Sciatica - agony

[flutterby31]

My dad is in excruciating pain. He can't sleep, can only hobble around in short bursts. He says the burning pain is the worst. It's down one leg and in one buttock. What can help in the short term given the outbreak at the moment? He's trying some stretches, paracetamol and nurofen but they're not touching it.

I'm currently in the same situation, I can't even stand upright and it's miserable. My GP prescribed me naproxen and Amitriptyline but neither are making a difference. I'm going to contact an acquaintance that's a physio and ask their advice. I'm a key worker and really don't want to go off sick but I currently can only walk about 5 feet

Gabapentin was the only thing that worked for nerve pain for me

Can he get any co-codamol? That can sometimes help. Persevere with gentle stretches, you need to hold them for at least a minute and repeat multiple times a day. Also it can help to lie on a hard surface. I also found sitting on an ice pack very helpful but he may have to improvise that with frozen veg! It’s an absolute bugger and the pain is indescribable

If you can (somehow) order a tens machine, it really helps with the pain, this alongside the painkillers is what helped me. I was on much heavier stuff (naproxen and tramadol alternated) and the tens machine took away that pain. Hope he feels better soon.

OP I feel his pain. I have been suffering since January although I am much better now and can manage on ibuprofen.

I had to stop the Naproxen because it was causing horrific mouth ulcers but when it was st it's worse co codamol (prescribed by my GP), ice packs and hot water bottles and lying on my back and pulling my knees to my chest were the only thing that helped.

Mine is worse in the morning but the more I love around the better it is.

I sympathise and it's horrible pain. I'd rather go through childbirth again!

Codeine is awful for his bowels. He's trying an otc painkilling gel but hes only humouring me saying it's helping; he can barely stand. I'm so desperate to help but can't and I feel so utterly helpless.

Has he had it before OP?

The burning pain down his leg is from the nerve being compressed in his spine by a bulging or herniated disc. I've herniated a disc twice, so am quite experienced in this. It's genuinely utter agony.

I tried oramorph, paracetamol, codeine, naproxen, amitriptyline and nothing even touched the edge of the pain. Gabapentin was a game changer for me, combined with anti-inflammatories, then when it happened a second time nine months later, I went for injections into my spine in hospital.

There are three important stretches, but do them gently.

1. On all fours, slowly arch your spine up and down like a cat.
2. Lie on your front, propping yourself up on your forearms, start for just 15 seconds. This can help compress the disc back.
3. To relieve the leg burning, lift your toes upwards to create some stretch in the back of your calf. Do this very gently!

Thermacare lower back and hip heat wraps. Try not to sit, either stand or lie down - try pillow between knees if on side or under knees if on back. Don't sleep with loads of pillows under head, try and keep everything in line
(I herniated a disc and had surgery for cauda equina, the heat wraps kept me sane)

Have to echo what previous posters say about gabapentin. Only thing that touches the pain. If he can take it with paracetamol and ibuprofen it's even better.

co-codamol and laxatives, also ice pack

He has my sympathy, it's a horrendous pain. I have ongoing leg pain from a bad flare up last year, in the end only time seemed to help. But he should try the exercises shared above, a TENS can help a little, and he definitely needs to see about better pain relief. My GP fobbed me off a bit with no reference at all to anything like gabapentin, I only read about this being prescribed on threads on MN after I was past the worst. I'm still annoyed about this. I hope his is relieved soon.

Online says will dissipate anytime from 2-8 weeks but how long did it take you all?

Roughly 6-8 weeks each time for me

The last time was complicated by a second injury for me, but generally I'd say 1.5 - 2 months is about right.

I suffer from sciatica, the combination that works for me is Valium, codiene and difene. Nothing else has really worked.

Thank you. He's now on cocodamol and nurofen and last night he slept through the night. Hope it continues.

SparklingGin
What strength of Valium works for you? I take only 2mg which is just to relax me and does not touch the agony of the pain.
Oramorph/morphine didn't help either just made me gaga in the night.

Definitely get him to try the heat wraps or even a heat pack on his bum/lower back
Before my op I was on paracetamol, naproxen, 60mg x 4 dihydrocodiene, diazepam and drinking oral morphine like it was going out of fashion. It got to a point where I told them just to cut my leg off so I have a LOT of empathy for him!
Watch out for any bowel or bladder changes or numbness in that area

Poor guy, unfortunately ime nothing relieves the pain when it flares up that bad, he'll probably just need to wait it out for anything up to 6+ weeks.

5mg works for me, the 2mg didn’t touch it.

I have what I think is sciatica, dr and osteopath disagree but, either way it's pain starting in the buttock and all down the leg. Had it for nearly a year and sometimes I can barely move. I'm on gabapentin which never seems to be helping but I notice it I don't take it, IYSWIM. I also take paracetamol and cocodamol. Both work but cocodamol is fab. However, you're only supposed to take it for 3 days max aren't you?

Speak to the doctor and they should be able to prescribe naproxen over the phone. Its a nerve blocker. It builds up in the system to stop sciatica. If it's stopping him sleeping he can try lying on his side, bad side up, a pillow under that hip and between the knees. That will open the spine up more. If he has YouTube look up pilates or yoga for sciatica, to release the spine / trapped nerve more. Longer term he probably needs to build up his glutes!

SparklingGin
Thank you for your reply.
Has anyone had an MRI scan for their lower back pain?

I ended up literally sofa ridden for about 2-3 weeks, couldn't get myself up to go to the toilet or get food/drink and it took about 6 weeks in total to be able to comfortably walk around and get about. I was taking Codeine for about 6 weeks in total (and got Laxido sachets to manage constipation) and I also had Diazepam in the first few weeks, i took a week or so to let the swelling reduce and then taking the Diazepam for a few days at a time, then a few days off gave me enough pain relief to be able to get up and move about a bit. It was the lying still which made it so bad for me but without efficient pain killers I couldn't help it.