drb5

iTrader: (4)

Around 5 years ago I had sciatica bad. Bed bound for some time and I could only move very slowly and in immense pain, crawling. Can't remember how long I had it or got rid of it.

Around 2 years ago, I had it again, but no where near as bad. Managed to stay at work throughout and Diclofenac got rid of it.

Last October it came back the same way as last, but I tried for around 4 weeks, simply taking paracetamol and ibuprofen, but I ended up going to docs. Told him I had Diclofenac before and it worked, but he gave me solpadol....it didn't work, so went back and got the Diclofenac. It didn't work either. Went back a few times, each changing the medication and changing amounts, then 4 weeks ago today, I woke up to find, what I later found out what it was, my leg muscles in spasm. Very painful....back to docs. Got more medication, but by the Thursday after, my wife phoned 999 and I got taken to hospital.

Spoke to the pain nurses and was put on a host of drugs. They told me they need to start with the least amount and give it 48 hours to see how I react to it.....well being they don't work the weekend, that's longer than 48 hours and I was in agony every morning until around an hour-hour and a half after I took ALL my meds. I was allowed to take Oxynorm every 2 hours, but it was never enough.

Come Monday, spoke to pain nurse and everything was doubled...it still wasn't enough in my mind, but regardless, on Tuesday, I spoke to the doctor and a very kind Mr Smith had offered to fit me in the next day for a steroid injection the next day, but he needed to know within the following 2 hours. Besides the obvious pain, the other problem which has been bothering me an awful lot is the constipation you get from the meds and the fact, I couldn't actually PUSH without making the pain in my leg even worse AND I can't sit properly on the toilet seat! Had an MRI scan and it was diagnosed as a prolapsed disc.

So yes, I take the injection...straight away I notice a difference, but I was scared sh1tless to test anything out, but the next day I was hoping to get out, as this Mr Smith said most people can leave after a couple hours, but this was late in the day and I didn't want to push it.

So Thursday lunchtime, physio came to assess me....all good Cheerio!

Now, I had decided to do something silly....I wanted to try and cut my meds down ASAP and try to help the constipation, even though I get laxatives etc. But I cut down the wrong med...Gebepenten. The next day, I was in tears thinking I'd done something wrong to my back and leg and surgery was on th cards. I called the hospital pharmacy about the meds and within the past 24hours, the Gebapentin had been increased!

So here's what I'm on:-
Naproxen, 500mg, twice a day
Paracetamol, 1000mg, four times a day though I take these as and when I need them
Gebapentin, 500mg, three times a day
OxyContin, 20mg, twice a day
Oxynorm, 10mg, whenever I want
Diazepam, 5mg, whenever I want

Now, yesterday was my first day at physio and the nurse was, considering how sore I still am(can't sit on a chair, can't stand still for long without needing to kneel and can't walk with 2 crutches too far without the same), was very happy with what I can do. Wriggle my toes ok, got feeling everywhere, though tingling and slight pins n needles, but I can also push against her hand and lie on stomach etc.

She reckons I should see improvement within 6 weeks.....this got me a bit tbh. I know it isn't going to be a quick fix, but I was hoping for "improvements" sooner?

I like to golf also and although I know I won't be playing for a while, but is it a bad sport for this kind of problem and if not, would a bit of practice putting, or chipping be a bad thing?

mike1210

I'm not a doctor but can relate to constant pain (chest op 3 years ago and still in pain) and I had a neck spasm just before xmas, crazy pain that was.

I would be inclined to take the cautious approach myself for fear of being in pain again.

Did you speak to the physio about mild exercise? With my chest op I had to go for walks and the pain was crazy but they said it will help the repair, not sure if this will be the case here as it's your leg.

Pain must be mega to be on those drugs, Oxycodone put me into orbit in hospital when I was on them. I would defo wean off those slowly if you take them long term.

IIRC Gabapentin must be reduced slowly in dose as well.

I find coffee for me helps with constipation (Codeine and DiHydrocodenie atm)

I'm not a doctor, but above is experience I've had with pain.

scubbay

iTrader: (61)

I have been on similar meds for three years now. Plenty of fluids helps a lot with the side effects. Only take the oxynorrn on really bad nights now as they are the quick fix but still take the oxycontin twice a day with other meds. Keep up the fluids is my advice and has worked for me.

jods

Are you building a defence for being on the sick and being caught playing golf. ? Just asking :-)

john banks

Are you being offered surgery? Does the pain in the leg occur in the same place that it did in the past? For those suitable for surgery, you can often achieve a similar outcome without surgery but it can take much longer.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Lol no! My problem is as of then1st January, I was made self employed. Well...I say made, I mean changed to. I'm technically a partner in the family business and right now with me being off, only my dad is working(very small bodyshop) and he's 65.

