Help please, sciatica and amitriptyline

[Pixie1771]

Hi, hoping I can get some help...been having crippling sciatica for 6 months now . Have tried numerous pills etc and had a spinal nerve block last week (hasn't worked)
Most days I can't get out of bed, the pain is literally horrific.
Just been put on amitriptyline....started really low 5mg a night, got the usual dry mouth and sleepy etc.
Has anyone had a good response for sciatica on amitriptyline? I just need some hope as I honestly can't go on like this. Desperate.
Hoping someone can give me some reason to carry on. Thanks

I'm so sorry OP, sciatic pain is horrendous.

I take 20mg at 7pm every evening and it has done the trick. I'm glad to say I don't feel too woozy on it, and it's more or less knocked the pain on the head. It's been an absolute game-changer for me and I wish I'd asked the GP for it sooner instead of suffering for months.

@Pixie you sound the same as me. One GP told me that if he had the combination of tramadol, diazepam and codeine that I was taking that he'd be knocked out for a month! I'm just on the amitriptyline, nax thingy and ome wotsit that I can't remember the name of without looking at the boxes! It's not funny is it? And 1971 is a vintage year so happy 50th forthcoming birthday to you! So bloody crap though, 50 isn't old anymore to have to put up with constant pain. I use a TENS machine at night to get some sleep btw, quite cheap on ebay.

Hahaha!! Pilates!! My spine surgeon suggested that to me too!!!

Wet...I agree surgery maybe what happens, I'm so glad you're a bit better.
I have a worn out disc and the vertebrae is pressing down on sciatic nerve, however it doesn't look too bad on mri to be causing this amount of pain.
My theory is when you lie down your spine stretches out and it doesn't hit the nerve so much but when you stand it all drops down and impacts the nerve more.
That's why I have least pain when I lie down
But he didn't want to.operate as first port of call as its a big op with cages etc..yikes, but nothing else as worked even my spinal nerve block.
Summer....I was told not to swim for the very reason you are saying. Unless you can put your face in and swim. Which I can't. If you hold your head up it curves the spine and makes things worse.

Little...so glad tp hear amitriptyline is positive for you. I hope its the same for me...how long did it take to work for you?
It's not making me too drowsy either which is unusual. I'm only 3 days in though...I need some relief soon. Feel like I'm going out my head.

Old tin... yes heres to 1971 lol
Well my doc doesn't even like me taking 1 tramadol a day. I am scared of pills and getting addicted but I don't think these gps understand how bad this is. Being bed bound by anything is not on tbh.

The only thing that really helps and in any long term way is surgery.
I've had to have this done twice and it was instant relief afterwards. However it's left me with nerve damage which means I have numb patches on my legs.
Also because the rest of your body overcompensates and causes other muscular skeletal problems you'll probably still have aches and pains

Star...I'm sure this will happen eventually. Its the damn slow process....I understand surgery should be last resort but this has been months its encouraging surgery was good for you mostly.
Will see what his secretary says tomorrow, hopefully I can get back to see him now the nerve block hasn't worked. But everything happens slowly

Just research types of surgery. They wanted me in for s full laminectomy but Id already done my research and led them to doing something far less invasive. I had to lead them as I was 21 at the time and they used to bring in consultants to literally talk over my head about me when I was in the room and just ignore me.

What did you end up having? I have no idea what's being proposed, if anything.
Just know I can't carry on like this.
You were very young for this, fair play sorting them out!
Maybe they will try another block first...maybe different place, who knows, just sick of the whole process nothing happens quickly. Just glad I paid yo see someone privately initially which got me ahead of the game, but uts still been slow

I take 4 x 30/500 mg Zapain a day & 25mg amitriptyline at night. I must say it does help me sleep. A TENS machine during the day is a bloody godsend.

I take 30mg amitriptyline a day for nerve pain (though not sciatica). I had to get up to 20mg before I got any pain relief, but once I was on that dose, it took about a week to start to work. The drowsy feeling went a couple of weeks later, along with the dry mouth.

I found that once I was on 30mg I was almost pain free, whereas on 20mg the pain returned in the evenings.

