Sciatica & low back pain

[Horseshoebeach]

I was hoping all this would be gone by now or at least easing a bit. But several weeks on the low right back pain, buttock (rump area), sciatica in leg down to the ankle, is quite literally making life hell. First off I thought it was down to a fall I had. The x-ray I had confirmed there was no fracture with a little additional info re osteophytes lower down in the spine. Sitting for longer than 10 minutes is difficult to say the least. Then there's getting up from sitting with muscle type spasm, then finding a comfortable position to sleep. It's always there. Had an MRI (don't know results yet) & I'm so embarrassed to admit I barely made it through (felt panicky). Then at the end when it was over I asked the radiographer if he had all he needed and to take longer if he wanted (had calmed down by then) but he said he had all he needed. Now I'm worried in case he felt the need to rush it because of my anxiety. Many people have it so much worse with pain and illness and I know that. I just feel in such a mess with this and want this thing to start feeling just a little bit better. Has anyone been through something similar that seemed to go on? This is my first time posting so apologies if I'm on the wrong thread (& so sorry for the moody rant) X

Oh divers how frustrating,I’m feeling pretty similar in that they say one thing then contradict themselves, even with mri I have been told, first it will identify problem, then when I questioned my doctor why I couldn’t seem to control the level of pain, must add this was phone consultation as I was in agony and house bound, she told me that only a contrast CT scan shows up everything, I really feel for you as everything I have been told by my consultant is a contradiction to what everyone else has said one being you can’t make your herniated disc worse umm well yes you can. Have you got a good doctor I would go back and have a good moan, are you still in pain or is it more mobility? If it’s mobility I have heard that hydrotherapy is really good, I’m trying to get into one near me they are so booked up

Sorry digerd my fingers weren’t designed for phones

user Thanks for replying and sorry that you are also getting no improvement or definite hopes for improvement.
My pain has increased and is worse getting out of bed and trying to bend since my injury in bed last August.

I am allergic to the CT contrast dye and after 33 sessions of Radiotherapy last year for Bladder Cancer, I have decided to avoid anymore radiation hence the MRI which works more on magnets.

Pain medication is not what I want but I suppose is worth a try.
I took 2 Nurofen plus on an empty stomach last December and 40 minutes later became dizzy and teleported myself unconscious from kitchen to other side of dining room and crashed out hitting my forehead on the marble artificial hearth.
Oddly for the rtest of that day while at A&E I had no back pailn or overactive bladder but all came back with a vengeance the next day.
I felt much better when taking Prednisolone 2 years ago but cannot take that anymore.

Good luck.

Digerd totally get why you wouldn’t want any more radiation, I can’t bend, forward at all even brushing my teeth hurts like hell, naproxen has helped a bit plus I have just started seeing osteopath PT was to painful , I take stomach pinning tablets as i have bowl problems started on Gabapentin finally and just as I started to feel some relief I have had to stop it😤 was pinning all my hopes on it sleeping is hell, can sit for short periods I am sensitive to so many drugs I always get bad reactions so I’m feeling stuck too. Are you in pain all of the time, if it’s more mornings maybe it is more muscle stiffness and some sort of therapy might help and maybe naproxen if you can take it, bloody agony though isn’t it.

Sorry Bloddy fat sausage fingers

Evening all

Well I am FINALLY BLOODY HOME HURRAY!!!!!!!

It all went a bit tits up as started physio on Monday. I say physio, it was more the most gentle assessment in the world and looking at range of movement. After, I went numb around my bits again and my RIGHT leg felt a bit weak. Getting pins and needles and a jumpy left thigh.

So, physio stopped in its entirety and I now have another emergency app on Monday with my surgeon. I'm going back through the scanner. I think this is nbr 7 or 8 since end of November. He must think I'm crazy or a stalker haha. I need a plan though. I'm 11 weeks post op 3 and I can't live my life on one leg, and I certainly can't afford for my right leg to fuck up on me.