I was told by the doc right back at the start to keep active and that's what I was trying to do. I DID have a game of golf when it was around November time, but the weather was terrible and I was in a bit of pain when walkin, but nothing major. I called it quits after 10 holes and went for a a sandwich in the bar. All I'm wondering, is if I don't go the full hog, full round, full bore swings, would it be an OK sport to such a problem? I have a short par 9 course I could do even, but I don't want to do any of it, if someone says golf is back for sciatica. The doc at the start certainly didn't think so...but what do docs know?

Ellie*

That's a lot of pain relief.
I don't blame you for wanting to cut down. The problem with opiates (OxyContin and oxynorm) is that you build up tolerance over time, and the pain teams arent afraid to keep whacking up the dose. I've seen prescriptions for OxyContin 80mg x5 morning and night AND oxynorm 20mg up to 6times a day.
Ridiculous.
Anyway, that's what will cause the constipation. If extra fluids and fibre don't help perhaps try some lactulose. It's gentle enough to use daily and not expensive from a pharmacy. Senna would provide an overnight relief but don't become reliant on it of you can avoid it.

Don't stop gabapentin unless advised. It needs taking regularly for it to have a pain relieving affect.

Ideally you need to discuss with you doctor before reducing any meds.
I'm not a doctor but I was a pharmacy technician. My thoughts on reducing would be to reduce the frequency of the oxynorm. Not the OxyContin though.
You could reduce the use of the diazepam if you felt able to.
Anything else needs you doctor. I would imagine the next step would be going down to 10mg OxyContin.
If you get off the opiates then the next one to go would probably be the gabapentin, tapered off I think.
Paracetamol and naproxen is no biggie really, they'd be the last to go and wont cause you any problems. Naproxen is as good as diclofenac, take with food and it will lessen the chance of it irritating your stomach.

As for physio- I haven't a clue!!

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Evening John.

I've been offered surgery, but I don't want it. I hate the idea of ANY surgery, but especially if all it does is "maybe" help the disc go back in.

The pains are different. Most of my leg is numb/tingly to touch, but my right butt cheek and down a bit a sore when pressed lightly. Heel of my foot is usually the worst area for tingling and pins n needles. Had a lot of pain in my ankle the past 2 days, like when you've went over on your foot.

The physio has given me one exercise to do. Lie on stomach and push my upper body up off the floor for a second, then down. Do this 5 times. I've also to sleep on my stomach.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

I'm only taking diazepam occasionally, when I need to. Same with the paracetamol and Oxynorm. They others I make sure I take. I don't wish to up any other meds, so that's a good thing at least, but you can tell when you've been doing too many things.

Getting depressed about stuff easily now too. It's hard knowing there are so many people worse off than yourself, but you just can't help get upset.

My little girl is nearly 18 months and although she likes to come into the bedroom to see me, it cuts me up when I can't play with her. Was downstairs today and my easiest position to be in is kneeling. So I was down playing with her(first time in ages) and I lasted nearly 10 mins before I had to leave and go back to bed. She just looked at me like "where are you going?". Cut me up, but my wife came and started playing with her, so she never got upset herself.

RICHARD J

iTrader: (4)

I also have a prolapsed disc & have been told I will need surgery for it but I plan on putting that off for as long as possible. I was diagnosed 20 years ago & although I have bad times with it I'm usually fine & able to work. Pain killers do help but physio & exercise are the key. I joined a gym when pain levels were low & have found the fitter & stronger I become the less pain I suffer. Some sware by chiropractors but Iv found they can make things worse at times. Good luck with it & most of all stay positive.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Thanks Richard.

Can't believe you've had it for 20 years! That doesn't give me much hope lol. Don't want to LIVE on pain killers.

RICHARD J

iTrader: (4)

I rarely take pain killers now, only for a couple of weeks a year when the pain returns & only ibuprofen or Diclophenic if the pain is bad. Getting fit & lean has transformed my life & core strengthening exercises & plenty of cardio have replaced the painkillers.

Ellie*

Must be really hard to live with chronic pain, especially as you have a little 'un and want to be able to play with her, and of course working.
It's understandable that it's getting you down now.
But stick with the physio and and see how that goes. It could really help improve things.

Fat Boy

Golf would be bad for this IMHO and I know it's a personal call but I would be looking at surgery myself in the same situation. Get a few opinions and seek out the best guy you can get, but I would rather that than living in pain and on serious drugs that themselves can have long term health implications. Assuming you've tried Pilates / physio and it hasn't gone away, that is.

