Severe back pain - can't get out of bed!

[DuskyMoth]

Recently I've been having occasional lower back pain, I've also been getting lower abdominal pain and the two things seem to be connected. I do have adhesions from numerous C-Sections and so put the pain down to that.

Yesterday morning my back started off a little achy, nothing unusual so just carried on. The pain got progressively worse as the day went on, so I took some co-codomol and ibuprofen which made no difference to the pain at all.

Late evening I was in severe pain. I thought the pain would ease off once I got into bed, so I decided to get an early night and took some naproxen and dihydrocodiene (left over from a wisdom tooth extraction). Lying in bed the pain did not get any better, I was in so much pain I couldn't sleep. I also started to get really bad lower abdominal pain. I finally went to sleep about 4 am.

I woke up at about 10am this morning, I expected the pain would be gone after all that time lying down, but it was worse. I got up to go to the toilet and was in absolute agony. I got straight back into bed and took more painkillers.

I'm still in agony, I just tried to get up again as I thought maybe all the lying down was making the problem worse. I could barely stand the pain is so extreme, it's literally making me cry. My legs feel like they are going to buckle, I could only stand for less than a minute before the pain was to severe and I had to lye down. I couldn't even walk as far as the toilet (luckily I don't need to go).

I also still have really bad lower abdominal pain. Feels a bit like period pain.

I don't know what to do. Painkillers aren't touching it, I can't get out the bed. Has anyone experienced this? If I rest a bit longer will it ease off? Or should I be forcing myself to move? I'm not sure I could even get to a Dr.

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Could it be a kidney infection?

I've had one, and the pain is unbearable and nothing/no position eases it.

If you can't get out of bed ring an ambulance.

You need to be seen by a doctor @DuskyMoth, can you make a call to NHS 24 or is there family or friends close by?
You could have a kidney infection, a burst ovarian cyst, anything - but no one can diagnose you here! Be assured your symptoms are worthy of immediate investigation. I hope you've sought some help x

Yeah, I think I'm going to have to phone 111 or something. The pain is unbearable, I've tried to sit up or walk about a few times but every time I just end up crying in agony. I don't remember ever being in this much pain.

I hope you're ok @DuskyMoth xx

Get yourself to A&E. It could be serious.

I'm doing ok. I'm in hospital. I've had IV paracetamol, codeine, morphine, and diazepam. None of it has helped much.

I'm waiting to be transferred to a different hospital for an MRI scan.

They said I could have a prolapsed disc or something called cauda equina.

Oh bless you. Well you're in the best place. Keep us updated and hope you feel better soon.

Op I had something similar recently, glad to hear your A&E are taking you seriously. The MRI should give them all the information they need to treat you.

Hope you are diagnosed asap.

MRI showed a prolapsed disc, but fortunately it's not compressing the cauda equina. They said I can go home soon. So good news. Still in agony though 😩

Glad the cause has been found.

I hope the pain can be got under control lass.

They just gave me more painkillers so that's good

Is there treatment other than painkillers?

Jeez where do you live??? I've been in agony for 4 weeks. Similar story just no abdo pain. Couldn't sit or stand and no pain killer will touch it!
Ended up in a&e via ambulance...thanks 111... Needed Gas and air just for transfer and journey. Told simple lower back pain. Dicolfenic suppository and I could stand again and walk ..not well. Told exercises and paracetamol and ibruprofen. Next day my foot started going dead and pain shooting up and down the leg. More painkiller from GP and physio. Still dead leg and foot ...gave to wait 6 weeks for MRI......

When I had bad back it was muscle relaxants, painkillers, and home exercises I found on YouTube. I didn't have a formal diagnosis, though. Just wondering what 'they' can do to treat prolapsed disk.

They didn't really say much about what to do next. The Dr just told me to rest which seems to be the opposite advice to google. No heavy lifting and lots of painkillers.

I'm in the North East. I think they were worried because I wasn't able to wee properly. I had a couple of bladder scans which showed my bladder wasn't emptying.

They gave me 6 different painkillers in one go. IV paracetamol, oramorph, codeine, diazepam, diclofenic suppository, and Lidocaine patch.

I think they did it so they can say you're good to go now you can walk! But what will happen when it all wears off?

I'll be glad to get into my bed though as I've barely slept since Friday

In my experience prolapsed/ruptured discs hurts a great deal. I also needed gas an air to get into an ambulance- it was horrendous. The only time I felt worse was when the disc fragmented - which was the worse pain ever while it was fragmenting - and then the bit of disc was floating around pressing on nerves.

All you can do is take all the pain killers and muscle relaxers. If you're having nerve pain they should also give you gabapentin. If you don't have enough meds ring your GP surgery and speak to a dr to see if they'll give you more.

My advice is to rest as much as possible until the pain eases, then start doing stretches etc and get moving again slowly.

Ps - some advice is to keep moving with bad backs, but when it's a ruptured disc that causes so much pain you need to give it time to ease (at least that's what I've been told and is what's worked for me each time - moving was impossible!)

Hey OP, I have had a prolapsed disc and the pain was unreal, I could not move

After a few days it gradually improved

Was able to keep it under control by gentle exercise (in my case, once I was back up on my feet) and walking/swimming (gently) a lot.

After a while my body rebalanced itself, somehow.

A friend of mine had the same b ut had an op.

We are both fine now, it is possible to completely recover from this.

Stay strong and look after yourself!

You also need to keep moving. If it's muscular or something slipped then laying down won't help as it needs to keep mobile x

I had a herniated (slipped) disc last year and the pain was excruciating. Just as you describe, OP. Painkillers don't work because it's the nerve that's inflamed. Tension makes it worse, I found. After being in agony for a couple of months, I got a CT done and finally a discectomy. The relief was amazing, although it took me several months to recover from the surgery.

Meanwhile, walking is good if you can bear it. Even for a few minutes. If you're like I was, no position offers any long term relief. Try to sleep on your side, curving your lower back outwards, drawing your knees up and putting a cushion between them.

I'm in so much pain, they sent me home with codeine but it doesn't appear to have any affect. The Dr told me to rest, they didn't show me any exercises or anything.

The only thing that brings any relief at all is lying perfectly still. But I'm gonna have to start moving at some point. Not least but I've got masses of stuff to do. The house is in chaos!

It's really starting to get me down. The pain is unrelenting.

Don't worry about the house. Just try to rest. It took me a few weeks to feel like doing anything. Unfortunately time is the main thing that you need to recover.