Sciatica, pain meds not touching it

[Ohmygodthepain]

So I've had sciatica for 30 years after a head-on but low speed car accident. Occasional flare-ups maybe every 5-8 years, constantly mindful of bending, lifting from knees etc, can come on with silliest of things, eg once I hoovered and over-reached, pow, twisted funny carrying a tiny dc, pow. I also believe I've got a frozen shoulder coming on after having it in the other side a few years ago.

Currently in agony. Has been going on for weeks and weeks. Can't sleep. Taking amitriptyline, naproxen, codeine, paracetamol, hot water bottles - still in constant pain. Pretty much any movement is excruciating. Feels like a sort of contractions pain like it's never-ending - all the way down my leg with occasional twinges into my power back.

Physio at GP gave me the same exercises I've had before, I've been doing them already (been there so many times before, I know the exercises!). Have a referral to MSK but could be months.

Please give me any tips for pain management - how to ask for stronger pills/different type of pills. Ways to sit/send/move so that I can be pain-free?

It's utterly debilitating - can't sleep, house is disgusting, we're living on ready meals and takeaway. I'm so frustrated and my MH is suffering. The prospect of another frozen shoulder is also scaring me to death, the gnawing pain and limited movement is setting in, no doubt months more of pain, no sleep and MH crisis to come.

Any ideas welcome please 🥺

Have you had a mri? I had sciatica for years due to slipped disc, then one day the disc burst and it was excruciating. I needed surgery and made a full recovery. Keep trying to get an answer.

Switching heat and cold. Gentle exercise. Do the stretches every day twice a day. Plus everything you are doing.
i sleep with a pillow under my knees which help and I have a cushion that moves my pelvis and makes sitting slightly comfier.
Don’t stay in one position when siting for more than ten minutes.
If bending an issue use a litter picker.
if you really can’t cope ask for stonger opiates. Tramadol is probably the next step after codiene. I had tapentadol which helped a lot but after 4 months they started to ween me off it.

Try to relax your nervous system unfortunately when we xperience high pain levels our bodies become more reactive to pain. If you can try some meditation techniques.
Try to avoid or reduce inflammatory foods- processed foods, white bread, rice, pasta, red meat.
Drink over two litres of water a day
You could do with a MRI to understand what the issue is, can you afford to go private. ?
long term pilates, walking, swimming and weight lifting are all good for the back. But be careful while your back pain is acute.

GP said they go on the advice of the physio in the first instance - I really did feel unheard when I saw him: he gave me exercises I'd already been trying, and didn't acknowledge when I told him that this felt different to when it's happened before. This is the first time since the late 90s that I've had a referral to MSK, I've never had an MRI

Oh and if get any numbness in you bottom, incontinence or lose feeling in your legs you need to go a&e immediately.

i have two discs which prolapsed. I’ve never known pain like it. It felt like I was being burnt alive. I also have osteoarthritis in my hips and lumbar joints

If you’re in that much pain you need stronger painkillers. I was prescribed gabapentin and codeine and naproxen initially but was moved on to MST. I basically had to beg for it but the pain was so so bad I couldn’t walk.

Ice packs rather than heat

if you can afford it, try acupuncture. It worked for me

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChsSEwjY8MWmyMSNAxV0o1AGHYmtJcIYACICCAEQKxoCZGc&co=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2PDFpsjEjQMVdKNQBh2JrSXCEAQYFCABEgL5hPD_BwE&sph=&cce=1&sig=AOD64_0rChTd48ZawcYlCA8uNpY48NI6MA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjYzMGmyMSNAxUvWUEAHSvFDJAQwg8oAHoFCAgQmQE&adurl=

this is the cushion I use

Thanks, I'm doing a lot of these already, the pillow at night is useful.

Litter picker is a good idea, gonna order one online.

I couldn't swim at the moment - tried about 6 weeks ago and couldn't manage it after wrestling myself into and out of a swimsuit which really pisses me off.

Pilates and swimming will be on my list when this eases off. I've put on about half a stone in the last 2 months - combination of crap easy food and zero exercise.

I feel WEARY - constant holding myself to try and get comfy.

Online grocery shop tomorrow.

Considering going private but scared of the cost.