I've had bad sciatica which I did get to go away with 6 months of Pilates and it hasn't come back but 2 guys I work with ( both golfers funnily enough) have just had ops for this and have come through with completely pain free backs/ legs after years of agony. Both have said that they wish they did it years ago.

I have broken my back however ( burst wedge fracture of t12) and had multiple other ops ( 16 on one dodgy rugby knee...) so maybe I have less fear of an op than some.

john banks

If you have been offered surgery I would reconsider since it is only usually offered when the balance of risk and benefit is in favour of benefit, although there can never be guarantees in an individual case. Is it a lumbar microdiscectomy? Pretty much agree with Ellie on the meds. I have not looked at the evidence for golf causing pain or harm, but I don't like the idea in this situation.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Trouble with the surgery is it isn't guaranteed to work. All the surgery does exactly, is take a bit of the vertebrae away, so it makes the disc easier to go back in.

After the physio saying she's happy with what I can manage, I'm happy to stick with that ATM.

My uncle has been in the exact same position as me for some time now, but things haven't been getting any better. He must be around 60 now, still works and been through a few injections and has also had an operation where they stick multiple pins in you and shoot electricity through it all. Currently talking to a guy on another forum who's also had this procedure and he would say its ACTUALLY torture in his book!

Anyway, it's just the small things that are getting to me, but I'll try my best to look at it like it could do worse. Just miss time with my wee one.....then she runs into the room screaming and shouting and throwing things and I'm glad when they go out for the day.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'm with John on this one.

I badly damaged a disc in my lower neck on 30th December 2008, (funny how these dates stick in your mind, isn't it?)

I then had six weeks of agony. I could LIE in one position, anything else was grit your teeth and hope for the best, then get back down asap.

The pain was so bad I raked my left arm with my nails and finished up covered in blood. I could stick a fork in my arm, but couldn't feel it, yet the pain was there, all the time, constant.

I eventually got a CAT scan done and they saw that the disc was not only badly trapping the brachial nerve (down my arm) but also pressing on the spinal cord, so surgery was necessary unless I wanted to risk becoming quadraplegic. Unfortunately, the surgery at that point ALSO carried risks of the same.....

Before the surgery I damaged it again, and spent ANOTHER month in screaming agony.

I went for the surgery, and I don't mind admitting that I've never been so scared in my life: I don't fear death, but the thought of spending the rest of my days as a burden on my family was awful.

The surgery was successful in that the disc is no more, BUT the nerve was trapped for so long that it suffered permanent damage. I now have no feeling in my outer two fingers of my left hand, yet phantom pains that go right up my arm by evening and are now controlled by daily MORPHINE!!!!!!!

THEN, on 30th April 2011, I twinged a nerve in my right lower back and ended up with sciatica.

THAT one took over a year before anyone took it seriously, and THAT was a specialist for something else who noticed I wasn't moving very well and ordered a CAT scan.

This time surgery was offered and I took it, but waited AGES for it, (don't let ANYONE tell you how it's quicker now: it's NOT), and again it was successful, but I aggravated the injury again 8 weeks later just turning, and back it came just as bad

They offered me a root nerve block, and I accepted: that was successful, but agony to have done, and SO FAR, the pain is still gone..........

Painkillers? yep, been there, hallucinated, constipated, bloated, etc etc, but not much touches it and not for long enough.Takes an hour to work and stops working two hours before you can take more

Accept the surgery: in the lower back it's MUCH easier, since they go in from the back and it's not very deep....neck surgery involves them going in from the FRONT, lower back surgery is generally successful.

Best of luck.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

I've been told by the doctor at the hospital I was in, that the surgery guarantee to help the disc. I mentioned I'd been told not to consider the surgery because the success rate to HELPING the disc go back in wasnt very high and he nodded his head a bit, hesitated and agreed slightly.

Basically, the physio and exercises together with the pain killers should be best. Other people I spoke to in hospital agreed with my way of thinking and this was in the orthapedics ward and a mixture of people in for help and people working there.

I'm not arguing with you guys, or telling you, that your wrong, but I hope not to go that route.

john banks

Sounds like a laminectomy that you're being offered?

You may want to study the figures for duration/severity/recurrence with/without operation, some good studies have been done and it will quantify it a little better.

It sounds like your preferred non-surgical route is perfectly reasonable otherwise the surgeon would most strongly recommend operation on the basis of risk of complications from not operating. Outwith this situation, it isn't right or wrong, it is case of weighing up knowns and unknowns (I won't get into the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns ) and making a decision, which can be revised later. Best of luck either way!

