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I have sciatica, three nerve root blocks and a partial discectomy later and still in pain, Help!!!

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Fedupwithpain
Fedupwithpain

Hi i've suffered with sciatica for five years on and off, this bout being nearly two years, I've had three nerve root blocks (one of them after my operation) and a partial discectomy in August. I've now been off work for over three months and would really like to get back to work, even if part time. After not being able to do anything for months, i decided to bite the bullet and start swimming again a couplpe of weeks ago, i'm now doing 1 mile a week in two sessions, which is good. I can now walk my dog occasionally, but not as often and as far as i'd like. This being said i'm still in a lot of pain, with it waking me up at night and not able to complete household chores without suffering for a few days afterwards. I find it hard to sit on the sofa and tend to sit sideways!

I'm taking lots of pain relief, which to me doesn't seem to work as i'm still in lots of pain. My constultant and my GP have refered me to the 'pain clinic' but i don't have an appointment with them until January, this isn't good enough. i want to be out of pain now, not in two months time. 

When will i get my life back?? Help

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • barry49345
    barry49345 Fedupwithpain

    Posted

    You have certainly got my sympathy - though I know that doesn't stop the pain.  I'm sure that the swimming and some gentle walking will help.

    I suffere with sciatica for several months before I eventually got a diagnosis.  Various pain killers were not working until my GP put me on amittriptyline.  I started with 10mg for one week, then went to 20mg for a week and then up to 30mg for the next 3 weeks.  On 30mg (taken at night) I finally got some relief.  My GP then started trying to scale down and I went on 25mg for a month and was still ok.  I then went down to 20mg but after a few days I was hit with really acute pain, far worse than what I had suffered before.  Sometimes I couldn't move with the pain, and it was enough to make me scream.

    I immediately put myself back to 30mg as I had sufficient tablets and was taking 6 co-codomol through the day.  Nothing eased the pain at all.  I then asked friends to pray as I was unable to work normally (I'm a church minister).  The next day it was easier and the following day I was pain free.  I have now been pain free from 6th October and off all painkillers since 13th October.  I still get memontary pins and needles or that numb feeling but I am so thankful to be free of pain.

    The amitriptyline certainly worked at that earlier stage.  Have you tried that?

    Barry

  • marshall71
    marshall71 Fedupwithpain

    Posted

    I'm in the same boat as you it's taking me a year to get a mri scan as I have disc problems I also take amitriptyline 30mg for sleeping it's the only drug that works for full pain go during the day I take 6-8 tramadol which only takes the pain 50% away 
  • richard89308
    richard89308 Fedupwithpain

    Posted

    keep the exercise going and that will help to alleviate the pain that you are suffering.

    Rich

  • barry78726
    barry78726 Fedupwithpain

    Posted

    You need to find out exactly what is wrong, go see a really good spine specialist.
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