I was in this position three years ago, and I couldn’t have got through the first three months or so without my TENS machine - it made such a difference. Once I was able to move a bit more I found acupuncture was really helpful. I always found in the last that chiropractic really helped me when I hurt my back, but this last time it made it worse. I was willing to try almost anything to be rid of the pain but the one drug I refused was gabapentin. GPs generally don’t understand how slowly and gradually you have to increase and decrease the dosage, and I watched how it affected my mum when she had a similar back problem to me. There is also a link between gabapentin and dementia, and sure enough she developed fast progressing dementia after taking it for three or four years.

An MRI is around £500 (varies) it would give some answers but then you could wait for NHS appointment. I saw a orthopaedic consultant privately i paid £300 for an appointment but all my treatment/meds have been NHS. I am booked in to have a steroid injection on NHS which is something you could ask consultant about. Wait lists in my area is 4 months.

@Ohmygodthepainim sorry to hear how badly you’ve been suffering with pain.

I also suffer from sciatica and lower back issues, I had an MRI on the NHS at the end of April - just checked and it was an 8 week wait from when I went to the GP to the appointment.

If I had the money I would have gone privately as soon as mine flared up as the MRI would have shown more.

I’d already had 4 sessions with a chiropractor so I could walk again and then the 8 week wait for the MRI and all it showed was ‘wear and tear’. I’m convinced if I would have had one a lot sooner it would have shown disc issues and I would have had better treatment.

My chiropractor thinks I’ve got a disc that buldges and then causes the nerve pain. Literally anything triggers it. The last episode was picking up shampoo in the shower! I’m on the NHS waiting list for Physio, they e said it’s a 14 week wait…

I got stuck in the shower this morning. Couldn't be sure my leg would hold me while I stepped over the side of the bath with my good leg. Sobbed.

Am going to contact the GP again for better meds, might try the physio again but even he said there's not much he can do until this acute stage/pain is manageable through meds. I've never had it this bad in 30 years.

I have the same thing. It flares every few years and if can last months. The only thing that works is forcing myself upright and walking. That could be 1m and then the next day 2m and so on. Now I'm older (40) I find that when I'm well I have to walk every day or it starts to cause issues.

I used to walk miles every day in my previous job. At Easter we were doing 5 miles a day easily, then POW, can't get to the loo without crying out with pain.

Another evening of crap food for tea...

Is it worth asking the GP for a three day course of diazepam- I had this after my surgery to stop the muscle spasms which were contributing to the pain. Might be worth focusing on preventing muscle spasms rather than preventing pain? Definitely push for an MRI. Sometimes the private companies have half price offers - mine cost £200 though that was some time ago.

I had terrible sciatica for years. Tried all the medication you listed. Also had physio, chiropractor sessions and sports massages.
the only thing that would stop the flare ups were diazepam. A 14 day prescription would stop it completely.

so much so that after approx 4 flare ups it has not returned.
I also now do regular Pilates which seems to have kept it at bay.

it might be worth checking with your adult social care at your local council to see if they can offer any aids or adaptations such as a seat for the bath.

I feel your pain and it's frustrating when you feel you're not heard. Two years ago I had a flare and could barely move some days, let alone breath. I explained to my doctor I was moving apartments and needed to be able to stand, walk, etc. She suggested a 10 day course of prednisone and it was amazing! Since then I'm back to managing pain with hot/cold packs, Tylenol, Ibuprofen or occasional rx pain medication. It would be worth asking about a course of prednisone or dexamethasone. Good luck.

I've contacted the surgery and am hoping for a call back. Last night was the worst ever and ended up crying myself to sleep. Weird new pain in the lower front of my tummy, kind of in a bit from my hip, below my navel. Took my painkillers 30 mins before getting up this morning and still took me ages to get around the bed and across the landing to the loo.

So, as if by magic over the last 2 days it's fixed! I'd asked for stronger meds and was duly prescribed tramadol and amitriptyline. On Saturday morning I could hardly walk. On Sunday morning I woke after the best sleep for months and managed to get in DPs car for a drive to the shop. Today better still. No agonizing pain, just a little ache. I'm seeing the physio tomorrow and they might have the results of my X-ray too.

A lot of good information on this thread, thank you all. I have been in a bad way for months and tried most of the above. Glad to see that there is some light at the end of the tunnel.