Slipped discs are unbearable

[raspberryjo]

I'm 25 with 2 kids and 5 years ago I slipped 2 discs during birth with my first. The last year it's got awful again to the point where I physically can't bend, can't sleep, can't get out the bath alone. Life is unbearable. I'm on the strongest painkillers and miserable. I'm still waiting for a letter from the surgeon is there any way I can speed it up or get surgery faster?

You have my utmost sympathy. Which discs have herniated? Has anyone suggested a cortisone injection to you yet?

The bottom two along with nerve damage. No they haven't, does it help??

It helped me but it was a long road. Are you seeing a physio?

I had surgery on a very badly herniated one and yes you have my empathy. Myself and a friend both had cauda equina and at one point she was suicidal with the pain
Offer to be on a cancellation list. Mine said "well we have a consultant... he doesn't usually do this stuff..."
Me "send me to the other end of the country, I don't care"
I think my appointment was March and surgery in May but it ended up being emergency surgery
Thermacare lower back and hip wraps. They saved my sanity, even more than morphine

Have you tried a Tens machine? It can take the edge of pain. I use one for back pain, it doesn’t stop it completely but it does help.

I'll definitely ask to be on a cancellation list. I am at the point where I don't want to get out of bed and socialise. I have tried a tens machine and it does ease slightly but nothing really takes the edge off

I'm going through the same thing. my first disc popped out in 2014, that caused another to go. I lost a lot of weight and it helped, but since being pregnant my sciatica is unbearable. I don't know how much more I can take.

Yeah I'm where you are. At the point where I don't know what else I can handle anymore

Awwww I can sympathise I've been there, 14 years ago. It was soooo bad for 2 years and unbearable for a year. I was given a corset from the hospital to keep my back straight and was on painkillers.
Couldn't walk unless I used a walking stick to put my weight on. I was told I'd need an operation otherwise it'd never get better, it has gradually got better over time by itself but around 2-3 times a year it plays me up again.

I had a discectomy due to prolapse and horrific sciatica. I had to take morphine in both tablet and liquid form as nothing else would control the pain, i also had to walk with a stick. Before the operation I had a course of 3 steroid injections and they only helped minimally . I cant have any more they said due to scar tissue. My sciatica has always remained at at a low level for the past few years but is now worsening and I have been referred to spinal again.

OP I’m so sorry to hear about your pain; I slipped a disc giving birth three months ago and the sciatica I suffered as a consequence made me suicidal. The pain is still there but I’m fortunate that I’ve managed to get it under control with pain meds (pregabalin and co-codamol mainly). I don’t think it’s as bad as yours with the length of time you’ve been suffering.

Join us on this thread - there are a number of posters in similar position to you with different experiences of the NHS and private care:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3593890-To-ask-about-gabapentin-and-nerve-pain-sciatica-success-stories

They are - sympathies but not much else to offer. I had a cortisone injection - I couldn't tell much difference to be honest but that was just me. I guess you are already on tramadol - that was the only thing that helped and didn't make me dopey.

Yes currently on tramadol and naproxen. Going back to the doctors tomorrow. Think they're sick of the sight of me!

I think GPs often have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to pain. My physio sent me back to the GP twice saying what they’d given me was nowhere near strong enough. I ended up on codydramol, diclofenac (which didn’t do much) and diazepam.

They can give you more. I was on max doses of naproxen, paracetamol, diazepam, 60mg dihydrocodiene 4 times a day and oral morphine

Do they make you drowsy and kind of non functioning though?

All depends on the person really. I was fine working FT on that combo

I had an appointment today with the doctor re my discs, and he won't give me anything for it apart from encouraging me to keep doing my exercises. which I've been doing for close to three weeks with no let up. i know I'm pregnant and can't take certain medications but I feel so low and on the edge. being constantly in pain or scared to cough.

Awww I honestly feel for you. I'd ask to see a different doctor, after reading many threads about it I went back to my doctor this morning and asked for gabapentin, that alongside my tramadol. I started gabapentin this morning and just had my 3rd tablet and don't know if it's placebo effect but it seems to have stopped the shooting pain! Keep going back. I've been 3 times this week before finally getting somewhere! Don't give up xx