The Back Pain Emporium, Internet Shopping, Drugs and Dealing with Doctors. Thread 6.

[MatildaTheRedNosedReinCat]

For anyone experiencing back pain it can be a very scary time. What is wrong? Who can help? How long will this last? We,on this thread are here to support you;offer empathy and help to navigate the almost impossible task of getting a diagnosis and the right treatment.We are not doctors but people who have trodden this path slowly and painfully. We also chat a LOT and welcome all newcomers. It is strictly non competetive regarding pain and no niggle is too minor.

Those who have long term back problems know that the best way to help manage back pain is to internet shop for shoes, bags, and back support devices. Those who are new to back pain, these are important lessons to learn. And here within this thread is where you will learn those lessons.

You will also find other helpful advice on pain management, different treatment options from hydrotherapy and physio to surgery, experiences of others navigating the big and scary medical world, both private and NHS (and abroad from the UK) too, as well as issues around work, being a parent while managing pain and disability, and the impact on the relationships around us. Not to mention the pain of dealing with claiming disablity benefits .

Between us all, we have a huge wealth of knowledge and experience, and more than the practical advice, the jargon and information, we know what back pain is like, how much is affects everything around us, and sometimes, all we need is to have people listen who Get It.

We talk painkillers regularly,sometimes drink wine , have hot water bottles and wheat bags galore, and hold hands a lot. It's potentially all very Unmumsnetty as we do actually show some lovin' from time to time, although we Never Ever call each other hun.

If you have advice, need advice, need a hand to hold, want to do some shopping, then come in. We are friendly. We talk a lot. Come in, have a brew and say hello

This is our 6th thread, here is the 5th, which has links too the others:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/a2203923-Back-Pain-and-Internet-Shopping-Thread-Number-5

I am all done in with wrapping, entertaining, drinking mulled wine and manhattan. I am back from london trip with no significant hiccups, just the minor issue of hotel being cancelled on me with no notification, but meant we got a better hotel instead, 2 hours in hospital appt which definitely could have been done in local hospital/skype for doc part of it, but also an amazing time with DD who was marvellously behaved and we had a great bonding time including an attempt at a pillow fight in the hotel room (it was on her 'wish list' of what to do in pond.

My administrator called me today to say he won't see me before surgery due him being on leave, and to wish me merry christmas and very good luck for the surgery, so I feel very pleased with that, he thought of me and my colleagues are not the best at this 'giving a shit' kind of thing when I am out of sight/mind.

I will read and try to post tomorrow, but just in case I can't.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! you are all amazing, and I wish you all the best christmas ever, with the least amount of pain christmas can possibly bring you. I am pleased I 'know' you all, you are the most supportive bunch of women I know, and you deserve to have some break from this shit, even if just for one day. xx

Holly Ack! I can't imagine doing it without painkillers. It was bad enough with. The Christmas music helped a lot, I highly recommend it - made me drift off into worrying about food, presents etc., which was quite time-consuming!

ally Yay for chocolate! Just in time for Christmas And brilliant news on the all-clear for cancer.

Loon I hope you get better soon re: the bug.

Matilda That is my big hope. With a diagnosis I can start banging on for a cure. Re: booze, DP's strict control of my alcohol intake (not serious control - I could get a glass if I wanted to face the disapproval) was based on him thinking it interfered with the drugs. DSis and I have assured him it just makes me a cheaper date so I have had some lovely wine this evening. We opened a bottle of the wedding wine to show MIL. She was thoroughly unimpressed. 'Challenging' is a good word to describe her. I have filled several (unanimous) AIBU threads about her under various names. Hoping that being outnumbered by my family will calm her down a bit.

Love your eyelashes! They are beautiful.

frosty I love your tactic re: praising son Unfortunately MIL thinks DP is awful :( So wouldn't work but your description did make me laugh Usually I do a favourable England-Germany comparison and that sets her off for a few minutes. I do need to ask her more questions, it's a good tactic, thank you. Your crowd sounds a bit taxing - I think staying on the sofa with alcoholic truffles is just what the doctor ordered, no? DP has muddled up DSis' boyfriends before. And accidentally called the last one from my mobile last weekend. I had no idea I still had his number

DMum turned up completely tiddly from free booze on the train. Having partaken I am now also tiddly

Merry Christmas pavlov! So glad London worked out well. I hope you and everyone has a brilliant, pain-free day as well. This thread has been a complete life saver for me, thank you all

Thanks guys dunno what I would have done without you all

The tiny devil on my shoulder is saying "if he couldn't see it was cancer before how can he be sure he got it all out this time without the lab results?" but my brain is saying he sees this all the time he must be sure cos he said it was gone.

