@Pixie1771
Hi Pixie
I am in exactly your position I'm sad to say😭
Mine started last August. I did nothing about it as knew my doctor wouldn't be interested and it was bearable. Then just before Christmas it got worse so I had phone appointment with Gp who sent me for hip/pelvis X-ray as both hips and bottom of back hurting. X-ray was clear but pain continued to get worse. A second phone appointment with nurse and I was recommended Codeine, Amitriptyline, Naproxen and Paracetamol and Lansaprozel (to protect my stomach) I was shocked at the number of meds but took them and was pain free in less than two weeks.
I stayed pain free (apart from my normal back twinges and aches I've had for years due to L5 S1) until April. I'd been working on the laptop sitting in a stupid position with my left leg tucked underneath me. I stood up after 2 hours and BOOM!!! It was back! I immediately got a third phone appointment with the nurse and again got the previous meds. Sadly this time they didn't work. I was taking 8 x paracetamol, 8 x Codeine, 1 x Lansaprozel , 1x Amitriptyline and 3 x Sertraline and 2 x Naproxen .
When I woke in the mornings the pain was horrendous for the first hour and I could barely move and driving was horrific. The pain was steadily worsening so I asked for a face to face with the Gp, but on the day they refused to see me stating my nose was running (I blew it once) and I possibly had Covid. I was so angry as they were so dismissive. The previous week they'd messed up my prescription leaving me with no meds over bank holiday. I was so angry I write a letter of complaint and was given a new appointment for the next week. By then I was in really bad pain and had made a private appointment with a neurosurgeon who was highly recommended to me for back/sciatica issues.
Like you I saw him once and now he's seeing me on NHS so I jumped the queue. Wrong, but I am desperate! However the road to that point was horrific with my surgery blocking every step.
Then on the last bank holiday it came on even worse than before and I was taken to A&E by my son! They were absolutely awful! Told me my pain was a 6/10 (how do they know.) as they said "well you're walking, sitting and assume you've driven here" I had not driven. Had 2 mins with a doctor who then sent me home to see my Gp.
Two weeks later the pain increased again and I drove straight to the surgery in tears with no appointment. Was told "I really don't know what you expect the doctor to do" They agreed to let me wait for the Gp and I sat crying for 45 mins in surgery, pacing and sweating with pain. The Practise Manager came to talk to me and asked if the consultant was sure it was sciatica. She said getting referred to see him on NHS was not easy and may not be possible. She said I could not go on the NHS to a private hospital. When it was finally my time to see the Gp they told me I had to drive to their other surgery. By then the pain was easing off unfortunately. I think this went against me as at the other surgery the Gp examined me and said "There is no urgency to rush for surgery until all other methods have been tried. I am not concerned and will book you an MRI. The wait is 8 weeks" I have spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds on other methods which all made me much worse.
Following day I ring my surgery asking for them to refer on NHS to consultant I'd seen. Was told no, as the hospital wasn't on their system that I wanted to go to. Phoned private hospital and told to be pushy with my surgery as all other surgeries referred to them so could not understand why mine couldn't. I did this and was told only the practise Manager could sort this and she was busy. However half an hour later a different receptionist called and told me that the hospital was in fact on their system and she would call me the next day to sort it. She didn't call so I drove to the surgery and was told I had to go home and call her. I stood peering through the window whilst calling them and was told she would call me back. When she did she said I could not be referred to the consultant I had already seen because he was a neurosurgeon and I needed to see an orthopaedic back surgeon. I told her it was my right as a patient to choose and I was choosing him and I would not accept anything else. By the next day they had referred me.
Then two weeks ago I lifted something and a 🔥 spread through my lower back. It wasn't even that heavy but it did something terrible and the pain was unbearable.
This has got worse and worse and by Friday night I was rolling around the bed and floor in hell. My son drove me to A&E (not the last place) and I literally fell sobbing through the doors crying out for help. I collapsed onto a chair and was rushed through. I truthfully though I would die. They gave me morphine which did nothing, followed by diclofenac and two other drugs. Even after all that I could feel pain. I was prescribed 6x Gabapentin daily and sent home. I have to say that they were excellent in the care they gave me. The consultant had suffered it himself and fully understood
I am now back in bed, can hardly walk, cannot stand up straight and can only lie down. I'm on 30 tablets a day now and the pain is going nowhere. I am devastated and terrified!!!! I see my consultant in mid July and now need to fight for an urgent MRI from my surgery who have been ascaklous as it is possible to be.
So so sorry for this rant