Sciatica 😢

[Mummyzzz044]

Hi, I've been to the dr today with severe back pain. The dr has said its sciatica and gave me naproxen and zepain.
I took the tablets about 2 hours ago and has not touched the pain at all!! I could cry. I have a 6 month old baby, partner is in work and I need to be able to care for her.
We were supposed to be moving house tomorrow but its further away from family so planning on staying at my mums for a little longer.
Does anyone know if it takes a couple of days for the naproxen to properly be in the system and there is some hope they will work? I'm in agony.
Thanks

You have my upmost sympathy i have had two bouts of Sciatica in the last 3 years and i have teens not a baby!
I am now in agony after i twisted my back putting socks on earlier this week and started Naproxen today.

What dose of Naproxen are you on? It can take a while to get to full effect, although i think it is not doing alot when a dose wears off i realise it is!

Its 250mg? She said that was a low dose? But I'm not sure. I feel much for stiff today rather than the shooting pain.
Aww I feel for you too, such a simple thing and then boom.. PAIN!.
Can you tell me if the naproxen takes a few days for it to work?.
I dont think I could handle stronger tablets as the naproxen and zepain are making me feel sick. Today I cant even move my DD but luckily my partner is off work the weekend to help me. So I'm hoping my Monday itll be better.
I feel so guilty for not being able to do simple things for my DD.
Good luck to you I hope your pain gets better soon

I haven't had side affects from Naproxen, i am on 500mcg twice a day for this bout of back pain, when i had Sciatica the dose was 250 mcg three times a day.
It can make people feel sick but apparantly that lessens after a few days so try and keep it going.
Your dd won't remember as long as she is clean and fed she will be fine, fortunately my youngest is now 16 so they are independant My mum had a bad back when i was a small baby and she said she ended up dragging me around on a blanket.
I am in a better mood today slept wel, so Naproxen is working, although still bent over like a 90 year old though.
Try and keep the Naproxen up and i ope you are getting some relief from the pain by Monday.
When i had a bad bout nearly 3 years ago, my son was on GCSE exam leave so i had to do alot of driving and i ended up buying a Tens machine and that really helped. I haven't used it this time a my adult son borrowed it last year and hasn't given it back yet!

Google piriformis stretches. These really help when my sciatica is bad

I'm supposed to take the naproxen twice w day and the zepain 4 times a day.
Woke up this morning hopeful and it's so much worse than yesterday!!, like you said you may think the tablets aren't working but waking this morning without them in my system, they must be doing something.

Glad you are seeing some change!! Must be a relief for you. Plus the blanket idea is really good lol.

Thank you both for the advise and I will look into those stretches. Anything to help

Had sciatica when pregnant went for acupuncture fixed in one session. Would recommend

Feel for you. Naproxin do take some time to take efffct and in reality are probably u likely to take any pain away until they reduce the inflammation.

It is important though that as soon as possible you start doing stretches and exercises, including walking loads as it is the game changer that helps you recover. I had it 9 months and had also displaced a disc in my back. Once I started in intense physio which was all exercise based I was like a new person within 2-3 weeks but you need to keep it up. Exercises include squats when able to do them as it strengthens the area

I

Google NHS sciatica exercises. I found these really helpful, especially the lying deep gluteal stretch. Keep moving and try to do the exercises 3 times each day. You might find it’s almost impossible to do the stretches when you’re in so much pain, but keep trying. I’ve had sciatica for almost 2 years, the pain is almost unbearable during a flare up but I’m largely now able to manage the pain with exercise alone. I had a 3 yr old to look after when I first experienced sciatica - it was truly awful. Hope you recover quickly OP.

Find a Pilates class

A Cheap TENS machine really really helped me when all the medication didn't touch it.

Was about £15 in boots I think

See an osteopath

I've found that painkillers don't help but a Tens machine does ease it.

When it was really bad one time, I instinctively felt I needed to sleep on the floor one night with a towel and thin pillow, it actually did help . Thought I must be a bit odd so Googled it and apparently I'm not the only one !

Thank you everyone for all your advise. I am looking into all the suggestions. I'm trying to move as much as I can. Finding it really difficult but will carry on.
Again thanks for the advise

Thermacare lower back and hip wraps. I had spinal surgery and they kept me sane beforehand

Chiro fixes my back a few times. Then I ran out of money and went down the gp route with a referral to physio. It took so long for them to get the bit that was out of place back into it’s correct space (because they didn’t manually push on it like a chiro does) that I now have a permanent numb bit mid thigh. Which oddly is really sensitive to the point of pain when accidentally knocked. It likely won’t heal now. It’s five years ago. Wish I’d borrowed the money and gone to the bloody chiro.

Will a chiropractor touch me the way I am at the minute? I am willing to spend a bit of money just to see if they can help. I know they are like £40 a session. My dr said if these tablets dont do the job to go back for stronger but I really dont want to with having a young baby. These ones are already knocking me about

Have you tried a TENS? I went from not being able to move to walking quite freely with mine.

No I havent. I have looked them up with being recommended on her. Not sure which one to go for at a reasonable price?

I've just bought one. I'm willing to try it and the reviews seem amazing. Being delivered tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed and will update once ive tried it

A chiropractor or osteopath is used to people being in pain. They may X-ray you to see if it’s something skeletal. Some people on here say you should get an mri and not let a chiro near your back until the results are in. But I thought it was great. You could phone one and see what they say? I couldn’t take the pain. And if something is out of place, the longer it takes to go back where it should be the more the other muscles etc must be compromising their positions to make room for it, and stretching, hence the pain. I’d just want it back how it should be ASAP.

I ended up in A&E with mine it was so bad before Xmas. Crying in agony and I couldn't move. They gave me co codamol which really helped with the acute pain and now I stretch and take naproxen. A physio will help diagnose your movements - mine is worse in the morning too and a pillow between my knees helps keep my hips aligned. I totally sympathize there is no pain like it - it's worse than childbirth! A tens will definitely help too .

I hope the TENS helps OP. Sciatica is horrible.

How are you doing now? Mummyzzz)44

Not sure how to tag you sorry NK346,
I'm actually getting there, still a lot of pain but I'm really trying to keep on moving with the little one.
You were right the tablets did take a few days to take affect. I'm coping a lot better. I've got my TENS machine which feels lovely to use but not sure if I'm seeing affects from that or the tablets. Still putting off moving home for another week. Thank you very much for asking.
How are you managing? Did you manage to get your TENS machine back?. My gran loves mine lol