Red Wine

I am with you on that!

Good to be able at least once a month to do something different having a glass of wine whatever our system agrees with!

Cheers to the New Year and to our wellbeing in 2016!

Xxx

There's no arguing with that!

Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sure, go to whisky instead if you can!

No more whisky and vodka for me!

I am glad I can enjoy a glass of wine now and then !!

Cheers!

You are a better person than I am if you could endure sciatica

pain and have a glass of wine instead.  I had sciatica almost

a year ago and it was the most painful thing I've ever been through.

Lasted for weeks, in fact I still feel it somewhat.....

I do the same - but it's not a fair trade - the Scotch always wins!

Faye, I agree sciatica is excruciatingly painful and I probably have more than one glass of wine, it is not that good a pain killer but is enjoyable. My GP said that sciatica lasts around twelve weeks. I have just read something in the Daily Mail that says you should not take prescription co-codamol for more than three days, that would be useles for me. I think they were trying to say co-codamol is addictive. What pain killer did you take? 

my doc gave me the generic version of the weakest Percocet.

I usually cut pain meds in half and see if a half will be okay for me.

I hate taking pain pills, some make me sick and some make me

sleep all day  The half seems to work okay, at least take the

edge off but ....damn...that was painful.  12 Weeks??  I wish.

I went through two rounds of     physical therapy and have gone

to see a chiro who has been somewhat helpful.  I've known other

women that had months and months of some pain, not as bad as

the initial firestorm.....three days of pain meds?  Your guy obviously

has no idea how much pain is involved.  As for addiction, you just

have to be aware and when the pain abates take less and less

pain meds....Some good common sense is always involved.

Hi Ptolemy,

Saw that you suffer from Sciatica, My GP wants me to have Cortisone injection in the spine. Have you had this? Did you find it successful?

I am a bit reluctant to go down this road .

If any other PMRers have had this done please feel free to comment. I

No I have not had cortisone injections. I was thinking of going to an osteopath I don't know if that is a good idea for it?

Thanks Fayee, I suppose the problem is we get given opiods which are really short term for a long term problem.

Thanks for the quick reply. I am taking Lyrica which does seem to help. Have you tried that? It does make you sleepy but I take it at night along with a tramadol and will only take the Lyrica during the day if the sciatica is bad. My sciatica fluctuates I can have no pain for a week then some type of movement or activity will cause it to come back. Quite frustrating. I have had the sciatica for over 12 months. I very rarely drink alcohol but do intend to have a wine over Christmas.

Happy Christmas to all my PMR/GCA friends.

Kathy

"I can have no pain for a week then some type of movement or activity will cause it to come back"

That is what happens to me - it is sciatica because it is the sciatic nerve that is affected but the thing causing the trouble is muscle spasm which then pinches the nerve, it isn't the spine/discs tht is the root cause.

I have had cortisone shots into my back muscles, together with muscle relaxants and manual therapies, to relax the muscles which were completely in spasm and hard. I also got a lot of benefit from Bowen therapy. When I was having the treatment 3 years ago the anaethetist said she was considering a nerve block - an injection to the spine - if we couldn't get the pain controlled. Once all the back muscles were soft and "normal" the pain went - but I get twinges if I try to lift/carry too much which then go in a day or so.

I've had two spinal cortisol injections, because my Rheumy thinks my leg pain problems are caused by a lower back problem.  Neither gave me the relief that he hoped, although the first one did help with general all-over pain.  The second didn't even do that.  And my lower back problems have been sorted with some Bowen treatment.  My legs are still frighteningly painful.

I have a friend who has had them (I think she has had 3 now) and she says they are wonderful, brilliant and she couldn't live without them.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Dear Eileen

You know, I have been saying to the GP that I felt my muscles were going into spasm and that was causing the sciatica. He just keeps pushing me towards having the spinal injections and doesn't pursue the muscle spasm isuue. Here in Aussie we can have 6 visits a year to a Physio which is covered by medicare so I shall follow that pathway and get some massage. Might fix it up.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. I have posted to Eileen. Will try Physio and massage. Shen you say your legs are painful what do you mean?

Kathy

 

You're in Aussie? That's where Bowen therapy came from - google a man called Tom Bowen. And you will almost certainly find someone who does it.

Bowen will probably cost a bit (usually about the same as a massage) but if you haven't had any relief from 3 sessions you can give up on it - it may not be total in 3 sessions and you may need more but some people find a major difference after just one. It is very gentle - however much pain you are in with PMR it is OK and there are no risks of side effects. 

If you are really lucky you may find a physio who incorporates Bowen into their practice, there are physios who do. 

PMR attacked my legs right away and they have always been my PMR 'indicator' but is it obvious now that there is something else going on and that's been the case for some years now.  I cannot walk more than a few steps unaided and now use a rollator but even so I am so slow a geriatric snail could overtake me.

They are painful all the time, not just walking, but the cause has yet to be decided.  Fibro? neuropathy? It's not arterial claudication, but to me it is a claudication effect when I need to rest and let my 'legs catch up with me'.  They do after a few minutes and I can continue walking, but it is very frustrating to be so slow in movement.

Added to that, I had a hip replacement earlier this year which was brilliant and did away with one type of pain, however I am now on the list for a knee replacement hopefully in the New Year.  Neither of those issues are anything to do with the underlying leg pain, they are due to a malformation of my right foot.

Thanks Kassie. I have not tried Lyrica or Tramadol. My GP just said buy paracetamol which were useless. I was in such pain I phoned up as an emergency and another doctor gave me the codeine. It is rather like getting blood out of a stone.

