Sciatica for 6 weeks, PLEASE HELP!
Posted , 11 users are following.
I need help, immediately.
I've been dealing with sciatic issues for years but NEVER have I ever been in so much pain. The pain is deep down in my left buttocks and shoots down my entire leg. I have tingling often, and a gnawing pain almost like a horrible toothache in my leg.
I went to the doctor, he put me on steroids and a muscle relaxer. They had 0 effect. I'm waiting to see an orthopedic, but that's another 2 weeks from now.
I literally cannot live this way. I'm almost immobile, I barely sleep, I'm never comfortable, depressed, anxious, it's horrible. Does anybody have any suggestions to ease the pain?? I've done every stretch, heat therapy, meds. Nothing helps at all. Thanks.
0 likes, 31 replies
louiseLondon Guest
Posted
In meantime read abiut your body understand why the pain ia happening.it is nerve pain from inflammation on root nerve or sciatic and piriformis, get turmeric capsules and devils claw, get the lotion and ryb it all over lower back bum hips legs. Do not eat acidic food. Google alkakine food. Eat fresh green veg and gentle fruits, bananas etc.. also get vitamins read which ones for anti inflammatory, glucusomine I take plus serrapatase vit d b c. Do yoga for sciatica, just googke on you tube . Do what you xan dont force anything it can help but if you are in the agony I was and it sounds like yiu are, I could only do a few, knee under pelvis and steetch other leg out behind. Get an inflatable peanut shape yoga back support and put unser hips , knees up then suapend legs out and walk legs out from knees then back and squeeze knees then remove peanut and arch into bridge pose then relase down vertabre at a time until flat repeat as much as poss and also hold knees to cheat and rock side to side on peanut or mat. The idea is to get oxygen to the caudal cavity and lower disc areas, to imprive blood circulation it wil help reduce inflammation. Inflammation is your enemy. Read everytging you can on it and do whatever you can to reduce it get the mri this is absolutely necessary you must find out if discs if not lucky you and then continue fight inflammatiin as above. Good luck. Hugs
Guest louiseLondon
Posted
Thank you, I will try that. I actually have turmeric here at home I will try immediately.
I am waiting to see an orthopedic, hoping he'll order an MRI. In the meantime it's hell on earth.
Caracoveney louiseLondon
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Thank you for your very informative reply to Myachinback. I will have a go at everything that you have mentioned to see how they help. I also had sciatica some years ago, but nothing compared to what I've been getting for a few weeks - I also think of it as 'toothache in the leg', that really is the kind of pain it is - and often feels like a root canal without anaesthetic!. As soon as I think it's stopped for a while, it comes back with a vengeance. Trying to get comfortable in a car for anything longer than 15 minutes is unbelievably difficult. I do take Amitryptiline anyway at night (as Sam38450 mentioned), and yes, I do find it easier at night. It's just the days that are agony!
sam38450 Caracoveney
Posted
You can always try a lose dose of amitriptyline in the day with pro plus. My life has recently been transformed, after 26 years of sciatica and lots of operations on my back including fusion of the SI joint last year I went in to hospital for surgery on a prolapse bladder and bowel. I didn't really have any symptoms of a prolapse apart from painful sex. I'm 42 with two kids. A gynecologist said this is what I had and 5 weeks ago I had surgery and my sciatica has gone. I have since read that a prolapse can sit on the sciatic nerve and when my period was due my pain was worse because ligaments are more lax due to hormones. I think it happened before I had kids because my pain started before I had them, I also had a job which involved lifting. I think that and years of constipation due to pain medication all contributed. Three doctors told me that I didn't have a prolapse and I was too young. The only pain I have now is from the metal from the operations that I probably didn't need. My toothache back has gone! Don't give up you may one day be out of your misery!
Caracoveney sam38450
Posted
That's not a bad idea, and I may well try that - split my Amitryptiline dose between day and night, starting tomorrow, as I am not driving anywhere.