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Pmsl at least(I hope) you know what your talking about and thanks.

Didn't catch the name of the operation, but it was to take a bit of the vertebrae away to allow the disc to go back in easier. That's all and this they can't say how much it would help.

David Lock

Are you carrying any extra weight? I buggered a disc years ago and back gave me intermittent grief in a mild way - pain down the leg etc.

For other reasons I lost quite a bit of weight and, touch wood, back has been fine since.

Just my non-medical two pees worth/

dl

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Nope. 6'2" and around 13 stone.

I reckon its lifting the little one that's done it. Awkward lifting and lowering along with holding her on my side, as everyone does...apart from John...God I envy you! Slthough I would NEVER be without the little un now of course.

Ellie*

There are alternatives to being knocked out and bunged up with morphine, although hopefully it won't be a problem again.
Some of the anti-epileptic medications are also effective for nerve/neuropathic pain. Gabapentin is one of them but pregabalin(Lyrica) is meant to be good and even phenytoin(Epanutin).

I'm not a drug rep honestly! I just don't agree with throwing morphine/opiates/benzos at everyone in high doses unless really really neccessary, especially if something else could be more effective/beneficial/safer.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

Feel like ive replied to this before..

Feel for you though. Got two prolapsed discs and had trouble for 22 years with sciatic pain. Funnily enough I was in hospital this morning as in the last couple of days im unable to walk more than a few feet at a time. I've had the root block done (didn't help) and i'm currently waiting for my surgeon to clap eyes on my latest MRI scan ai had last sunday.

I just want some pain killers that actuallu help! Daily I take 8 solpadol, 8 tramadol, 3 diclofenac and morphine as and when. I'm still in agony, nothing seems to help!

I rang NHS direct with a question about different pain killers and ended up in hospital this morning. Outcome, I'm now on crutches and the doctor kindly informed me I shouldn't be doing anything strenuous until I've recovered from my operation! Oh great, so I should lose my job and house then.

Turbohot

Hi guys, I really don't mean to promote the intake of illegal drugs in any shape or form, in fact I'd rather most conditions managed by the least intake of any medication. But I think it will be fair to add what I heard from a couple of people who suffer from sciatica. They say that the most effective thing for them has been cannabis smoking. After ample studies for pain relief, cannabis should be available on prescription, if that is true.

Another 30-something nurse who had a terrible car accident on B roads around here that broke her back bone with 9 months hospitalisation vouches on the use of cannabis use for severe pain relief. She said nothing worked for her terrible pains but cannabis. Now she is a scientist herself, and quite high up in nursing with her continued practice and studies, I don't think she's telling fibs for the sake of it.

Ellie*

Jameswrx, they didn't address the pain relief then?

The next step up would probably be a prolonged-release morphine or OxyContin, and changing the solpadol to paracetamol or drop the tramadol (too many opiates).
Or, as I said before there's also gabapentin or pregabalin for nerve pain.
Diazepam can help reduce muscle spasms.
They may want to try every option before starting you on controlled drugs etc, I dont know.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

I've taken tramadol, solpadol (or other codine) and oramorph for years. I rang my doctor last week as I was in trouble and he said he'd get me some diclofenac and more oramorph.

After a few days I've been getting worse to the point of not being able to walk hardly at all (and I'm well used to a lot of pain) This is why last night I rang nhs direct, I was just wondering if the anti inflamatory mght actually be having a detremental effect. Was trying to grasp how an anti inflam can help prolapsed discs as I can't imagine it acting on the disc just muscles & stuff. They ran through the probs I'm having and said I need to see an emergency doc (which I knew would be a waste of time) The doctor told me to just keep taking everything. I was asking about alternatives but he said that's it, nothing stronger he can give me.

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

I agree with you FWIW

I'd try it on the NHS. It's stupid how things like this are frowned upon, it's a natural plant remedy!

Ellie*

The diclofenac can provided some pain relief as well as be anti-inflammatory. I see your point though, but it might help the joint and muscles etc around the disc and just settle any inflamed response.
The emergency doctor might not have been allowed to prescribed anything stronger, or may not have been keen to initiate a new medication, especially as anything stronger would probably be a controlled drug. (oramorph is not classed as a controlled drug).
To be fair it's understandable, it should be a specialist/pain doctor/regular gp that changes or adds new medication to an existing condition because they'll be familiar with your case.
Hope it gets better soon.

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

You know you`ll end up being the resident GP on here don`t you