It may not be arterial claudication according to the tests in the vascular lab - but it could be something like the microcirculation problem that it is suspected is the main problem in PMR. There simply isn't enough oxygen getting to the muscles - that's what claudication is and there is more than one reason.

I do wish GPs would get over their love affair with paracetamol - there have been 2 or 3 studies recently that show it is no better than placebo. So since placebo sugar pills wouldn't affect the liver you might as well take them!

The "don't take for more than 3 days" someone mentioned is usually aimed at all OTC - i.e. NON-prescription - painkillers. Partly on the grounds that if you need pain relief for more than that you should be telling your GP so he can monitor you using them. Pain is generally a sign something is wrong that needs sorting out - though I do realise hoping for that is like hoping for the moon as my mother used to say! On the other hand - they don't dish out/recommend pain killers ad libitum here. They do tend to look at WHY! Something for which I am eternally grateful!

Eileen, that is what I think too and have done all along.  Due to the doctor's strike that never was all my appointments have been cancelled or postponed, but if it continues to worsen it will be war declared when I do gt to see him.  It's getting to the ridiculous stage and I want to know what I can do to help myself.

I have to say - there are grumblings here about changing the system but I have no idea where I could move to if it heads south like the NHS! I do, however, have the phone no for the pain specialist I saw at the hospital. She is now a GP (her lucky lucky patients) but as far as I can gather they all do private stuff for their own speciality if you want it. So my rheumy-trained GP will do steroid injections for example, or I can have pretty much any medication that is available if I pay for a private prescription. And Astrid would work the magic she worked while still in the hospital - but I'd pay in full for the consultation. But it won't be the price of private in the UK!

Would you like to visit? 

I had four cortisone shots in spine a couple of years ago for

herniated disc.  Did they help?  Yes and no.  Helped for a while

but the pain comes and goes and it's hard to say for sure.

I really think the secret to keeping sciatica down is to find some

excercises that you can do.  There are lots on the internet.

I'm told I have a rwisted pelvis on the right (different from disc)

and physical therapists and chiro suggests some excercises.

Again google this and get lots of info.

wouldn't hurt to try a chiropractor.....after about 3 years of strange

pain and numbness in my butt and legs (GP did Mri and found \

nothing wrong other than normal wear and tear for my age 78)

I asked if I could see chiro.  Chiro said I have a twisted pelvis on the

right side.  He's doing treatments and so far a little impriovement.

I asked if he could see any improvement and would he know when

i was as good as I was going to get....he said yes,  so I'm having

treatments and hopefully will eventually see good things happening.

Chiros don't twist and jerk you around the way they used.  I've

explained about PMR and he's doing fairly gentle treament and

I'm ever hopeful.......

I think the paracetamol route is line of least resistance. Offer paracetamol  and the placebo effect may kick in. I think I may be becoming cynical in my old age!

As bad as sciatia pain was I'd have been willing to take

most near anything....worst thing I've ever been through.

and I've had some serious surgeries.

Yes, I would agree....sciatica pain is HORRIBLE.  i checked myself in at Urgent Care here in the US in the middle of the night a few months ago.  They could do very little....no cortisone shot, but painkiller with codein.

 

I agree Tylenol here in the US does very little for pain and nothing for inflammation.  There is Ibuprofen which is much better for pain, but of course one needs to use it with caution, especially when taking prednisone.

 

Faye, I agree. The pain leaves me panting sometimes it is so bad. I have found swimming does not really help although the pain is worse in the evening and overnight then gets better during the day. I suppose that is because I am moving about more. Sitting down triggers it I have noticed. I just wish it would go away! 

In all fairness my GP did say I should not take Ibuprofen as it interacted with the pred, so I suppose she is aware of the problem, although she seems to know nothing about PMR except she keeps going on about having a Dexascan. I tell her each time I have had one recently. Perhaps she needs to learn how to read patients' notes. 

I relate to your problems.....I tried swimming, and it did nothing for my lower back pain and spasms.  It actually made it worse.  It does get better as I move and walk during the day.  Sitting a long time and then getting up is very uncomfortable.

 

Most doctors know nothing about PMR -- it is sad that they do not put importance to this very painful disease.  We really truly have to educate ourself on this website with educated and knowledgeable fellow sufferers.

I was able to learn a lot since my diagnosis a year ago, and I question my GP and Rheumy about what they advise me. 

 

Yes please, after I've been to Cyprus (family joke as family member has a flat out there and I've never been able to see it - yet).

Erika, I think swimming makes my sciatica worse too. The nastiest part is at the top back of my thigh, although it is all pretty horrible. I also seem to have a numb bit at the back corner of my heel.

No - I'll pick you up and bring you here, get you sorted and then we'll head for Cyprus together! What a waste...

I have had a physio tell me NOT to swim, particularly breast stroke unless I can swim with my face down like professionals do. I can't get my face properly down or I can't breathe so that's out. Nothing but backstroke and pools get SO upset about people doing backstroke...

Except I don't think it actually interacts with pred - it is more that both on their own can irritate the stomach lining and lead to bleeding. Obviously both together makes the risk higher.

We've had a similar discussion about doctors learning to read notes and listen to patients on another forum today. Sad isn't it?

Hi Erika agree with you - doctors do not help enough we have to find answers by ourselves.

My Rheumy sends mevtobthe lab after the consultation !!

Thecresultsci get by phone

.He makes the tapering of the Pred automatically.

After 3 years with GCA some flare ups and niw with some experience I am going slowly on the adjustment if the steroid and feel much better.

Take care

Xxxxx

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