I will calm down in time - I mean its just like the mammograms now - constantly checking it doesn't come back and now at least I know that yes it does hurt (sadly the number of people who said "cancer doesn't hurt so it can't be that) and get straight round there if it happens again.

Sadly my drinking days are over though as 75% of oral cancer is caused by smoking and drinking - I don't smoke which is unusual but it could have been the drink - I shall raise a glass of sparkling water to you all tomorrow!

Had a great sleep last night and managed a bit toast this morning so the end is most definitely in sight. And no not watching medical dramas lol just lots of silly films.

Amazing lashes! So jealous!

Wow Matilda but you just don't look anything like that in my head!
Glad Ally that you had a bit of toast. Might you manage a sprout tomorrow?
So far I've done the bread sauce, the stuffings , the parsnip puree and a row with DH. Ho ho ho to you all!
Merry Christmas everyone. I'm glad I met you all.

Hi Im looking for advice really and will say right from the start even though I am in extreme pain it's no where as awful as im guessing some of you are experiencing.

I bent down to pick something up 3 -4 days ago and as of Monday havent been able to stand, walk as the pain is horrific.

Dr has rang this morning and said it is a torn ligament in my lower back as its located not actually in my spine but to the left of my lower back.

It only hurts when I try to stand not all the time so she has prescribed strong dosage of diclafenac - other people have said that dr should of given me valium or co codolmen but dr said that she would only prescribe that if i was in constant pain as it was very strong.

She said after 30 mins or so after taking tablets to try and stretch my legs and bring my knees up to my chest then rest again.

Ive got a hot water bottle on my back...

Is there anything else I can do any advice will be much appreciated, I feel so upset as its Christmas as I have a DS, DH is brilliant has done everything,...we go to my Dads for a family dinner and Ive told them they must still go I will be fine :(

Sorry to hear that hula ... obviously this is a place where we understand this kind of thing although all very different

Current medical advice is to try and keep mobile which is what the stretching is about I assume - otherwise you can stiffen up and make things worse. Diclofenac probably is best as its of the group which relate to muscular pain and inflamation. Re the hot/cold I'm never sure which way to go but if the heat is helping keep going otherwise try an ice pack (frozen peas or the like will do if you don't have one).

Hopefully one of the others will come in shortly as they give good advice here

Good luck and try to enjoy Xmas - its perfectly possible to eat and drink lying down trust me - just takes a bit of practice

Oh poor Hula What a rotten time for this to happen to you.
I'm not sure how the GP knows what it is. I've found them quick to misdiagnose TBH.
I'm not that familiar with the drug you are on but try to find out what else you can take with it at the same time. The more the better!

hello to you all and Merry Christmas Eve!!

I've been dashing trudging around buying even more stuff, swim, visiting MIL and being an ideal wife for the Man Who Believes Christmas Eve Should Involve Golf. Ah well, tomorrow it's over to him.mim now lying down and fluttering my lashes . Hollie, I dread to think what you thought I looked like???

I have chuckled at all the Inlaw type scenarios. It doesn't get much easier, I'm afraid. I have a mil who believes in saying it as it is in her strong opinion. I am now used to it and since becoming disabled have become less of a target and officially Marvellous.

Hula, welcome to our group, though sorry you need to be here. As Ally says, your GP is very quick to diagnose you via a phone call . She may be right, of course but if you are still in pain by tomorrow, just call back and speak to someone else and get the diazepam and cocodamol. They do help as painkillers and certainly make you care less. Our mantra is Rest, Potter, Rest. So yes, keep moving, but very gently as opposed to carrying on with normal activities. Such a shame to miss Christmas lunch, could you cope with lying on the sofa or floor? If the answer is no then you do need the drugs I mentioned. The hottie is fab IMO and if you have time send your DH straight to the shops to get some heat patches which are magically good. When I first had a disc prolapse my pain was central but more to the left. If you do have this, the area of pain really depends on the angle at which the prolapse has occurred. Do you have any leg pain? (I didn't which made the gps say 'it can't be a disc, then'. It was) However many disc sufferers do have weird leg pain though gps usually ask about 'shooting pain' which again, isn't always the case. It a question of them reading text books and forgetting that every case is different.

