Sciatica help

[CornishGem1975]

I'm in so much pain. It's been just over a week and is gradually getting worse. Started in my right buttock and thigh (after a bad cold & uncontrollable coughing) and in the past day or two it's down to my calve and across all my lower back.

I can weight bear on my leg, I can't move in bed, get up or down off chairs, can't even bend to put a shoe on. GP has prescribed Naproxen and 30/500 Cocodamol which quite honestly do nothing. I've been doing gentle stretching exercises when I can, using heat and ice and I've self-referred to physio but can't call to make an appointment for another week.

No numbness that I can tell, bowel and bladder control fine - other than I'm not going even half as much as normal and I've not noticed any pins and needles but had the feeling of warm water down my leg last night in bed.

Is there anything else that works? I'm miserable- I feel like a 90 year old lady and I have a toddler to deal with, as well as overseas travel for work in a week.

I don’t want to alarm you but I remember a fellow Mumsnetter on here saying her only symptom of cauda equina was the feeling of warm water running down her leg (her bladder and bowel control was OK too). I would definitely call 111 and speak to them about your symptoms, it sounds like it could be more than just sciatica.

Assuming it isn't something more serious, I had acupuncture to treat mine when I was in agony with sciatica after a surgical procedure. They used massage, acupuncture and heat packs. After a couple of sessions I was almost 100% again, really worked for me.

I see an osteopath when it flares up. Almost immediate relief!

You need an MRI and then possibly an ultrasound or CT guided steroid injection to the disc area that is compressing the spinal cord, if that is the cause. This is administered by a neuro surgeon. I had mine the day before yesterday and the improvement it huge already.

You have my sympathy. You may need to self refer to physio first. Be very clear about how you are unable to function.

I found a very hot water bottle helped distract me a bit before the injection but it was fucking agony.

I will need surgery eventually but my neurosurgeon prefers to wait and treat with this injection for as long as it is safe and/ or bearable. I need to use this time to do my physio exercise and work on my glutes, legs and core to build up muscle and strength to protect my vulnerable back and ensure that when I do have surgery, which has a longer recovery time, I’m starting from a position of strength.

Good luck!

Thanks, it's absolute agony. I've had sciatica in the past and never remember it being this bad.

Still not peeing? Been once today and had several cups of tea, and when I did go it was slow and not much. Very unusual as I'm on water tablets!

I've heard good things about acupuncture so I will look into it.

I may also call 111 in a bit, it just seems to be getting worse and the painkillers aren't even taking the edge off.

I had sciatica during my last pregnancy.. I hired a TENS machine. Omg a miracle tbh. Managed camping and sleeping on an air bed at 32 weeks gone!! A goat at a petting farm tried to nibble the wire and dc were crying I was going to be electrocuted!! Boots

Boots have a selection for different uses...

My MIL suggested a TENS machine actually. I may go and have a look if this is going to be a lengthy thing.

I ordered one but had the injection the day it arrived!

As you have a change in your ability to urinate, you need to be seen, in hospital today to exclude cauda equina.

That's what confused me @AnnaMagnani the nurse I spoke to yesterday said if I didn't have control of bladder or bowel.

I find pregabalin is the only thing that's ever worked for me. It's a controlled drug so obviously given by Gp.

Deep freeze gel gives relief on the buttocks and down the legs. It doesn't stop the pain but numbs the area abit. I go through tubes of it. Also comes in a spray.

Hope you manage to sort it op 💐

That was me
PLEASE be really aware of the symptoms
I walked into a&e and never lost bladder or bowel control but I had CE and needed immediate surgery
I had a sensation of warm water running down my legs and it was so subtle I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been lay in bed

Actually having read about the slow wee, I would just go to a&e and say you're concerned it's cauda equina
If it isn't, great

Unless there are symptoms of something more serious they won't do any of that until less invasive methods have been exhausted. The injections don't work for everyone anyway, so making sure other avenues have been explored is generally considered the best way forward. In my case the injection had absolutely no effect whatsoever, and after discussion with the consultant we have agreed that the surgical risks are too high to make it worth considering unless my (already bad) mobility gets significantly worse. I was really disappointed because the injection in my hip (twice) gave me a good few extra years, but they did warn me then that the injections are "hit and miss" and there is no fathomable reason why they don't work for some people - to the extent that the self same injection can work on one occasion and not on another!

Agree with Pelo - NHS website includes difficulty in beginning to urinate as a symptom of cauda equina, not just inability to hold urine. Please go and get it checked out.

If it's not, then osteopath sorted mine out, took a number of appointments but eased considerably after the first. Could also be piriformis muscle has spasmed and clamped on sciatic nerve - osteopath would be able to help massage this out.

In the short term you need a muscle relaxant, I get terrible sciatica, and my GP prescribed naproxen, the co codemol you're in and metocarbenol, lots of rest helps too but at least with the muscle relaxant it gave me enough relief to sleep and walk when I needed to.
You have my sympathy, I get flares that take my breath away

Called 111, they're arranging for out of hours go to call me back within 2 hours. They didn't really seem concerned.

Looking into acupuncture and osteopath now so can get something sorted as soon as possible on Monday.

Nobody has called back so I'm assuming they think I'm okay.

It takes hours and hours for them to call back the service is overwhelmed.

It really worries me that you have 2 new neurological signs - change in ability to pass urine, and the feeling of warm water down your leg.

Cauda equina is a horrendous condition, if not treated early you could be incontinent of urine and faeces for the rest of your life or even paralysed.

Please go to A+E now, do not wait for someone from 111 to tell you, and say you are concerned about cauda equina.

If you don't have it, all you have done is wasted your time. If you do have it you will have saved yourself from lifelong disability.

If there’s any changes to urinating they’ll want to see you at A&E... mine was that I felt like I couldn’t completely empty my bladder and they did an MRI and kept me in till they got the pain under control, it was ‘just’ bulging discs and a trapped nerve, I say just cause a year later I’m still seeing physio and on painkillers.

but definitely go to A&E - if it’s CA and they don’t catch it in time ii can cause permanent life altering disabilities.

Out of hours called, don't think I need to be seen. They're not concerned about urination unless I can't go or can't control it. No reaction to my tingly feelings. They've prescribed Tramadol and said go to hospital if I can't pee, wet myself, can't feel tissue when I wipe or my leg goes weak. Will try the painkillers and see how things are tonight.

As others have said, A&E. Just go.

IF you're given the all clear and it's simply sciatica pain then I 100% recommend a tens machine (or two!)

I'm just recently getting over a bout of it and I bought a TENS with wires and one that was a small unit that clicked directly on a pad. I will warn you that if the wires get snagged and one pulled off and you happen to have the machine set high (expected with excruciating sciatica) you can get the biggest zap of your life and that jolt is agonising when your back is already out.
I had one unit on my calf where it was particularly painful and one that I put on my spine, buttock or thigh, depending one which area was hurting most. I went from screaming out unable to move properly without crutches to able to walk around and even went back to work (carefully) as a carer which is very physical work.

Med-Fit Wireless Rechargeable Mini TENS Machine - With Targeted Pain Relief - Professional Strength for Back, Muscle Pain, Sciatica, Neck, Knee, Arthritis, Stressed & Sore Muscles amzn.eu/d/9Wx862U

I popped this on the leg of a friend who had hurt herself on a night out and was limping badly. The pain disappeared! That said, it's a good thing she didn't keep it on (as I needed it myself) because a trip to A&E revealed a broken leg.