Endless Back Stories. Support For Back Pain and Sciatica. Thread 8.

[MatildaTheCat]

Sadly there seems to continue to be a need for this thread as many of us continue to suffer from back related pain. There are many causes, the pain and misery is shared here and hopefully some comfort derived from knowing we are not alone. We are strictly non competetive and newcomers most welcome.

We can offer advice on medication and effective drug combining plus other methods of pain management.We have used different treatment options from hydrotherapy and physio to surgery. We can share our experiences of navigating the big and baffling medical world, both private and NHS 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. . We are not doctors just people who have trodden the painful path of obtaining a diagnosis and dealing with our conditions.

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.

If you have advice, need advice, need a hand to hold, want to do some shopping another skill obtained along the way , then come in. We are friendly. We talk a lot. Come in, have a and say hello

Our Last Thread

Cauda Equina Syndrome. A must read for severe acute pain with Red Flags. Please Read

Constructive Rest. A Simple Exercise Anyone Can Do

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. Starting gabapentin tonight but continue with other meds as usual just so I can see if it's having an effect. Can go to a patch or slow release opiate if necessary in a couple of weeks.

I'm so desperate to go away. It's only a few days and DS can manhandle the luggage (we can manage with one suitcase I think). I'm going to give it til Sunday to see effects of Gapapentin and then if feeling OK on it, and nothing gets worse, get some flights booked :)

Misses poor you, but congratulations on DS3! As you can see lots of us are on strong meds so discussion with GP has to be around meds safe to take while BF, physio I would have thought essential esp after c-section although they won't recommend before 6 weeks I'm sure. I would just say overall get as much help as you can. Seriously.

Health visitor, surestart? get them in, so they can help with the older two at least. I'm crap about asking for help but I'm learning you HAVE to, if you want to get better. People will help if you ask!

Oh good tip on the medications - does anyone know where I can get info on what's allowed in various countries? It's Italy I'm supposed to be going to.

Would be taking co-codamol, naproxen, gabapentin and some soluble anadin extra.

Misses, poor you. Sending , and . Now, practicalities. Call your GP and ask for an urgent appointment tomorrow and get started on some proper meds. Rest as much as you possibly can and get help in. I have to say that with three under fives you have to get some help lined up. Can your DH take time off even if unpaid? Or get your parents to stay? Anything. Severe back pain in this situation is unendurable. I'm not going to comment on meds as you are breastfeeding but certainly we've had new mums on here taking tramadol and/ or cocodamol. I will see if I can get someone who has 'been there' to reply.

Diagonally, I hope you have been advised to start gabapentin very slowly and build up over several days? It can really make you feel spaced out to start with. It also takes a while for the blood levels to rise to a therapeutic level ie giving you nerve pain control. Do persevere, it really can help a lot. Re Italy you should be fine with those meds but take your prescription with you to be sure. I, too always have some in my hand luggage and some in my case. If you don't usually take the cocodamol regularly then do. It makes a big difference to take it at regular intervals rather than letting the pain escalate and then try to get it back under control.

Have to say I'm suffering today. Have parents to stay and did far too much yesterday getting all ready. Then they come in and remark what a perfect house as if it is some kind of lucky coincidence . Guess I should be less try-hard.

Hi MissesandMuddles

If you search my name you can see my history.

I herniated a disc a week after DS was born in May last year.

The breast feeding network were amazing re drug advice and I was able to take a few short courses of diazapam to get me out of the acute stage then use round the clock Tramadol, ibuprofen and paracetamol to manage the pain. I am still feeding DS now.

I don't have much time or battery now but will come back later and please feel free to PM me x

Thank you Matilda I'm starting on 100mg gabapentin (took first one last night) for 5 days then up it to 200mg for 5 and the 300mg if required. GP told me I should expect it to take 3-4 days to build up to the therapeutic level. I didn't sleep too badly, with co-codamol at 12, got 6 hours uninterrupted sleep which for me at the moment is pretty good.

Misses I think getting an appointment today would be a really good idea as your parents still there. I would discuss with GP your concerns about managing everything from a practical pov as well as pain relief and next steps.

Hope you can relax & enjoy your parents visit Matilda

Lol Matilda definitely do NOT clean next time! They need to know its a struggle for you/us.

Welcome Missy and yes off to the GP for you although he sounds a bit rubbish .. be persistent (and cry if you have to) .... or change GP .. good luck!

