Strong pain relief for sciatica

[Faebird]

Hi,

After some advice for the most effective pain relief for severe sciatic leg pain.
I can only describe the pain I'm experiencing as like extreme tooth ache x 10 and going from the bottom of my back straight down to my heal. I can barely walk and am up most of the nights in pain. My life is on hold at the mo while I wait for an MRI and then god knows what. I have a 2 year old and am struggling to be her mummie at the moment which is depressing me.

I'm currently taking a strong dose of cocodemol which only just takes the edge of, doesn't get rid of it and I need more. I didn't get on with naproxen or amatrytaline so am wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation and found a certain drug worked well for pain relief?
Should be seeing the doc again tomorrow and want to ask for something stronger but I have no idea what.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated especially positive stories to help me remain positive that I'll get through this. Thanks
X

You poor thing. Totally understand as am suffering from it myself....agonising. Do not know how you manage with a two year old.
Anyway, I have had sciatica a few times. The last time I was sent for an MRI which discovered that I had a slipped disc. The pain eased as discs sometimes stop pressing on various nerves. This last bout I had did not go away and so after the fifth week I saw my GP. She was very understanding and in view of the fact that I am suffering from breast cancer she is sending me for an MRI in three weeks time.
She prescribed a slow acting, low dosage morphine tablet to take morning and evening. The pain is gone ! I did feel very sleepy for the first few days ( not good when you have a two year old I know) but my body adjusted and now I feel alright.
Everyone’s case is different. I just felt so sorry for your suffering. Your doctor may not prescribe this for you but maybe you could mention it. Good luck.

Hi faebird

I am just recovering from second episode of sciatica in 2 years . I understand the pain u are going through. It does get better .app and results take ages to process .all pain relief had no affect . I found hot water bottles were the best . I used crutches also ,which took pressure off when walking .u have to be so careful ,even a sneeze jerks my back .

I have restless nights due to having OA and Severe CRPS, my medication is horrendous as I take around 12 tablets a day, the main ones are Gabapetin and Amitripyline for the amount of pain I'm constantly in with my right side of my body, I'm under pain management with my local hospital and have had acupuncture, physiotherapy, ( even tried a floatation pod with a pain clinic ) but nothing seems to be working, I can't sleep, I have trouble walking and the medication I'm on doesn't seem to elevate the pain....it's awful because I'm literally in pain all the time, I get tingling, sharp stabbing pains in my right foot, numbness, loss of feeling, colour change....sometimes I can't barely move because of it....the hospital I'm under doesn't even know what's causing it...I've literally tried everything the hospital I'm under have put me under to provide a morphine shot into the foot....it gives me some rest bite for two days but the pain still keeps coming back....I take my medication on time to cope with the pain but it's not working....I've tried everything, heat packs, ice packs, exercising, the works...it's just constant and it's draining me

I feel for you, I've just returned to work after horrendous sciatica. The only thing that helped was exercises that I found online, tablets don't touch it unfortunately. A lady at work who teaches yoga gave me some good moves too. It will get better, just takes time, usually 2-4 weeks. Make sure your GP refers you to investigate the cause. Good luck, get we'll soon x

My consultant put me on duloxetine after a failed facet joint injection (I fainted during the procedure and had a huge panic attack when I came round). It has helped quite a bit but it makes me very sleepy.

I took Co-dydramol and Naproxen (with an anti-gastric) during the day and Amitryptiline at night for this. The MRI showed a herniated disc in S1 (lower lumbar) and 3 bulging discs - the only thing that solved it for me was physio, who also did acupuncture, and then CT-guided injections into my S1 disc. The acupuncture released the piriformis muscle that was in severe spasm and also cured the foot-drop I had (I could barely walk and definitely could not drive with that) That was 2 years ago, no pain meds or recurrence since. Hope you get your MRI and treatment soon x

Did you speak to the dr and get it sorted?

I've had a prolapsed disc for 5+ years. Took ages to get an MRI then referral to orthopaedics. You need to push at them.

I've Had an epidural, acupuncture, physio and now under the pain team who have given me injections. Waiting another.
Tried all sorts, had various meds. Now on paracetamol, ibuprofen, gabapentin, morphine patch and omeprazole to protect my stomach.
Tramadol didn't agree with me. Amitriptyline and dihydrocodeine were ok for a while until the effects wore off.

I think you've got to try a few until you get the ones that work for you and your pain. Definitely nerve and inflammation analgesics will help with sciatic pain.

I don't know if this would be of any help to you but when I had unbearable sciatica pain and no painkillers would work, I dipped into my savings to privately fund for acupuncture and acupressure which did wonders for me. I had 5 weekly sessions and that made the pain bearable and I could walk again. I still have pain and do regular exercises but I cannot afford acupuncture and acupressure anymore.

I have prolapsed discs but also very tight piriformis so could be either or both that triggers my sciatica. Apparently in some people the sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis and in others they are very close to each other. I found that stretches for the piriformis very important. Pigeon Pose being one such stretch.