The good news is that only 5% of back pain is, apparently discogenic so very likely you will recover very quickly. Do let us know how you are doing. You can always read back on this thread for some fun.

Frosty, wow, just wow. Your Christmas sounds highly interesting. You are doing wonderfully well, just don't overdo it. I hope you are getting lots of cuddles with lovely DD.

We are off to dinner with db and his Israeli wife plus three dcs, the youngest 3weeks old, so I will get cuddles, too. I adore tiny babies so that's a huge Christmas treat for me. Just wondering if I can get away with my Christmas dress which is rather short. Is that a bit mutton dressed as lamb? Who cares! I cannot be a frumpy disabled person. I rebel .

Merry Christmas to you all. You have all sustained me more than I can say and send love to you all and your families. Wishing you low pain and low work levels. Those with tinies, enjoy them.xxxxx .

I hope tomorrow is as pain free as possible all.

Merry Christmas

RAT CAM UPDATE

Merry Christmas everyone! xx

I am done! everything is wrapped, place is reasonably tidy, we had a lovely day of more friends visiting for dinner, exchanged presents, listened to Classic FM christmas carols all afternoon, drank a bit but not too much wine. Then when they went, the children opened their new jimjams, we all got into our jimjams, snuggled on the sofa with a zillion christmas candles and fairy lights on, read 'night before christmas' and 'the polar express'. DS was positively jumping into bed as soon as he was allowed (he asked to go to bed at 5pm) and was out like a light at 7:45pm. DD was still awake at 8:45, struggling to sleep but managed by 9pm (last year it was 2am )

DS keeps saying he has the best family ever, he has told his godparents they are the best godparents and uncle/aunt ever, has been so cuddly and loving and happy, kissing and cuddling, dancing around the place singing, telling us he loves us, and went to bed telling santa he loves him

Pain levels have been reasonable as I have mostly been pottering, so hopefully it will stay the same tomorrow, they are high now but it's late so to be expected.

I hope you are all now tucked up in bed and not slaving away to make it 'perfect', it will be perfect however it's done, so if you are not in bed now, leave everything else and settle down, look after yourself too!

hula so sorry this has happened with such poor timing. re pain relief, remember to keep taking paracetamol with the diclofenac (it's called an NSAID - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug - like ibuprofen but stronger, and you can take this with paracetamol, which is actually a blood good painkiller. It actually works best when taken with other drugs as they create a chemical something or other than increases the effectiveness of each drug in the mix. You can also take codeine with this. As you have not been prescribed codeine, you can get co-codemol over the counter in a pharmacy on a low dose - this is codeine + paracetamol, so if you take this, don't take paracetamol with it as it already has it in it - and this can be taken with diclofenac.

So, optimum medication would be: diclofenac as prescribed + 2 x co-codemol 8mg/500mg 3/4 times daily.

If you find the co-codemol helps but you need a higher strength, you can then go back to your GP and ask for a higher dose. It will normally be codeine straight, at 15mg, or co-codemol (codeine/paracetamol at 30mg/500mg (called sulpadol I think).

The problem is, the reason you can't stand straight is because your muscles are in spasm. So, diclofenac will help with that, but you have to take regularly and it takes a bit of time. GPs do sometimes prescribe diazepam for muscle spasms as it works brilliantly, and it is the best way of addressing acute muscle spasm that won't go away, but doctors are really hesitant about prescribing it, despite it being the best immediate solution. If you have it for two days, it would get you moving enough to stop using it and be mobile.

I hope you find tomorrow bearable, but as matilda says, if you are really struggling to move/walk/stand, do call OOH/111 for advice on additional pain relief. It's not necessary to be in pain, but sometimes you got to shout a bit for the help.

Merry Christmas everyone. Sorry for not replying to each of you, it's been so busy and I have not wanted to be on the computer around the children, they have needed my time, so has DH.

frosty hope you are continuing to recover well from your surgery and getting plenty of TLC, and not too many pressures on you. tins hope you get your MRI results soon as it's a result that can be addressed with a proper plan. matilda love your eyelashes! hope you wear/wore the short dress, absolutely don't start doing 'growing old' before your time

Merry Christmas to all my lovely new friends! Hope you have as pain-free a one as possible or at least too drugged up to feel it!

