Over 2 years of constant sciatic pain
Posted , 7 users are following.
When I wrote my post last year I was hoping I would be further along in my journey. Just to give everyone an idea I've tried most pain relief and other combinations of medications, had physio, injections and osteopathy to no relief.
?My newest retrial of medication is 12 tablets of gabapentin a day to try and tame the nerve pain, co-codamol and ibuprofen - which hasn't worked (I've tried it for well over 6 weeks now). I've had to ring up and have a phone appointment as the pain has increased to where I have the pain in both the left hand side and right hand side at the same time.
?I was hoping for some sort of option along the lines of lower this and try x,y,z but they've given me an appointment with a trainee doctor supervised by a fully qualified.
?I'm just a little narked that noone is any closer in being able to help me - I'm still waiting on another MRI scan appointment to come through also.
?Little fed up with this all, not been able to work for the last two days (I had to give up my main job at the end of last December as the commute with back pain was killing me) and have been crying in pain for the last 12hrs - does anyone else feel like when it's at the chronic pain point they just sweep you under the carpet?
?Apologies for the little rant.
1 like, 11 replies
ihavenonickname ladyfish
Posted
Oh Ladyfish,
Yes, I so hear your pain...you just rant away. .
Thoughts for you to discuss with the "physician"
1. My pain is now bilateral
2. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least pain, my pain is a________.
3. I can no longer go to work every day because of the pain.
4. Gabapentin is not giving me the resukts I had hoped for...what do you think of Lyrica-pregabalin?
5. Would a burst of prednisone reduce the inflammation quicker?
6. Would an NSAID speed inflammation reduction?
7. Am I a candidate for a TENS?
8. Should I be thinking about fusion?
Obviously you need to taylor these questions to your own style.
big hugs
judith
Angela.diamonds ihavenonickname
Posted
Hi Judith just read your reply to ladyfish, what the difference between Gabapentin andLyrica-pregabalin, it's something I'm considering asking my GP for after reading your reply
Angela
Kookywit Angela.diamonds
Posted
Judith seems to know lots about all the subjects, I just thought I'dd add my 10 cents worth. I've been taking Lyrica , the Orthopedist prescibed it then my GP. of 27 yeras told me it killed Enzymes in the brain, moreover it has awful withdrawal symptoms. I started off with 75mgs. Twice a day, then upped it to 150mg twice a day, took it for three months with no noticable differance in the pain. So, the GP. 's weaned me off it gradually, I sopped and now taking a medication for depression which acts on the nervous system, and isn't so violent as Lyrica. Started today and feeling sleepy. Luvox .Everyone's differant. I think my pain was less with combination of Gabapentin and Arcoxia(It's called that in Brazil) Now I'm also taking Homeopathic medicine , 25 drops of summat morning and night , The best physiotherapy that'I've done is the HydoCinesiotherapy. Lord! I feel so much better after the session! RPG (Souchard) doesn't seem to do much, so far. Thinking of getting an epidural infiltration, in spite of having Glaucoma, I'm going to see how high the chances are that I'll go blind! Pain, so sick of it,. Apparently chronic pain makes your brain shrink up to 10% a year. Which is why my GP. thinks that medication like Lyrica will be really bad , in the long run , addiction , withdrawal, symptoms, and killing brain cells.
ihavenonickname Angela.diamonds
Posted
Both are for nerve pain, generally speaking Neurotin is ried before moving to Lyrica Lyrica was developed to
address diabetic neuopathy which is quite brutal. I too tried Neurotin with limited success. Lyrica completed the job. I
take 75 mg three times per day....nder extreme circumstances for a limited time 75 mg four times per day can be prescribed.
ihavenonickname Kookywit
Posted
ooooh the HydoCinesiotherapy sounds comforting!
Angela.diamonds ladyfish
Posted
ihavenonickname Angela.diamonds
Posted
Gabapentin is Neurotin.
Lyrica is pregabalin.
They both address peripheral nerve pain. Lyrica is the stronger of the two. In the USA the maximum dose of Lyrica is 75 mg three times per day...sometimes a physician may prescribe a fourth dose for a short period of time.
Lyrica was developed to manage diabetic neuropathy.
Hope this info helps
kind regards
Dlove11 ladyfish
Posted
Hi ladyfish, I have a similar experience ...one year of chronic sciatic pain apparently influenced by disc damage & degeneration l5-s1. Usually an avid fitness freak, counselor & community worker , I am now unemployed & spend many a night crying in pain. Its a terribly lonely & frightening experience indeed. I'm on lyrics 2 x 300mg daily & Forte's, find a lot of relief from heat packs, daily meditation & sharing experiences via forums. All the best to you, a mind blowing challenge it is. I'm finally booked for lumbar fusion, very scary....but I remain optimistic, we have to! ;-)
Dlove11 ladyfish
Posted
Hi ladyfish, I have a similar experience ...one year of chronic sciatic pain apparently influenced by disc damage & degeneration l5-s1. Usually an avid fitness freak, counselor & community worker , I am now unemployed & spend many a night crying in pain. Its a terribly lonely & frightening experience indeed. I'm on lyrics 2 x 300mg daily & Forte's, find a lot of relief from heat packs, daily meditation & sharing experiences via forums. All the best to you, a mind blowing challenge it is. I'm finally booked for lumbar fusion, very scary....but I remain optimistic, we have to! ;-)
locin ladyfish
Posted
Suggest you get a referral for an MRI scan with a spinal consultant. I suffered 2 years of pain, physio and cortisone injections until I was recommended for spinal surgery.
Dont hang around ask your gp to refer you as other treatments are not working
good luck
😃🐥
Soxy ladyfish
Posted
I am in the process of coming off Gabapentin as it hadn't done my nerve pain any good at all. Do you have a TENS machine? It is my lifeline at the moment as it is the only thing, plus Tramadol tablets, which keeps the pain at bay.