In other news my bowel is now clear and impaction free.. only took two weeks. Now on daily medication and suppositories for the foreseeable. For one that is not supposed to bend or twist, suppositories are not brilliant 😁

You would have thought I would have lost a shed load of weight, but I replaced what came out with pringles and chocolate 😳

How are we all doing? Updates required please! @PrincessAnnaOfArundale @Localher0 @user1497873278

@digerd sorry to hear you are having such a bad time. Please keep the pressure on your GP

XXX

@RedDhalia that's brilliant news that your home at last. It must be so nice to be with your family and have all your things around you. Great that your bowel is clear but I hear you about the suppositories. In had to have them after delivering DS. If not TMI then lying on your side in a foetal position is one way to get them in. Put some pile cream on first and it's easy entry . Sorry to hear tho that the physio started symptoms off again - I hope your scan next week shows that things are better but it'll just take time for all the inflammation to go down.
I only have 4 exercises plus neural flossing I have to do and I find one of them sets everything off. So I do the minimum I can of that one and concentrate on the others.
Im still hobbling round and crooked although I feel I need to lean on my crutch less. I am trying so hard to stay positive I think my head my explode. But I had a crap day on Thursday as I woke up a bit more sore and then struggled to get my left sock on and spent the rest of the day feeling crap. I called a duvet day and retreated into my shell. Friday was better though and I even forgot to take my diazepam last night and slept fine so I'm secretly pleased about that.
My follow up is next week and I'm thinking of asking for some oral steroids - my logic is that as they have now removed the disc pieces and tell me that these symptoms are down to inflammation then steroids should help that. I'm not sure that'll work but I remember living in the USA they hand out steroids like smarties 
And I hear you about the weight - I have put on about 3kg since it all started and it's really hard to shift when you're addicted to Popchips....
Looking forward for updates from you all and welcome to @digerd - facet joint pain can be really bad and could be causing your symptoms. When I had my epidural they also gave me a facet joint injection as there was some inflammation in that area. If yours have disintegrated then that sounds serious. Perhaps ask the GP for these injections - in my case they worked but obviously not for everyone xx

Red home at last yay, I thought numbness around groin was normal I have had it all along on and off and no one’s batted an eyelid, let’s hope it’s just nerves settling down and nothing more, you must be mentally and physically exhausted, I have been through nothing compared to you and some days I just want to scream, thank goodness your bowels are sorted now though, I have bowl problems am under specialists, so started Gabapentin slowly increasing all looking good less pain yay, then bowel stopped working totally laxatives,suppositories, oh god truly awful what I had to resort to leave you to guess incase your eating 😂 not easy due to lack of being able to bend twist etc sooo sort of gone back a bit have felt awful all week due to that as I made myself bleed, pluss have chesty cough and bad cold seriously is someone up there taking the piss out of me, only way I can lay is on belly so yay helps piles, but I’m a wet mess of snot every time I drop of and then the coughing, I really look pretty dammed hot at the minute, 🤪 really hope it’s not more hassle for you on Monday will be thinking of you let us know when you can lots of luck and virtual hugs. Hope my week has made you laugh and not feel icky😁

Oh Local it’s so hard to stay positive isn’t it, good you are using your crutch less, you do feel like you have to research and come up with answers, drugs etc, and basically try figuring it all out yourself so I get the steroids makes sense surely had an up and down week as I said to Red sorry didn’t see you had replied let us know how it goes next week hugs and positive vibes sending your way, so hard to find the positive bits some days though isn’t it.

Digerd how are you feeling? Any relief at all, I hope so, I had osteopath on Friday for 2 nd time I’m in much more pain, the first time I just felt sore but this is 😤hurting like hell. I think I have now exhausted every alternative option. Hope your pain is easier especially with what you have already been through.
Princess hope your still doing ok, no marathons yet though 😉

Hi All - just an update from me. Saw my consultant on Friday. She was a bit surprised & disappointed that my symptoms are worse now than just before surgery. She thought physio is the next step with possibly some hydrotherapy as she wondered if muscle spasm is contributing to the shift and nerve pain/tingling. She doesn’t think it’s a reherniation as my pain levels would be much worse. She said that when they got in there to look at it the area was highly inflamed and irritated. When we discussed my previous 2 epidurals and how long they had taken to work she suggested that maybe I’m just one of the people on the “slow healing” side of the spectrum and that physio plus a bit more time would help. I told her I’m starting physio week beginning 16th and we agreed that I’d go back to see her at the end of March for a follow up. If necessary she could do another transforaminal epidural if the pain still hasn’t settled by then.
I am in less pain than I was but it is tiny changes everyday and my lateral shift is still there. Everyday I wake up hoping I’ll be straighter and it’s sometimes hard to stay positive so I’m distracting myself with loads of decorating projects around the house! Overseeing them - that is, not actually doing anything 🤪
Let me know how you all are? This threads been quiet for a week so I'm hoping that's good news!! Xx

Oh local are you in more pain than before op was the reason for doing op that you couldn’t put weight on leg, I’m finding it all so confusing I have good little bits then awful days and days feel like I’m going crazy just wish I could sit for more than 15 mins I hope you have had more improvement over weekend nice to hear from you

Localhero and RedDalia how are you both doing ?