Sciatica on right buttock and leg. All the medicine is making me sick

Brain and nerves
1

I was diagnosed  with Sciatica a week ago. Im 42 old male and before this have had no serious  illness. When i had it i could not do anything . Im a grown man and ive been through pain  but this pain is something else. i literally cried and begged my  partner to take me to A&E but i could not move at one point . i had a emergency doctot come out and diagnose me with sciatica . Im on Diazaphan 5 mg , Salpadol 30 mg ( cocomadol) Naproxen 500mg  and lamaprazole . the drugs are making me sick. i stopped the diazaphan as it was making me itch  and was giving me  cramps. Im still taking the Salpadol but its making me very tired. I get sick sometimes as result of the dosage .  The doctor took a urine sample to rule any other infections as she though initially if it was stones in the kidney . The urine results came out as +3 blood in the urine  and she was concerned so prescribed me with Trimethoprim. The results were sent to the lab and  came as bordeline . The GP said carry on with the Antibiotic on top of the other pain killers .I went to the GP again struggling to even get in the car and she referred  me to a Psyiotherapist via the NHS . Its been  ten days now and i feel only slightly better as im moving about a bit , but as soon as the painkillers wear out the pain comes back like its pressing on me with spasms hard against my buttock and leg . i have less severe pain when im walking about or lying sideways . I cant walk too much as i get tired easily and then the pain kicks in again. i sleep with hot water bottle attached to my right buttock.  i cannot bend or even put my socks on . The GP signed   me off work for a week . But im no way ready to go back to work with this pain. I feel miserable and weak on top it as i seem to have gone off food due the medications. I  do a lot of driving and sitting down . So I cannot even think how i will survive .

1. Can someone tell me if stopping one or two tablets will cause matters

worse and things would be more severe .

2. woud my work be understanding for me as the pain is killing me .My manager is very diificult and only is thinking about me at work. Has anyone else had time off work for more than two weeks due to this ? .

3. What timescale could i see an imrovement less painfull or bearable imrovement please?

 

2

Hi Jaso,

I can completely sympathise with you, I had really bad sciatica for two years until I was diagnosed with spongylolithesis, which is where my lower vertebrae had slipped & was pressing on my nerves. I am now 14 weeks into recovery from a spinal fusion & decompression surgery which fingers crossed seems to have been successful.

My advice would be to continue with the pain meds & the Lamaprazole as the Naproxen can really cause havoc with your tummy.

Your work will have to lump it, if you're in that much pain there's no way you can go to work. If you need the time off to recover whether that's 1 week or 2 you must make sure you take it. Try & do some walking, even if it's a wonder around the house every 30 mins or so, my doc said keeping active helps you in the long run!

There's not really a timescale on these things, it could ease off in a day or two & not come back or the pain could be more bearable where you might get twinges now & again.

Also you MUST make sure you do the physio & if that doesn't help see your GP again so he/she can refer you to a spine specialist & send you off for an MRI scan & CT scan should you need it. If you have private health care use it, I had to wait 7 months for my surgery.........also make sure you follow up on appointments etc, two of my referrals went missing...

I hope you get better soon, I know being in that kind of chronic pain can be unbearable but try & get through each day as it comes.

Take care

Tasha ☺

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I was off work for a whole month really in terrible pain i lost 30 pounds in that time iwas in pain . I quit taking all meds and just took exidrin every other day and heating pad really helps. Be patient and if you are a person of faith take this experience to change your life for the better . Honestly you will never be the same

4

Hi

My names Melissa. I'm 33 and my sciatic nerve was caught between my hip and femur, I had a sciatic nerve release in 2013.

I was in agony, lived by myself and was nearly demented because A&E kept sending me home with a mis-diagnosises. I luckily had private health insurance and managed to get an MRI which then resulted in surgery a week later. Unfortunately I ended up with nerve damage from the surgery and was off work for 7 months. Had to rely on family to keep me going once my sick leave ran out.

I personally wouldn't go to a physio until you've had an MRI because they can't know what they are treating ie the underlying cause and may make it worse. Physio won't cure your problem. It's great post op and for core muscle strength but at this stage in your condition, only if the underlying cause does not require surgery. As far work goes, it depends on what the cause is and how it needs to be treated. Naproxen is more likely to cause stomach cramps and itching. Most sciatic pain comes from resulting muscle spasm hence the Valium.

Hope this helps

Mel

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Hi thanks fir your comments . I have now ztopped the diazaphan and ily take itcwhen i need so . Im in a stressful job so going to be off work 2nd week now. My manager rang up and asked me what im doing about it. As i was in do much pain i said i have not got a magic wand . She knmy thinkscabout ger business and dont realy understand what im going through . I dont think she cares either which hurts a bit . Im fown as ut is with all these tablets and this does not help .

Stress seem to aggrevate it a bit as the more tense i get my muscles go into spasm . Im just wondering what will happen now ive stopped the diazaphan . Like tasha said im going to try and see what physio does . Can anyone please tell me if you had physio what im to exoect in terms of treatment ?

Also how long we you off work due to Sciatica .?

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Sorry for the typing errors im using a smartphone and sitting on one side . I cannit edit the spelling mistakes either so sorry if there is anything you dont understand .

