Sacroiliac Pain. Fed Up Is An Understatement
Posted , 5 users are following.
I've had pain in my upper left buttock for many years and last night was the worst it's ever been. I take Ropinirole and Gabapentin and have done for quite a few years. Often, in the evening I will have pain and I have to walk about till the tablets kick in. This can be up to 3/4 hours sometimes. Usually less. It doesn't happen all the time thankfully, I can go for a couple of weeks being fine and then for whatever reason, it starts again. Yesterday it started about 3pm. I took the tablets, paracetamol too but I was still walking about trying to get it to stop at 5am when I went to bed totally exhausted and managed to sleep till 9:30am. I woke up because I had pain across my lower back going down to both knees.
Does anyone have the added excitement of a leg which jerks when they stretch the muscle? When my buttock hurts I do stretching exercises and as I do them, when I get to a certain point, the muscle 'catches' and my leg jerks. I've never heard of anyone else this happens to.
My Doctor put me on the tablets, the physio did some deep tissue massage and that caused unbelievable bruising so she decided to do acupuncture after that. I don't feel that is working really and I just don't know where to go from here. I go to the gym and I do core exercises which I stop if I get any pain. I'm 65 years old and have had this problem for many years and can't understand why I can't get the right help.
0 likes, 9 replies
mike92384 sue-e
Posted
sue-e...I'm sorry you're suffering this way. Yes, it's SUFFERING. I hate it when doctors insist we suffer when they know full well the medication is only masking the problem. "Ohhh but spinal surgery is very risky" they say. While that may be true., fully trained Neurosurgeons very rarely make mistakes that cost the patient's the movement in the limbs. You suffered in agony for over 12 hours..that to me is unacceptable.
I'm sure you're thinking that if you see the Dr., the dosage of the medication will only be increased!!!
Gabapentin did nothing for me....& I absolutely refused to UP the dosage. I don't have the same problem as you, but if you look in spinal pain you'll see my comments.
Tell the Dr. you're constantly in pain...If you have to beef it up a little, then do so..tell him the pain is more &more constant..you're doing the exercises faithfully, it's interfering with your sleep, AND the bigger weapon here..it's diminishing your quality of life. You don't want to be living on medication the rest of your life. I'm sure you've had an MRI, but if you haven't, then I would suggest that you do. MRI by contrast likely wouldn't be necessary & you'd likely wait a long time for an appointment, whereas if you had just the regular MRI without contrast, the appointment would be a lot sooner.
We must be advocates for our own health. Frankly,I would suggest that you not sit for any more nonsense.
Please let me know how you get on.
sue-e mike92384
Posted
Hi Mike and thank you for replying. It is most certainly suffering. I can hardly believe the pain went on for all those hours, that has never happened before in all the years I've had it. I'm very tired now because I didn't get a full night's sleep and I just know that soon, it will all start again because strangely, it does seem to be worse when I am tired. I looked online for an appointment with my Dr this morning and there aren't any appointments at all until the middle of next month and none at all with him. I thought the physiotherapist would massage the area - well she did and you should have seen the bruises
and that would do the trick but after seeing them, she decided on acupuncture. I don't think that is doing anything to help me.
It is diminishing my quality of life because to sit in a car for a few hours is terrible, I can't sit still so more drugs than usual before I set off anywhere (I don't drive, I mean as a passenger) It's the same on a place of course.
I have to say, my Dr is very good and does listen to what I say, I just 'didn't bother' going back after the last time I saw him about it. I need to see him again now though because I have never known a day/night like that. I'm not sure but I think the Gabapentin just seems to help me sleep but obviously when I was suffering so much last night it didn't help at all. I hadn't actually thought about an MRI but I will say I would like one when I get in to see him. Hopefully this side of Christmas. It occurred to me that because my leg jerked quite 'violently' when I stretched and hit a certain stop that it might be a nerve thing. Of course I know nothing...... it probably isn't.
I will let you know how I get on. When I eventually get an appointment.
mike92384 sue-e
Posted
Hello again sue-e...
I had no doubts whatsoever that you're suffering. I do have a question though. If you haven't had an MRI, how did your doctor diagnose you with a siatic problem?..Was is just by symptoms alone?
I would strongly urge you to see about an MRI. There could be things going on in the spine that's aggravating everything. You said your leg jerked "violently" when you stretched..it's possible for that to have been a nerve thing.
Massage is all well & good,but it doesn't do any good if you're having a lot of pain. Massage is relaxing for the muscles...then you've had acupuncture. I don't know about were you are, but here in Canada massage is not covered by a Gov't health plan, but by private plans, which would only cover approximately $20 of a $36 or $38 bill. Same for acupuncture. You're having massages or were having massages then acupucture when you truly don't know what's going on.
I can't encourage you strongly enough to have an MRI. Quite frankly, I'm surprised your doctor hasn't ordered one by this time.
Pain Management is one thing, but why have a series of injections if you don't have a true picture of what's going on. Remember, a person can have just so many injections, then you're cut off. The injections don't last a life-time either, & there's speculation of late that cortisone can in time break down tissue.
If you are having pain that goes from the bottom of your back down to your knees, that's a usual sign of siatica..but to be sure, an MRI should be done. You could also have narrowing in the foraminal opening, which could very well put pressure on the nerves.
Good luck with this....
sue-e mike92384
Posted
Hello Mike, after another Ropinirole and an hour's sleep, I feel better than I have since yesterday lunchtime. I do find that the problem seems worse when I'm tired but is that possible or is it in my head. I don't think it tbh. Yes, when I stretch in the hope of alleviating the problem, my leg jerks when I get to a certain point. I have very strong reflexes too, I hadn't thought of that until now. I wonder if my leg jerks more violently because of that. I'm rambling........ I will see my Dr again. I looked for an appointment online today and the nearest one is the middle of October. And it's not with my Dr who knows about the problem.
I do go privately for the massage and acupuncture. It costs £35 ph and I have been going weekly but my next appointment is in two weeks time. I was already thinking about stopping the treatment because it's not doing any good. You are absolutely right, I am having these treatments and have no idea what is going on. I will visit my Dr when I can get an appointment and ask for the MRI. The pain I had this morning when I woke up (it woke me up actually) was right across my lower back and it stopped at my knees. I think this is only the second time I have had that. I once had sciatica many years ago, (I was 19 and pregnant) and I remember that pain very well but this is a different pain.
Thank you very much for your help, I will definitely ask for an MRI.
Carolineq8 sue-e
Posted
Ask to be referred to pain management they can do cortisone injections which may help, I have them and they work for me, also ask your doc to do some bloods and maybe see a rheumatologist but hopefully the injections will give you some relief 😊
sue-e Carolineq8
Posted
Hi Caroline, thank you for replying. I've heard of pain management and never actually thought to ask for it for myself. I saw a rheumatologist in 2011 and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis. I was a Childminder for over 20 years and always had a child hanging off my hip so that wouldn't have done me any favours I suppose.
CHICO_MARX sue-e
Posted
If you have pain emanating from your SI Joints, see a chiropractor. I've had locked SI's many, many times over the years. A chiro fixed them every time. Right now, after a TKR and back fusion, my SI Joints get hung up all the time. I see a chiropractor every two weeks to keep them moving correctly. No pills, no pain.
sue-e CHICO_MARX
Posted
CHICO_MARX sue-e
Posted