I am only 24

Hi,

I'm really sorry to hear about your situation. Have you considered a second opinion as your're entitled to one. Also do you have access to Occupational Health as they may be able to help liaise with your care team as to how your health is affecting your work and look at ways of helping you work within your limtations. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Take care, Jules

hi ljb

its a terrible thing to have at any age but your so young maybe thats why the doctors havent examined you as well as you,d think, i also went to my gp at first in severe pain, and had some pain meds but come 2 days later i was literaly climbing the walls so went off to a&e, well the doctor didnt touch me just said oh you prob pulled a muscle (i knew through the pain it was a lot worse), so next day back to gp who did listen to me and sugessted physio, so i phoned the dept myself i was so desperate and i had an appointment for the following week, i have to say he was brilliant and after 2 sessions he sugessted to ask my gp for x rays and further tests as my flexation and severe pain and loss of feeling in my arm,hands and fingers pointed to prolapse discs.(he was right), so i think you should go back to your gp and maybe ask if you can have some physio, those physios seem to know their business very well and maybe they can point you forward. hope this is of some use.gail

hey guys thanks for replying

went back to the gp for a second oppinion yesterday he increased my diazepam from 2mg to 5mg and says i am to try physiotherapy which obviously i'll take anything. I am also seeing an osteopath,

I was wondering if anyone has any advice at sleeping at nigh i spend mos of the night awake in tears with the pain!!?!?!

Lx

hi l

why is the night always the worst eh!!! you could ask your gp for something to help through the night im on amatriptaline for the night and it does really help although i had to adapt the doses(gp advise) to find the right one for me. what pain relief have you been given? maybe its not strong enough, dont suffer, if you dont tell the gp they wont know, there are pain meds out there that will help ok it doesnt take the pain away but it does make life a little more bearable, have another chat to the gp, i do symathise as we all do on this site, hope this is of some use to you. gail

I am currently on co-codomal 30/500mg. I am worried about all the time i am having off work....i cant afford to not get paid or anything and it just all isnt helping!

gail i am only 20 myself and am in the same situation on diazepam cocodamol and naproxen and this has been going on for about 6 weeks now, i have taken approx 20 diazepan which i am not v happy about as they can be addictive, i just keep getting given more painkillers to take and no real advice or help just am told to rest my back but also do exercise i am at my wits end and hate taking all these painkillers but cannot bear not to because of the pain. my physio has been v helpful though by giving me information but have done alot of research on the net, i just hope that i don't have to have surgrey.

look at the daily mail website and type in back pain sciatica etc there was an article a couple of days ago about an op this woman had to ease the pain but not available on the nhs which is a bummer!

I Will look up the article thank u.....I have private medical cover so who knows! :D

hi ljb

you lucky you,ll find there wont be a long wait for you then if you,ve got private ins, as for being off work . well i am so annoyed and upset that ive been off since feb! being a homecarer i just cant do the work that i should be able to , i need the help now that i was giving others ironic eh, and of course the health and saftey asspect, doped up on pain meds are no good working with machines and driving all this had to be taken into account. still doesnt make me any happier, i have written to the local mp about this situation, made to stay on ib, because your ill and have to endure the long drawn out waiting lists and then having the goverment saying they trying to get people off ib and back to work HELLO ive got a job (for now) just get my surgery done and i can go back to it. we are living now on limited money very hard when you,ve been used to two wages coming in cos the bills still have to be paid!i have really no solution to that dilema. for now i just wait. gail

Hi LJB,

I had a Discectomy in Jan 07 L5/S1 op didn't work, on the waiting list for another op PLIF (Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion).

When my back is at it's worst I sleep with a V Pillow behind me so that I'm almost sat upright, I put a pillow under my left leg and I use a Heat Pack (Microwave) in the small of my back.

I also take Amitriptlyne and several other meds, I now have Morphine Patches so my pain is bearable at the moment. Although the pain has started to become worse over the last few weeks and I'm having trouble peeing again which is a sign of more Nerve damage.

I haven't been to work all this year so far, I have struggled with SSP I'm now on Incapacity Benefit but it's a real worry having to live off £72.55 per week, when you have your own home to run and two teenagers to bring up alone.

You should be able to claim SSP for 28 weeks at least. I think it's the wait for anything to be done that's the real problems here, we all feel that things are not happening quickly enough.

Take care.

Angela

Angela,

It sucks that u have to worry about money when u have a injury such as a prolapsed disc! It makes me so angry! Hopefully tho we will all recover as quick as we can and be back making our millions again soon! Maybe we should start a forum syndicate on the lotto hehe then we can all have the ops we need and not have to worry about work or money!

Love to you and God Bless

L x

Hi LJB,

Thanks for that, I'm just feeling sorry for myself I guess.

You are right it's not our fault that we have damaged our backs but we're made to feel worthless.

You would think that working for the NHS you'd have preference.

Take it easy.

Angela