Paracetamol, dihydrocodiene, diazepam, morphine and thermacare lower back and hip wraps
I had cauda equina

I have 4 prolapsed discs 2 of them broad based and trapping nerves. I have had 3 times injections at pain Clinic and also in February I had Nerve Denervation which is needles into which electric is passed through to damage nerve. That worked for neck so am going to see about that for my back. I have had relentless sciatica for months now and it's the worst I've ever had. I have tried Pregabalin which gave me horrendous nightmares. Tapentadol which after 6 months made me feel like i had dementia my brain was so muddled i could barely function. I have been on Dihydrocodeine for years . I used to take 75 mg Amitriptyline at night. I now take 35mg. Started reluctantly but desperately Gabapentin. Unfortunately on its own it didnt work and after 2 weeks my dose was upto 400mg x3 a day that didnt work either so now on that plus 30mg Dihydrocodeine/ paracetamol 3x 600mg Ibuprofen and 35mg Amitriptyline daily. I am getting very little relief from all that. I have tried taking them all together and am now alternating them so taking something every 2 hours. I had a deep muscle massage 2 days ago and got an hour relief. My daughter rubbed tiger balm into my buttock today where the pain starts and I got 15 mins relief. The only time I get relief is sitting on a micro heat pad and laying a long micro heatpad along my leg. I also have very swollen Achilles Tendons which I am awaiting Physiotherapy. So I would advise getting some heatpads and elavating your legs. I cannot see my doctor till 12 th August and I will be asking to be referred back to neurology and ask about removing the disc that is causing the issue. So im afraid I cannot offer you much solice but for me anyway and I'm using pads whilst I'm sitting with my legs up and the pain is bearable to easing off.

Hello Mumsnet.
This is my first post and it makes me sad that it shall be about pain, a subject which in so many cases, including my own, is in my opinion not taken seriously enough by the medical profession as a whole. Thankfully my GP has a reasonably open mind and together we have worked out a pain relief system which keeps me functioning.
Fluoxetine, Amytriptilline, Pregabaline and Co-codamol taken in clumps at 6 hourly intervals help to control the neuropathic pain, sciatica, and Fibromyalgia. It took months to work out the dosages. For sciatic pain you might need to start in the higher range.
Have you tried any alternative therapies? When I was still able to work and afford the fees, I found that reflexology and shiatsu massage were both useful; my reflexologist found a pressure point that eased the sheer nastiness of the pain, and the shiatsu masseur was able to loosen the tightness around the joints and ligaments that tense up so badly when you are trying to move despite horrendous pain.
Feabird I hope so much that your pain is relieved soon you can pick up your little girl again.
Best wishes to all,
Fidgi.

I’m so sorry to read about so many people suffering with such awful pain.
My heart goes out to all of you, and I hope you find some sort of remedy

I don't know if it would help you but I'm going through exactly same at the moment. I tried inversion therapy and it has given me great relief from the burning sensation. Check it out on utube or google sciatica inversion therapy. I was very cautious of it but I am amazed at relief I got. Good luck

From the doc only, try tramadol and pregabalin. Both very strong. Tramadol is an opiate. Make me tired but then I don’t have young kids to mind.

Hi all, so only managed to see my doc this morning, asked for something stronger and she has given something that no one in this thread has mentioned.... Etoricoxib. I'm to take 1 an hour before bed to help the pain during then night when it's at its worst. So I'll see if that helps at all.

I also had my private MRI today which was a fairly pleasant experience compared to what I was expecting so hopefully we'll get some results in the next few days and can move forwards.

Have to say the main thing that I find that helps my pain is Hest application. I have a little grain bag that I've been microwaving that helps no end and I've just bought a little electric heat pad. So there was me last night 28°C in our house with a heat pad on my leg and arse!

It's so sad to hear that so many people have had similar problems! It's just awful. I hope that everyone here has some relief and a positive outcome soon xxx

Try pain patches from your doctor, Butec. It comes in 5mg, 10mg, or 20 mg. They last for one week but are a controlled. I use them for inflammatory arthritis pain everywhere.

I couldn't get on at all with Gabapentin, I felt dreadful on it.

Best thing I found was a TENS machine for relief.

My MRI showed things to have settled to satisfactory level now but it was a horrid 6 months of pain, you have my sympathy.

Glad to hear you have new pills to try op and hopefully the MRI will shed light. Just wanted to share a good news story though

After debilitating back pain for years and years (also with small kids at the time) I’d tried all the painkillers, physio, chiropractor, acupuncture, epidural injections, nerve treatment etc I had to got for spinal fusion surgery.

BEST THING EVER!!!

After 3 years of waking up, taking pills then lying still for half an hour until I was able to get out of bed - 2 days after the op I woke up in the morning, reached for my pills and then thought “I don’t need them”. It’s been three years now and I haven’t had a single twinge since...

It was scary and they so need to try every alternative first but it was amazing for me

@faebird how did you get on with your sciatica in the end? I’m in a similar position as you were, 6 months of pain and with two young children I can hardly play with. Just about to start some new meds but concerned about how long this may last. Hope things turned out okay for you?