I'm sure you know this, but you have to take amitriptyline regularly for it to work. It needs to build up its effect over time.

Lucie...yes I was told to take regularly. I started 2 nights 5mg, then this and yesterday 10mg for another 5 days then 20mg onwards.
Been in so much pain today, literally can't walk so hoping it works soon. Thanks

Pixie - I hope it works for you soon. The delay before you get the pain relief is so difficult. The only other drug I found that touched it was tramadol, and that has its own problems of course.

However, what does matter is getting some sleep. Any pain is more bearable if you've slept the night before. Hopefully the amitriptyline will help with that, but otherwise it may be worth taking tramadol to get some rest.

Yes I mentioned that tramadol takes the edge off, only a touch but my doc won't let me have them due to the addictive nature etc. I only take 1 in the morning but she's not happy about it.
I have a box of 30 still and I did take one this morning as I felt desperate.
Just hoping I get somewhere tomorrow interns of contacting my consultant secretary to say nerve block hasn't worked and pain us at its worst still.
Hoping I can get to see him but that could be weeks....its such a desolate and lonely journey. My mental health is suffering and thats not usual st all for me.

I’m sorry but I think it’s appalling your doctor is advising against you taking pain relief when you are very clearly in a lot of pain. That is what it’s there for!!! Yes, it CAN be addictive, but that’s usually when people start to abuse it (taking it when they’re not in pain) if your body builds tolerance it just means you should taper down rather than stop immediately.

Sciatica is often eased by movement and how can you move if you are in agonising pain?

I’d speak to another doctor ASAP.

It really helped me, but I think mainly because it enabled me to do physio. I find it a dirty drug and didn’t want to be on it long term

That's a tiny dose. I was on 50mg a day for sciatica following a prolapsed disc.

I know. I have to be honest she is a great doctor generally, just think she has a thing against tramadol and similar drugs. But I agree, I need something ir I just lie in my bed in agony all day. 1 tramadol allows me to get up at least. My oh says just take one, what is the point of being in agony when you can help it with a tramadol, he says sod the doctor!!!
Tbh I don't like things like tramadol either but when the pain is this bad I can't get through without it. The amitriptyline is going to take a while to build up so what am I supposed to do in the meantime....

I really feel for you. The pain from sciatica is like nothing else. Mine started in September 2019 and I've just been referred to the surgical team. The only thing that's helped is gabapentin (currently 3 doses of 800mg a day) and a chiropractor. I was close to losing my job last summer because I couldn't sit or stand for any length of time and the chiropractor got me standing up straight and mobile for the first time in months. It's positive that you're having some hospital treatment but do keep fighting for effective pain management.

When I was 19 I had such bad sciatica that O was referred for surgery (kept fallen down from the pain, could go up stairs etc). My amazing gp referred me for acupuncture. Twas amazing and improved it after about 3 so much.

I've been suffering since October. I'm now taking 100 pregablin twice a day and it's taken all the pain away. At Christmas I could barely stand. Couldn't sit at all and the pain was excruciating. It does make me a bit spaced out but completely worth it to function.

I had awful sciatica (couldn’t move or walk for months without crying) took a while but amitriptyline did nothing for me I only got some relief after I started pregabalin. I finally got physio but then covid happened so the pregabalin keeps me sane. My physio (o had to go private as nhs one wasn’t able to help me) said my options were likely to be pregabalin/ rehab physio if that doesn’t work then an injection in my spine to block the pain which would last 6 months I think plus more physio and if that failed then surgery.

I have a herniated disc at l5/s1 on both sides of the disc

It's good to hear that you have some relief some of you. Its annoying because now I'm on amitriptyline..what if that doesn't work....it will be a few weeks toll I know...then start something else, another few weeks etc etc.
Very teary this morning, woke up to the usual pain and it's really getting on top.of me now.
Weather beautiful, oh out at work, another lonely painful day. I'm really trying to be positive but I just can't anymore.
Could be i take another "banned" tramadol just to keep me sane.
Maybe rhe consultant secretary will come up with a quick appt....
Thanks everyone x

Vod....dont bank on the spinal block injection, thats what I had last week and ut didn't work