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Medication issue; long term nerve damage and diclofenac!

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helen10458
helen10458

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice. I have had sciatica for nearly six years now; it has been on and off depending on my activity levels and pain killers. I currently take 600mg of Pregabalin and 100mg of Diclofenac a day and that has been working well to keep the pain at bay.

I've been having issues with my voice for the past year and it had been fobbed off as viral (I'm a teacher after all!) but I saw a locum Doc and he said I have silent reflux probably caused by long term Diclofenac use so he gave me Omeprazole and told me to stop taking it. Well I was very achy and then after a week the sciatica in my foot was awful again and I had to start taking it again.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm not really able to stop taking it but don't want to cause any other issues through long term use. The only other thing is when I was hospitalised last year they gave me ordinary Diclofenac instead of extended release. I have been on that ever since, what can I do?

If you check my other posts you'll see that I've exhausted all other therapies. I go to Yoga weekly and stretching really seems to help. Any advice as what to do/switch too gratefully received!

Thanks

Helen

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • CHICO_MARX
    CHICO_MARX helen10458

    Posted

    But what is the ROOT CAUSE of your sciatic pain???  Is it in here...

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/sciatic-nerve-pain-from-the-perspective-of-many-decades-629096

    If yes, get it fixed.  If not, go see a neurosurgeon, get a CT/Myelogram with contrast and pinpoint the place in your spine causing the problem...then get it fixed once and for all.  (Note: This is assuming that the issue is NOT because of simple hip or spine alignment...mine was a bone spur at L4.)  No one should live with that pain...no one!!!

    Also, steroids only mask the problem, not solve it...and diclofenac is available as a topical gel so you're not affecting your whole system.  Find the cause...solve the problem!!!

  • helen10458
    helen10458

    Posted

    Hi,

    Thanks for the reply, I had a large prolapse when ten weeks pregnant with my son in 2012. The prolapse has since shrunk back but the nerve pain prevails. I have seen everyone available on the NHS and privately; the Neurosurgeon I saw last year said that I have permanent damage to the nerve that cannot be fixed, this was due to the unusual situation of having a prolapse for the majority of my pregnancy and the baby growing and adding more pressure. Treatment was also significantly delayed as I was restricted due to being pregnant. If I take the medication for long enough it interrupts the pain signals and I have been able to reduce the dose right down. My job however can strain my back and then it flares up again.

    I appreciate your view but there is no fix for this as I believe that every possible investigation and test has been done to find the cause. So I have to continue with the pain killers unfortunately, without them I can't teach or parent my two children.

    Thanks for your reply.

    Helen

    • CHICO_MARX
      CHICO_MARX helen10458

      Posted

      Damn...I know what you're saying.  My wife had brain aneurysm surgery and two TIAs in 2010.  Left her with short-term memory loss plus right side weakness.  Damages some nerves in her calf so that her foot turns inward and she has "dropfoot"  Wears an AFO brace from the back of her calf through mid-sole; special ankle hinge.  Keeps her foot straight and level.  There is no cure for those nerves.  Wish there was something for you...

      At least you don't have almost 5-pounds of metal in you and are accosted at the airport by the TSA on every occasion.  Sometimes, ya gotta live with it until someone finds an answer.  Just keep looking!!!

      "Never give up!  Never surrender!" - Tim Allen, Galaxy Quest 

  • brian22573
    brian22573 helen10458

    Posted

    Hi Helen, I am too on Diclofenac and yes I find it causes acid reflux which is awful.

    I am careful of wot I eat, not too spicy and not too late in the day because lying down makes it much worse.

    I spoke to a pain consultant who was horrified that I had been on Diclofenac for so long.

    He says that even with omeprezole the drug still attacks the lining of your stomach causing reflux the ulcers etc.

    I suppose every drug has a side effect on you it just depends how we cope with them.

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