Diagonally, there's plenty of scope to increase gabapentin after that as well. That is a really low dose. After about a week I was up to 300mg/x3 a day which was helpful but I can't remember how long it was before I got decent pain relief. Tbh at that stage my pain was more back than leg so it might not have been very effective anyway. When my leg pain got very severe I increased it to 600mg x3/day though that took ages to do because it did make me sleepy.

Ally, I can't help it so it really is my own fault. Their own house if far from immaculate so I'm daft. I hate my own house not to look tidy and clean (have a cleaner so not scrubbing the floor). It's dull and wet so having a taste of your Scotish summer. Boring!

Am trying to get up and going as taking mum into town to look at shops. Won't e too long I hope then taking her for a swim later at my club so ticking the Good Daughter boxes for today at least.

Have a good day everyone and Misses, do hope you have read our messages and can see your GP today??? Severe back pain is urgent. Thinking of you because I remember the sheer agony of the early days and barely able to look after myself. Actually, not able. So please get drugs and help. Good luck.xx

We had a few minutes of sun yesterday! Not exactly hot but nice to see it! . Raining cats and dogs now and back to quite cool hey ho

Thank you for your comfort and advice Matilda and Casper. So appreciated.
Had neuro appt yesterday and have more tests . Being mindful and pacing is the way to go . Count my blessings which are many. Reading this thread is a wake up call .
Today a friend called to sort out my grey birds net hair . She has come back from a holiday hillwalking in the lakes. I felt so weepy and self pitying for a while . Then thought of you all posting here. A good look at the world news.
Thinking of you all . Nest of vipers ? Not this mumsnet .

First time posting on this thread, from what I remember (can't be entirely sure as I have brain fog from all the drugs I'm on.

Been feeling rough of late. I have severe chronic back pain of unknown cause despite numerous X-rays and CT scans to try and find out what is causing it. No such luck. It was even suggested that I was imagining the pain and may benefit from counselling. I reiterated that if it was psychological, I'd have gone for counselling years ago (I've been having this pain for over 10yrs now), so I'm certainly not closed to the idea.

It started just before DS was born and wasn't even bad enough to take paracetamol for. Then after DD was born 12.5mo later by ELCS, it got worse and progressed to the pain I have today.

ATM I'm taking:

100mg Celecoxib (Celebrex) - morning and night
150mg Pregabalin (Lyrica) - morning and night
50mg Tramadol (Maxitram SR) - morning and night
30 or 8/500mg Co-codamol - as needed
350mcg Norethisterone - helps with period which can worsen pain
25mg Amitriptyline - taken at night

I can see that I'm taking enough medication to sedate a donkey for a day (DH's phrase), but I can still feel a lot of pain regardless of the medication, and I hate taking pills, so I am taking them very reluctantly. If I was to come off the meds, I'd be curled in a ball crying in absolute agony.

Apologies for not being on long enough to explain more (I will be back at some point tomorrow), I'm heading to bed now as my back in very painful from being upright from standing or sitting since 5.15am this morning.

Good night ladies. I hope you all get a decent night's sleep tonight

Hi Chiggers .. don't remember you posting before but that might be my brain fog!

Wow that is a lot of medication but not at all unusual in here. Some of the other ladies have had back pain since/due to childbirth so hopefully one of them will pop in and comment (child-free zone here just a slipped disc for me). God I get so angry when we are accused of imagining it. Yes my brain might be over-stimulated in regard to pain and my pain receptors are very sensitive but coming from your brain and making it up are 2 very different things grrrr. Counselling doesn't do any harm - at very least someone nice will sit and listen to you moan (other than us in here) though I think the ladies in here are pretty good. Lots of them know their stuff so stick around for better comments.

Thanks everyone for your advice and kind words.

My Drs were extremely unhelpful when I phoned for an earlier appointment so I'm still waiting until Monday afternoon to see someone. The pain is still pretty bad and paracetamol and ibuprofen don't seem to make much difference but the horrible feeling that my back is going to give way when putting any weight on my right leg has definitely improved.

Reading others stories I feel like a bit of a fraud. Some of you have been through so much!

Morning all, Chiggers, welcome aboard, do make yourself comfortable and will look forward to hearing more about you. How utterly frustrating to not even know what is causing all your pain.mim guessing from your med list that you have a fair degree of leg/ nerve pain as well as back pain? Are you still under any specialists or have you muddled along with your GP? Anyway, nice to meet you.