I usually have a shower but decided tonight to have a long hot bath - oh, the bliss of not feeling a thing - this lasted for all of 5 minutes after I got out! I think I will try the Amitryptiline dose tomorrow during the day but have Paracetamol Plus which has about the same amount of caffeine as Pro Plus, I believe, so hopefully it will kill two birds with one stone.
louiseLondon Caracoveney
Posted
Hope you can find some relief. Try not to drive and don't sit down ,lie sideways with pillow under arm. Get weight and pressure off lower back, bum and legs.elevate legs on a chair, massage them amd bum, get blood circulatimg, do.t eat sugar or processed foods. Green veg, bamanas, any anti inflammatory foods. Drink as much filtered or mineral water as possible. Get devils claw it was a godsend for me. Gel amd tabs. Check if ok to take with anyother med s. Good luck!
louiseLondon Guest
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sam38450 Guest
Posted
To help with sleep try amitriptyline. They are an antidepressant but they are also used for nerve pain. Best to take them at night as they make you sleepy, I used to take them to help me sleep. The trouble with sciatic pain is pain killers generally don't work not even morphine. You need neurological tablets, like gabapentin or pregabalin.
These two didn't help me but amitriptyline definitely did. Hope this helps
Guest sam38450
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sam38450 Guest
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MartiT Guest
Posted
Doctor's assistant said to take ibuprofen 2 at a time. You can take up to 4 in 24 hours. It gave me instant relief. Pain meds from Dr do nothing. Try that.
Guest MartiT
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Kookywit Guest
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I'm taking Venvanse which is a form of Amphetamine meant for people with Attention Deficit,(prescribed) I find it gives me enough energy to forget the terrible pain and do the stretching exercises and walk a bit every day. Next week I'm doing an Ultra-Sound of the hips to see if there's soemthing wrong with my joints at the hip. I put all my symptoms into Patient at the beginning of my troubles an it came up with all the tests to do. I'm eating a diet completely sugar-free, as sugar makes . inflamation worse. That includes sweet fruit! Lots of veggies, ginger turmeric, garlic onions. I'm going to get a Pilates Ball to correct posture while online. Sitting is terrible! You have to discover what size ball for your height. Lost 24 lbs meanwhile,since this plague hit me, in October last year! The thinner you are the better. Every kilo of "overweight" means four kilos on the joints. So I'm only about 3kilos too fat now.
Kookywit
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Taking Torsilax at night helped me sleep for two weeks. Also Arcoxia and Gabapentine together hepled for a while. But they're poisin for the kidneys. The Doc's given me Codeine 30mgs.but it doesn't take the pain away.
Guest Kookywit
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Oh my god, I did not know sugar effects inflammation, and let me tell ya what.....I have a sweet tooth, big time. I'm more than willing to pass on the sugar if it helps. Thank you so much for that.
Kookywit Guest
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If you take a soupspoon of UNFILTERED! UNPASTEURIZED! Honey with lemon water in the mroning it helps you control cravings(sweet tooth) . The Commercial Honey's no good, it's heated and loses the enzymes that cure stuff, like sore throats etc. Has to be from a Framer's Market or somat like that! Soaking in a hot tub of Epsom Salts can help before bed too......
Guest Kookywit
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Yes, I've been told to soak in the tub but I unfortunately only have a stand up shower. I sometimes try to stand in the shower on my good leg and let the hot water run down my buttocks and leg. I did take 2 ibuprofen and put an ice pack on and I actually feel a little better. I just can't stand this anymore!
Caracoveney Guest
Posted
I do hope that some of the suggestions that others have made will get you through until you have your orthopaedic appointment in a fortnight - it sounds absolute agony for you, constantly suffering like that. At least mine is intermittent so I get some relief in between bouts of it, but I am on ibuprofen and/or paracetamol most of the day (codeine doesn't suit me, unfortunately) and I will have a go at all the things that have been suggested. Do let us know what they find. Best wishes to you.
MartiT Guest
Posted
Take ibuprofen 400 mg like every 4 to 6 hours. Eat something first but it's the best pain med caused by inflammation. Of course it's not good long term but will help to rest and take stress from pain off you thereby relaxing the nerve and muscle. Ok. Hope you will see relief with that. Don't forget magnesium and Selenium each day. Helps but takes anlittle time so keep at the above mentioned items. Relax by deep breathing through nose.