping and hope it cheered you both up.

Hello grumpy,

I sure you are very familiar with CES fear by now but I'll post this in case

www.patient.co.uk/health/cauda-equina-syndrome-leaflet

Given that you did such a long drive yesterday and the symptoms are so vague it might be ok to wait until tomorrow then call the private drs secretary to expedite your appointment. Or of course try now but probably too late. If you are certain that your bowel and bladder function are fine that should be ok. But, I'm not a doctor and unfortunately anyone you speak to is very likely to say go and get checked. if you have the slightest doubt then better safe than sorry.

Sorry if that isn't much help. The car ride would have killed me so does it seem to have coincided with that? If getting to the hospital is impossible then line up a plan B just in case.

losty what a week for patronising gits! After such a sensible question. Sending a hex on him.

I got a call today from ATOS after my mp wrote to complain. It was only on relation to. My nhs ill health retirement pension. Apparently they are still waiting on pain consultant letter. I've explained they have all the info from the only dr who examined me then left. But no, they want it from a man who I've met for a very brief time having an injection. Stalemate. Am actually seeing said dr tomorrow for more injections so will take a letter requesting him to write the bloody report.

How come I always end up having to sort things out as if I'm in the wrong. I sent a vast amount of detailed evidence but no, they want it from someone who doesn't know me. I'm angry.

Post, hi all I'm new (eases self down to sitting with lots of grunting noises)I have pain down my left side and lower back since a fall about 7 years ago, rollerskating drunk. Got a bulge at l5 s1 but nothing serious, shooting pains down the leg, lower back ache all the time, some spasms and occasionally unable to walk etc. It was pretty bad again after having my daughter, hospital just offered physio, 2 sessions and nothing else, I mainly rely on ibuprofen when it's bad, I Have had lots of success with Osteopathy and now, finally am able to go running three times a week and cope fairly well. Last week or so it's been awful again, so have now given acupuncture a go, it was a bit better upon leaving but now have had to take more ibuprofen and am sitting on an ice pack, as in agony again

Looking after my friends 3 yr old plus my nearly 4 yr old for the afternoon, so it's not ideal! Anyone tried acupuncture and had success? My husband isn't very sympathetic as he never get ill and had a ridiculously high pain threshold, friends don't really understand . The acacupuncture was really painful this morning, going back on Saturday. Could be a load Of rubbish, he looked at my tongue fgs!

Hi mms we on this thread are developing a device that will transfer our pain directly to unsympathetic dhs/drs etc. It is only in design stage at present but we will put you down for one when it is ready. In the meantime we are mostly eating cake and drinking or . Haven't tried acupuncture, but it might work if you can face all those needles.

Hi miss, who told you that your disc bulge wasn't serious? And was that after an MRI scan? Shooting pains in the leg & pain to the point where you can't walk - & that's been going on for 7 years - does sound like it needs further investigation.

Have you been prescribed anything stronger than ibuprofen? Sounds like you need it. I'd go back to the GP if I were you, tell him/her how bad it is & how long it's been going on, & say you need more effective medication. S/he may be able to refer you for injections too - that's what I'm waiting for at the moment (I have a prolapsed disc at L5/S1 too).

In the meantime, hope you get some relief from the acupuncture. I haven't tried it.

Now that would be a useful device, live.

Losty, I'm afraid I sniggered a bit at your audiologist not being "in the business of retail" - what a pompous arse!

Sorry the ATOS people are being so infuriating & incompetent, matilda. Must be so frustrating.

I'm still pretty good - walked fast today & the pain didn't go below the knee. It won't last, I fear, but it feels great not to have my calf cramping up.

Wondering how long I'm going to have to wait to hear anything about this injection, though. Nearly a month since I saw the consultant & there's been no communication. Hope he hasn't forgotten to refer me. Don't really know who to check with.

Hello all. Can I join on behalf of dp? He has been in pain since November. He thinks it's due to ligament damage in sacroiliac joint area. Pain and numbness also down his leg. He's on his 3rd physio. No MRI scan as doc says that would be pointless.DP very down today as he'd thought new exercises were helping but pain is back.
What I find difficult is the not knowing exactly what is wrong with him. GP and physios have said they think they know what is wrong but there is no suggestion of referral to anyone. Should he be seeing a neurosurgeon or a pain specialist or as gps suggest just take painkillers for life? Any advice would be much appreciate. Thanks

Hi everyone, thanks for your advice, very helpful

In the end I phoned my physio for some advice and ended up in a&e... Luckily I was seen quickly, had a couple of X-rays and given the all clear, although I was a bit that he didn't do the test I was expecting to check 'tone'.

So I'm going to call the private doctor tomorrow to try to get my appointment a bit earlier.

I'm now snuggling in the sofa. Just hate the exams as it really niggles my nerves and is painful (well, more painful than normal!) for about 2 days afterwards.

miss I tried acupuncture but it didn't work for me (I did throw up afterwards everytime, which was weird) but I do know that it did work for others.

ive taken 30/500 cocodomol x 2. Amit 50mg x 1 and 500mg naproxen x 1. took about half 8. I don't feel like they are working....

Sorry to hear that mamicar that is quite a lot of drugs and you should be feeling a little better. Do you think you need to go to A&E? If pain is unbearable even with those drugs you should go. If it is bearable but bad, have you tried heat and/ice. Some people have found diazapam helpful to ease spasms if you think that is one of your problems.

knicker, unless your dhs doctors have x Ray eyes they need to refer him for an appropriate form of imaging. How can they suggest pain killers for life with no formal diagnosis? Sometimes I despair at some of the treatment people are getting I really do. my situation is bad enough but at least I know what it is, a rough prognosis (even if it's shit ) and what I can do to slightly help myself

Grumpy wow you have had a day of it! Good to know you are ok, well sort of ok. Take a good rest tomorrow. I expect all that took it out of you.

Oooh. There you ate

Are. Even

Hi all. I've been lurking for a while. I had a prolapsed disc and had a disectomy 5 weeks ago. So far successful. I had sciatica down my left leg for a year and tried physio and steroid injections but to no avail. I'm now having physio to build up my core strength. I'm getting the odd twinge in my lower leg if I bend forward or do too much but not compatible to the pain I had before. I still struggle to get my socks on but getting more flexible. Hope I can join you as I am still scared and can't quite believe it might also be OK.

Hi mummy1973 its great to hear you are doing well. There are a few people on here who will be able to tell you more about recovering from surgery. We also like to chat about shopping and cake and random stuff too.

taadaah in my case it is probably accurate to say "there you ate"

Hahaha. Me toooooooo!