Misses, hmm, let's hope your GP surgery all get a dose of severe back pain soon to remind them just how urgent it can feel. Can you get some more help with your dc this week? Do accept all offers of help and under no circumstances lift shopping or do housework etc. simply having three so young means you will be doing way more than is ideal in this situation. Rest, potter, rest is an old mantra on here and with good reason. You can buy OTC codeine/ paracetamol which is fine with bf if you need it. Hopefully your GP will give you a prescription for some decent strength cocodamol and naproxen at the very least. As Coldcottage says even short bursts of diazepam is ok so don't get fobbed off just because 'it isn't ideal'. No, none of this is ideal. one of my greatest blessings is a GP who is a generous prescriber. Tears can be helpful and, I imagine might be easy to bring on. Do keep us posted and we can try to offer imaginative solutions.

My pregablin switch is going well. Will see or speak to GP this week and get more so I can swap the final dose for the day and all done. I do think I'm a little less foggy.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend and pain levels are low for now.x

All very stressful here. I move house on friday into a beautiful stone french farmhouse (that's the good bit). There is so much to do though in the meantime though.
My herniated disc was recovering well (it has been 10 weeks since I herniated it) because I rested lots and lifted nothing. BUT over the last week I have packed 30 boxes. Of course it hurts all the bloody time now with lots of sciatica.
I went back to the GP and he didn't turn up! Then I rebooked and I got the day wrong so I didn't turn up I've given up now.

I have asked for loads of help to pack and move but most people are away at the moment or have family staying with them so can't help out.

Ultimately it will all work out but I am radiating stress nevertheless.

Matilda, I'm not under any specialists at the moment as we're only just reregistered with the GP surgery we were at before we moved 100 miles away (moved 100 mile from home town to make it easier to attend university, but moved back to home town as DS was getting bullied).

I'm going to finish my psychology degree through the OU. It just means I can get my degree as well as look after my dad and DH (DH has arthritis and is in agony ATM). Because I've just moved in the last month, we've spent time sorting out our stuff, so I've still got the painting and decorating to do. DH leaves the painting and decorating to me as I'm better. DH would put the gloss/paint on with one stroke of the brush and take it off with the next stroke . He's too heavy-handed for that carry on, so I do that part. DH does the housework, the meals and other things as well. I mainly do the DIY as well as I love all that stuff.

I'll be starting on the glossing after Sunday lunch, so DH, DC and the mad mutts can stay out of my road. I find painting and decorating very therapeutic and it's not heavy going, so I'm not likely to do my back in. It also take my mind off the back pain for a while.

Do any of you ladies do the decorating and painting in your houses?

Wow Merde and Chiggers - moving house and decorating! Either of those would kill me but we haven't moved in 27 years so not likely and hubby does the DIY as I am cackhanded and would spill it all/walk into it/get it in my hair, etc ... I'm not even allowed in the room when he is painting.

Good to hear the fog is lifting Matilda

Hello all

Chiggers DIY no! I have been shown how to drill things in walls but usually end up pulling half the plaster off I do find painting quite therapeutic and I like doing the Lawrence LB thing of opening a new paint pot and seeing the transformation as you cover more of what was there before. I haven't got the patience for glossing

Merde I hope you will be very happy in your new home but be careful! I hope you don't have to lift any of the boxes?

Sounds good news on the Pregablin Matilda. I've barely noticed my 100 mg of gabapentin. Might up it to 200 mg tonight. Nights are still hopeless.

I've booked the flights for our trip. No going back now For some odd but amazing reason BA had business class flights for no more than the budget airlines so DS and I will be travelling in style and thank god more legroom and less cramped I'm trying to plan the week so I'm pacing myself and not be worn out by Friday.

Hope everyone has a pain free ish day

Diagonally, well done for booking those flights. Flying business class does make a difference in all respects so fingers crossed for an easy trip. Have you booked assistance? It really helps as you get whizzed through security and then right to the gate when time to board.

In our house I would say that I was more the designer and organiser of any refurbishment projects , of which there have been many. I wouldn't manage it and DH is absolutely useless. We now have a lovely Polish chap who does any decorating. For the first time ever I actually don't need anything done at the moment having recently had a new kitchen (for my back) and redecorated the last two bedrooms. I love the choosing of all the colours etc and seem to have a very greeny/ grey theme running through the house.