Lovely rat berrie

all round, take your pick ladies x

Happy Christmas, everyone! Festive cheer and low pain to you all.

So happy to see that Mr Rat has been welcomed into your home once more, Hollie, ah, Ratgate and the Rat Cam, surely the most diverting topic of the year on a back pain support thread.

I hope you are all prone on the sofa, scoffing chocolate. I will be as soon as my bacon sarnie has gone down. DH is cooking, I will add my advice as required . Festive bliss.

Look forward to hearing all the grisly details later. No MIL remark too minor. You girls have great patience and will be rewarded.

Merry Christmas from Matilda and all the MatildaCat household.

Meeeeerrrry Christmas everyone!
I hope that you all find yourselves fairly well this evening and are pleasantly stuffed or about to be.
We've had a lovely day. The children woke us at 7.30 am telling us they'd let us have a half hour lie in! They were happy and grateful for their presents which was lovely.
Guests arrived later and DH and I managed a lush lunch with relative ease. I couldn't then manage the post lunch dog walk but that's probably because I had to do the washing up
Anyway I have a splitting headache because I had THREE glasses of wine over lunchtime which is clearly too much for me. I am sad to say there are some remote control buggies going round the living room which isn't helping.
Anyway - looking forward to hearing about the lovely pressies that you got and any bad family anecdotes

hi everyone...gosh just reading these few replies to my post has given me a little bit of relief thank you.

Managed to walk to the toilet last night with hubby holding me after the diclafenac felt good and very positive. This morning got up for the toilet and arrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggg back to square one :( Im guessing sleeping all night with no tablets didnt help. So back to being positive, took my tablet waited 30 mins then did some exercises, managed to get to the toilet on my own - DH and DS went to family for dinner I told them to and all was well. I did 15 mins of exercises stretching my legs out at the back standing up. Took last tablet tea time waited again 30-40 mins and walked to the toilet with hubby but this time it was very painful didnt seem any relief from tablet - wondering if I did too much exercise???

Im going to try the paracetomol inbetween -thing is dr has only prescribed 3 x 50mg tabs for day breakfast, lunch and dinner

Like I said I dont feel ill and am really trying to move about but I can only seem to do this once Ive taken the tabs so roughly 3 times a day

will keep at it...starting to feel tearful now as I though I would be up and about by now...have been reading on FB friends lovely christmas eve preparations and lovely mornings theyve had with their kids :( :( :( my DS was so lovely... he slept with me last night and brought all his presents up this morning to my bed so I could see him open them... I feel so guilty and really, really want to get back to my normal self...all I did was pick up a dressing gown off the floor!!!!

ps.meant to say no pain in my leg

Thats good hula although obviously we know it doesn't feel like progress it is really - first we master the toilet issues, then getting showered/dressed, etc ... it all happens slowly but it does happen

Christmas is just another day in the end ... you can make up for it later ... DS sounds lovely and very understanding ... my poor long-suffering hubby is great too

I managed to eat an almost normal meal yesterday but got carried away and had granola for brekkie today (with chocolate bits in it of course) which was a struggle as the sore side as all the teeth and the gummy side is already sore from forcing it to gum food yesterday ... not complaining though as soooo much better .. maybe a nice soft cupcake for lunch lol

On the negative side all that weight I lost not eating went straight back on - oh well (and not surprising given the food choices I am making) - I'll worry about that in January for now I don't care

MIL phoned twice yesterday so can't complain about her haha

hula while I agree with exercise being important so you don't seize up, right now, you are in an acute phase of pain/injury for whatever reason is causing it, and so exercise may simply be walking to and from the toilet. If you are finding more than that is making it worse stop that extra or reduce it. You MUST take paracetamol. The GP won't prescribe it as it's so cheap, unless you specifically ask for it and have prescription payment exemption, but there is no problem with taking it with diclofenac, and absolutely every reason to do so, it will help the diclofenac work, and, as I said, co-codemol is available over the counter if your Gp won't prescribe or you have not spoken again. 50mg x 3 of diclofenac is the normal dose, not sure you will get a higher dose. So, please do return to the GP and discuss problems with night making it worse in the morning and what you can do.

