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PMR flareup in my buttock or sciatica?

Posted , 11 users are following.

rapha
rapha

Yesterday I started with a pain in my buttock and was convinced it was sciatica.  I have had it now and then over the years and it has always gone with diclofenac after a couple of days.  I did not have a good night with it last night and as today has worn on it is excruciatingly painful. I have only been taking paracetamol for it.  Even when I pull my my jeans it is AGONY!!!!!  As though raising my arms is sticking a knife in my right buttock.  QUESTION!  Does PMR make sciatica much much worse OR could this be a flare up although it is much worse than the pain I had in my buttock pre diagnosis?  

1 like, 67 replies

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  • angelcake61
    angelcake61 rapha

    Posted

    Hello 

    I've suffered quite badly with sciatica in the past, but for the last 17 months from commencing pred I've not really had anything like the amount of pain.   I have been wondering if the pred is suppressing the sciatica, so I'm very interested in reading your replies. At the moment I'm on 5/6 mg and it hasn't returned fully, just the odd twinge.

    hope you can soon get your pain under control, I found it very difficult to relax of sleep .

  • erika59785
    erika59785 rapha

    Posted

    I hear you!  I have the same kind of pain in my left buttock, and it took a LONG time to get dressed this morning.  It is tough to get a good night sleep and turn in bed.  This kind of pain is PMR muscle/nerve pain....and would make sciatica worse.  Prednisone helps, but I do not want to increase the present 15 mg. I hope it is better tomorrow.....and I hope the same for you, Rapha.

     

    • rapha
      rapha erika59785

      Posted

      12 days ago I reduced to 20mg pred from 22.5mg.  I don't know if this is a flare up or sciatica.  I really need to know as if I have a flare up I can be put on a drug trial perhaps I should ring the nurse at the hospital tomorrow and ask what she thinks?  I am fine sitting down but getting up, walking around, raising my arms and straightening my body is agony in my buttock.
    • karen28161
      karen28161 erika59785

      Posted

      I also have excruciating pain in my right buttock ,and like you guys have difficulty turning over in bed with such terrible pain ,and getting dressed in the morning trying to put on trousers makes me cry out with pain ,I have always thought that PMR makes siatica more painful ,I have also developed a funny little walk when the pain is at its worse ........
    • rapha
      rapha karen28161

      Posted

      I am walking funny too with the pain today, so you think it is sciatica Karen?
    • erika59785
      erika59785 karen28161

      Posted

      Hi Karen, it is bad and it hurts and hurts......and I don't walk a normal kind of walk because of the pain.  It is embarrassing. Hopefully, it will go away soon, but then a different kind of pain will pop up.  This is PMRsad

       

    • erika59785
      erika59785 rapha

      Posted

      I feel for you and can relate --- I have the same agonizing pain! The reduction to 20 mg from 22.5 mg might cause it, and maybe in 3 days the body has gotten used to it, and you have less pain --- hopefully!
    • karen28161
      karen28161 rapha

      Posted

      Yes Ralph I do think it's siatica ,hope you are pain free soon ...x
    • faye______00403
      faye______00403 karen28161

      Posted

      I've been on pred for one and a half years for PMR but on Jan

      2nd I was in my doc's office with the worst pain I've ever had

      (other than childbirth and that doesn't last long)  Also in right

      buttock.....sciatica....I had no idea it would be so painful and

      last so long......

        I was down in bed in agony if I moved for about 6 weeks.  I'm still dealing with some sciatica pain and I've been through therapy  I have access to a pool and tried getting in and exercising two days ago and

      now am really sore in the tailbone area. My legs are painful

      in the a.m.   As day goes on that seems to abate somewhat

      I"ve talked to women  that took a year to get totally over sciatica.   Bummer!!

      And I have the funhy walk.  I can walk now without a walker but

      if I go very far I have pain in lower back and stagger around

      like I've had a drink or two.  This is the most debilitating

      thing I've ever gone through.  I know I have two herniated

      disc just between my shoulder blades and guess that caused

      my problem.  Last trip to my doc he said "It's only been four

      months let's see if it improves in another month or two"

      Soooo seems like it's going to take a long time to get my

      life back......just hang in there I guess.

    • erika59785
      erika59785 faye______00403

      Posted

      Exercises help for sciatica.  I have had one terrible sciatica flare a few months ago and i had to check myself into Urgent Care.  I was advised to have physical therapy, and a few special exercises prescribed and done every morning and night do help.
    • EileenH
      EileenH erika59785

      Posted

      Bowen therapy definitely does help with that - ask lodger!
  • barbara75814
    barbara75814 rapha

    Posted

    My PMR is at 8 mg., lowering 1 mg. after every month.

    I have had painful sciatica episodes in the past, but ever since quite a while ago I researched exercises designed specifically to deal with it, there were no more such episodes--just a very occasional short twinge of reminiscent pain. You can find a number of appropriate exercises on the internet.

    Lots of luck, Barbara 

     

    • rapha
      rapha barbara75814

      Posted

      Went on line, had a look and lay down to do the exercises and could not - such agony, couldn't do a thing, had to be lifted up from the floor by my hubby!  I will have to give the exercises a rest Barbara but thanks for the advice.
    • barbara75814
      barbara75814 rapha

      Posted

      Yes, Rapha, I should have mentioned that you have to consider each exercise and whether you are physically able to do it. Some of the ones shown on the internet are absolutely too difficult or painful for most of us, but many of the simpler ones are perfect for getting relief. Anyway, my fault, so please forgive and don't give up on researching simple fixes.

      Good luck and would of course love to hear about anything that gave you relief--

      Barbara Y.

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