I've had quite a busy day with a massage plus Pilates first thing, a pile of ironing and then a swim and steam. I finished up with a visit to mil who is in a nursing home. God protect me from such a place. .

Hope everyone is ok?

Evening ladies, how is everyone today?

Just bobbing in for a quick one as I'm heading out to walk mad mutts, have a shower and bugger off to my friend's place.

Got a new toy yesterday. One of those palm detail sanders. Flippin' love that thing. Have sanded down all the skirting boards, door frames and doors in the hallway. I was having too much fun, but had to stop sanding to eat my tea. I have to admit, I was a bit deflated...............and rather dusty too , even my B&W staffy got a bit dusty LOL. I'm going to say to my family that if they want to get me something for Christmas, they can get me a B&Q or a Homebase voucher so I can get a tool kit, or summat along those lines. I luffs me tools.

Anyway, enough about my boring day, how is everyone on here? I hope you're all coping with your bad backs (not that we have much choice TBH), and managed to get some decent sleep.

I'm off to walk the mutts, get a shower (I'm like an old relic, I'm that dusty) and go to my wee pal's house to a chinwag and a cuppa. I will be back either later on, or 1st thing tomorrow morning. Which reminds me, I have to give the dogs a manicure, shave the wee lad's hair (No 4, so not too short) and gloss the woodwork. Looks like I'll be pulling an all nighter , so loads of red bull to hand it is then...............

I'm such a hypocite, aren't I... Saying "enough about me, how are you good ladies, then straight back to my boring day (well, it was great fun for me .

You good ladies need to tell me to be quiet and let you lot speak.

Shave the wee lads hair
..

Dogs or son?
If dog did you have to buy a special pair of dog clippers?! Random question I know but we have a long haired dog who desparately needs a clip. I tried my DHs hair clippers on him and nothing. It didn't cut a single hair.

Good here, my back is sore and 30mg cocodamol doesn't seem to be that effective. Mind you I've been packing and cleaning (very, very slowly) for the last two weeks as we move tomorrow, so no surprise my back is complaining.
Lots of friends have volunteered their time to help pack, move and unpack. I feel ashamed to ask but they have been very kind in rolling up their sleeves and helping us. I feel very very lucky.

Ah, nice to have good friends who actually make good their promises of help. We hadackers last time we moved and it made life so easy.

Cannot fully relate to the joy of sanding a skirting but delighted it made you happy, chiggers. Yes, I'm also unclear who was receiving the haircut. My furry boy goes for a clip every 8weeks and comes home looking and smelling very gorgeous. He usually gets his revenge by rolling in fox poo within a few days.

We have more guests...nice family but I so don't need it. I have a heap of stuff to organise and sort out and it is so much harder with people around.

My drug trial has gone well and I am fully transitioned to pregablin from gabapentin. Have been super cautious with my diet and no gain so far. I did discuss with my GP who is very patient with my weight gain phobia. She said any gain is due to increase of appetite bwhich is good because it means I can hopefully exercise restraint and prevent getting any fatter.watch this space.

Where is everyone? Where is Berrie? Helloooooo!

Have stupidly come off my anti-d's cold turkey and am paying the price - nausea, splitting headache, lots of crying and upset stomach (and yet still not losing weight!) ... this has to end soon right?

Also having a lot of nerve pain in hip, legs so not able to walk very far at the minute .. no idea what that's all about either.

Add in the hormones and I am a hot, sore, angry, miserable mess at the minute. Feel like I am off work sick ... not enjoying life at all here. Sorry for the rant ... there isn't a sobbing smiley (sounds odd anyway ha!) but there should be.

I'm here ally life sounds a bit shit for you at the mo?

Do you think your Anti Ds were helping with the nerve pain? It is possible.
Can you go back on them and titrate carefully down so it's not so tough?

I'm struggling too, with exhaustion, just moved house and still cleaning the last one. I feel hurty, grumpy and anxious. Need to lie down in a dark room for a while!

thanks Merde ... they can help? I'll have to think about that as I am 3 weeks off them almost so should end soon ... I did think coming off was a good idea but not so sure now (and I didn't mean to go cold turkey just forgot for a few days then too late)

omg moving house that's a killer ... have a and a lie down