Glad you managed to at least open presents with DS even if this was in bed. You will get through this phase and it will slowly ease, but you need to take it really easy, and slowly, and take whatever helps to get you through this stage. Definitely continue with the heat, that's a firm favourite here for acute pain (and chronic too). No leg pain is good, as hopefully it is a simple (that doesn't mean it's not fucking painful and disabling while it lasts) injury such as muscular or ligament that will heal completely in time. But do keep an eye out for leg pain and talk to the GP or to us if this starts to occur.

Everyone else, hope you had a great day. matilda did DH manage the dinner ok? Ours was fucking amazing, so much so I ate too much then ate another plate of it for supper! drank fizz for breakfast, with smoked salmon and muffins and christmas tree shaped brioche. Spent so much time with the children, playing with their toys, went for a little walk, did some poi poi practice with the children, and had a thoroughly lovely day. Finished off by playing Ker-Plunk!

My pain levels were surprisingly ok, I think because I drank through the day, much, was not drunk, but we had a bottle of fizz between us through the day, plus two glasses at dinner and some baileys in the evening. I am more painful today, but a lazy lazy day of slowly clearing debris from yesterday's presents, bath and watching films so it's ok. DH is working, he is meant to be there now put has put it off, doesn't want to go.

re presents. I got a couple of CDs, a terry pratchet book, a bracelet and some fun glass jar cups/straws! a necklace from a friend, sheepskin rug for our camping box, and no cooking

HAPPY BOXING DAY :D

ally christmas is really absolutely not the time to think about weight loss for sure. even I think I have put some weight on, as I have eaten my body weight in chocolate and roast potatoes

My post just disappeared. Very grrrr.

Hoe you are all well and keeping it together.

We had a lovely time but now have my DP arriving for a couple of nights so there's no let up yet and my house feels filthy. DH has gone to play golf again so will need to galvanise two sons into floor mopping and bin emptying duties or just do it myself, it would be easier.

So, will update later but hope you've all had a lovely time, whatever that entailed and come back soon to regale us.

One nice thing, my lovely friend was proposed to on Christmas Eve, full thing, one knee under the tree and beautiful diamond solitaire. Ahhhh. The actual wedding could be 'interesting' ( he has an ex and two bratty grown up dc) but never mind, we are all thrilled.

And Mulled, why did you mention weight fgs?!! I refuse to be offended by my rude scales. They are just being horrid.

Pass the mince pies...

Typing from the sofa... had 2 good days and now a bad one. Parents not very impressed with me being on the sofa (they have gone out) but MIL finally left! Glad those who posted so far have had a good Christmas. MIL was the usual, poor DP was nearly in tears on Christmas Day evening. She has left without some of her presents as she didn't want them (and told us so in her very limited English and rude German), including an expensive tartan blanket from my DSis who lives in Scotland about that one as it was very carefully selected. Lots of telling DP how stupid he is, telling me how crazy the English are, complaining there was too much food (when she brought most of it) and talking over people/interrupting.

Am enjoying the peace and rest now! Glad those who posted have had good Christmases and made the most of it :)

Tins, OMG! she sounds hardcore vile. Left her presents behind??? I suggest that in future you all select gifts that would most please you so when she leaves you have a few bonus gifts. Poor DP must feel awful. I hope she won't feature too heavily in your future. .

Sorry your back is worse today. I must say I think sometimes you can almost delay the pain a bit but it will catch up with you at some point. I'm all out of sync with meds and rests. Ds1 has just shouted at me for getting annoyed that one of them has, yet again, pulled the loo roll holder away from the wall. This sounds petty but is annoying because we aren't very DIY handy and this is yet another job for someone. and they hadn't even replaced the fucking loo roll, just left the cardboard roll hanging on it.

Moan over, your mil definitely wins for now. Anyone else??

Small update on me. Pain clinic have put me on pregabalin as well as Tramadol. Morphgesic and oramorph. He said that most of my pain is coming from my two prolapsed discs that are touching the nerves giving me pain and also o have sacroilliac joint dysfunction. I had injections there, they helped for a couple of weeks but pain back with avengance now. He has referred me to a pain clinic at a different hospital who are specialised with back pain, I will be seeing a physio there and a pain psychologist. He said as there was no cure as such for my condition, I have to get my head around that and try to deal with it in my head. Not sure if that can be done.

On a plus note going to London for a few days and to winter wonderland. Unfortunately I will be in my wheelchair as its just impossible to walk any distance without severe pain