Agonising sciatica

[Sallycinnamum]

I've been suffering from my first bout of sciatica for the past 4 weeks. I've never knownpain like it. It's absolutely agonising especially at night.

I've been doing exercises recommended by an osteopath, putting an ice wrap on my lower back and taking co codamol when it gets bad.

I was on naproxen but I've had to stop it as it was making me feel very sick and is now giving me indigestion.

I am pretty much at my wits end with the pain tbh and although my GP and osteopath have reassured me it will get better I don't feel that reassured. Does anyone have any advice for me?

It depends what's causing it. Stress could cause it, a weakness in the disc could cause it. If it goes on past 6-8 weeks go back and demand an MRI as you're doing all the exercises recommended. I struggled for over 6 months, being repeatedly sent away by the gp until it got to the point I could no longer walk or sit, and I ended up virtually paralysed and bed bound for a year while I waited for a discectomy. In that time I also had an epidural, which didnt work at all. I had a severe weakness in my L5/S1 disc which caused it to prolapse and press on the sciatic nerve. I empathise with you - it's the worst pain....

The osteopath deemed to think I had an inflamed disc but it wasn't slipped but the pain if anything had got worse since I saw her.

The thing is, if theres a weakness there then physio wont help. Maybe it has slipped since you saw the physio? Are you doing the exercise where you reinforce the natural curve of the spine? What level is your pain at? (Mine was L5S1) if it Carrie's on I would recommend going back and pushing for more investigations. For me, it totally put a hold on my life for nearly 2 years because I was so young (24) and didnt know any better. I just accepted what the dr told me. In the end it took 7 years (4 operations on my spine and 3 epidurals) until they finally sorted me out. I ended up with a plastic spacer called a Wallis Implant. But until they did that, I was in agony, had 3 more periods where I was bed bound and coildnt walk til I broke down to the last consultant and had a panic attack in his office. He took me in the next day, because I was getting married in 7 months and faced the prospect of calling the wedding off or going down the aisle in a wheelchair. Thos is just my experience, not everyone will be as bad as that, but it can happen. I'm 95% back to normal now, 12 years later. Defo gp back and push the doc to help more, lay it on thick if you need to. Good luck!