7

I was told by my doc that I have to do physio before being referred to a spinal specialist.........

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Yeah just check with your GP re physio. If they recommend physio prior to anything being done (re scans/interventions), great. My situation was different cause it was stuck between my pelvis and femur. I was off with for 7 months, it was very tough. I'm

Ok now though.

9

Sorry, I meant I was off work for 7 months.

10

Hi

Thanks for the reply i dont wont to take these painkillers but the pain is unbearable so i have no choice . I dont even know if its doing anything apart from making me drowsey . I just watched this youtube video of sciatica this physio was treating and he just clicked the back of this patient like a click and he started walking normally . I hope my physio can work some correct magic like that . Im on my 12th day and its a pain going down

11

Greetings Jaso and All…..

I have had a lot of experience with Sciatica, experiencing complete bedridden immobility in three instances, and I pulled through all those situations.   Unfortunately I have another attack beginning right now.  My latest MRI showed two bad discs, one at mid-way and the other lower, L6 I believe.  Both were shrunk by one half in thickness.

In 1984 I had no medical insurance and was away working for a friend upstate New York when the first attack occurred.   So I called my sister and brother-in-law and asked for advice.  He told me to get into bed and stay there for 8 weeks and it would heal itself.  And it worked.  I got up only for painful trips to the bathroom.  In bed I kept my lower legs elevated on an ordinary kitchen chair for minimum pain.  At about 6 and a half weeks I tempted fate and drove to the local KMart, and as I went in the front entrance suddenly my lower back gave out and I went right into horrible pain.  Right back to bed, but at 8 weeks I got up and drove 1000 miles to West Palm Beach, Florida.  In a few days I was jogging again, all pain gone.

I was OK until about 1994 or so when I was working in a water plant.  I turned to read some gauges and I felt it in the lower back.  Not bad, but it quickly developed from bad to worse.  I had insurance but they wanted to operate immediately and get me back to work.  Well, I seemed to remember that the odds of a successful back operation was about 50/50, it either helps or it doesn't.  And it can be worse.  I did the 8 weeks in bed again and it worked once more.

My third experience, about 1999, was very strange.  Basically the same pain as twice before, and not able to stand or walk up a couple of stairs to the bathroom again.  This time, just before 8 weeks I decided I just couldn't take the pain so I elected the surgery.  I'd take my chances.  But fate wouldn't have it that way, and on that very day of the scheduled surgery a hurricane warning closed the hospital.  The next morning I got up and walked again without pain.  

I am telling you this so that you may have some hope…… hope that the pain will go away.  I don't believe in miracles, and I'm not religious.  But I have to believe in my own experience…… and it did happen just as I have written above.  I have asked many about it, including doctors, but no one other than my brother in law has experienced it.  And it makes sense to me, that if I take all pressure off the spine, it would not have stress to react to.  Yes, 8 weeks was quite long, but I know what pain you all are in, and when I hear of if lasting for months or longer periods of time, I know how that can feel.  If anyone has had a similar experience I would like to hear of it too.

charley, 78, Lancing, Tn. 

 

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Hi

Sciatic pain is debilitating. Before anyone performs anything, there are many things that can cause it so I'd advise you to have a chat with your GP to double check there's nothing serious before starting a treatment regime. But yes, bed rest is excellent for sciatic nerve issues as is heat packs, anti-spasmotics, anti-inflammatories and pain relief. It's horrible to feel drowsy all the time, completely understand. Unfortunately, sometimes it just takes time. Can your GP write a letter to your boss?

Mel

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Hello there. My husband just had surgery on Wednesday for sciatic pain. He is 64, diagnosed with Parkinson's 7 years ago. He stayed in hospital two nights. Normal is one night. His pain never went away. I brought him home on Friday March 11,2016. His dr ordered a walker to bring home. The therapist came to his hospital room Friday morning saying he didn't need it and she cancelled it. The very next morning he could Not Walk, I went and bought him one along with a bath chair. I have bathed him, dressed him etc. he could barely get to the bathroom with his walker. Today I called his dr, thankfully he was on call. Said to get to ER. I called ambulance because he could not get to the car! His right leg pain is twice as bad as before surgery and has traveled to his right foot, buttocks and left leg. They did MRI earlier. I'm very worried. Just to let you know I'm thinking about you and you are in my prayers🙏🙏🙏

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The problem with most pain medications is that they are not made to correct your problem.  They're made to stop the sensation of pain temporarily.  As you've noticed, as soon as the pain killers wear off, you're back to the same pain again.

Best thing to do is do is first find out what's causing the problem and once you know, attack the problem at its source.  

If you're having problems when bending forward, it's possible that it could be a disc injury, but an MRI would confirm the diagnosis.

15

Theres a new manual out that can help you eliminate sciatic pain by using natural remedies in as little as 5 to 8 days. It will help your nerves be less sensitive to everyday activities. Check it out here:  j.mp/CureSciatica

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I have sciatica diagnosed few months ago. Have 1st appointment next week with ortho lower limb ESP clinic? I had exactly the same pain as you. I am happy to say it has worn off for now. But still get back pain. Was on Diazapam for a week. And solpadol but haven't taken these recently. I hope you get some help from the hospital. Your boss will have to lump it for now.