Severe back pain only when lying down

I have something similar, except that the pain is always in the same place - from the right side lower bck/buttock and down the right leg to the knee. This started about one week ago, after two nights it went away for two nights, then came back again.

The pain comes on gradually when I lie down and intensifies - becoming very painful and waking me up after a couple of hours. At this point, each change in position brings a few seconds relief before the intense pain returns, and makes it impossible to go back to sleep. The best stragey, I have found is to get up for an hours or so, and then go back to bed. At this point, there is little more than some soreness, so back to sleep for a couple of hours until the pain become severe again.

The pain is an intense ache, feels muscular, but not cramp, and not trapped nerve. 

During the day, I the pain site feels a little sore, but no painful while I am standing, sitting, walking or exercising.

Other than the pain iteself, the main problem is lack of good sleep.

Does any one know what this is - and how to treat it?

About 5 or 6 weeks ago I started experiencing several back pain after sleeping in my bed.  On a few occasions I've worked really late in home office and fell asleep in my lazy boy office chair, and I awoke with zero back pain.  I've started to sleep in my chair now because it seems every time I sleep in my bed I wake up with stiffness or pain.  Have you experienced any relief from sleeping in a chair or at an incline? I'm not sure if sleeping in this position is healthy, but it has been working for me so far.

I have dealt with this for years. It seems to be due to IBS, i fasted a few days drinking water and was pain free. It could be intolerance or reaction to certain foods or additives. People with gluten issues have the back pain along with abdominal distention, i am a male and when it flares up i literally look pregnant. Still havent been able to single out what i eat or drink is the culprit.

I don't know if you solved your problem, but I had the same symptons - pain when lying down but not when sitting or standing.  I had a CT scan to look for spinal compression, and this revealed instead a large tumour which was pressing on my sciatic nerve when I was lying down.

I would suggest that anyone with these symptons get an abdominal CT scan. 

I landed up in hospital with this problem ,my pain is always on the bottom right hand side they said I have early degenetative Spondylosis.I have been to the physio 7 times and has eased the pain a bit ,but there is no way I can lie down and sleep does not matter the position I get such a strong pain on my right side and sometimes moves to my stomach I have to sleep sitting up only .I dont even go to bed I sleep better on my sofa Im on my third type of medicine taking brufen 400mg but doesnt help much, during the day im fine and all I have to do if i have pain is stand up its all gone... very fustrating and dont really know what to do anymore I also have been given exercisses by my physio but when i do them it hurts and sometimes land up with pain that i didnt have before i exercised  is this normal ?

Thanks

Joe

Hi Rebecca. I had the exact same thing for years. I tried everything (read my reply to Steve) and I had every test you can think of (MRI, scans, bone density, blood, I mean everything) look at week I had some pain in my stomach and right side and not just when I laid down. Went to ER and they diagnosed appendex, I was rush in for surgery and now I'm 10 days post op and I have not had any more issues when laying down. I can't say it was definitely my appendix all these years but man it feels good to lay in bed and breath and have no pain. I would suggest getting a ct scan of specifically your appendix, but be sure to get it when it's a time your back is acting up

hi i have suffered real bad withpain only when lying down and pain in the groins when itting a while. i have had all the painkillers under the sun - no good. however i saw a doctor a week ago and she gave me a muscle relaxant called Norflex and also 10 5mg diazipan tabs. firstnight i took one norflex and 2 diazipan ( 10 mg ) vast inmprovement. 2nd night i did the same - even better - 3rd night just one 5mg diazipad - totally pain free night. last night did the same and for the first time in years i slept the whole night through So get to the doc and say your pain is due to tension in your muscles of the lower back and insist on some kind of relaxant. Diazipan ( or Vaium as its better known ). doctors are always. reluctant to give this because it can be adictive - but i would say only to those with physicological disorders. So there you go - one happy pain free bunny!

ONIONS.....Toxic.

I have found that Onions course my pain.  Try not eat anything Garlic / Leek / Onion based and see if you suffer from this pain.

If I eat them I wake at 2 or 3 am in the morning unable to move as my back it killing me.  I get up and walk around and I am fine - then two hours later the same pain.

Hope this helps some people.  

Took a KFC burger full of Onions for me to click what was coursing my pain.

I'm 28 male I've had a few injurys involving my bk over the years nothing to serious mainly muscle strain for past two years I've not been able to sleep in bed due to waking in morning an not being able to move but if I sleep on the couch with cushions supporting the area that's sore an I wake up not as bad I have trouble straightening my back when I do I get sever pain an spasms in the middle to lower bk region this got worse when 2 year ago I woke up with pins an needles numbness from my feet to my thighs I went doctors an they fobbed me of sayin I was fine thankfully the numbness has gone yet I'm still in a lot if pain it hurts when I cough or sneeze goin up stairs everyday tasks are a struggle as long as I don't straighten my back I'm fine anyone any ideas

Rebecca,

Your letter describes my symptoms almost to a T! This came on me 2 months ago. I saw a back orthopedic specialist, unable to get any rest at night without resorting to sitting up and sleeping. My bed was a torture chamber! Long story short, he prescribed MRI test, diagnosis was spinal stenosis at l4-l5 resulting in nerve irritation/inflammation and pain. His treatment was epidural injection in that area to reduce inflammation. This helped enough to get me back in the bed through the night, with the help of pain pills. He said he could surgically "clean up" that area for more complete relief. I decided to see another doctor for second opinion before proceeding. That appt is in about 2 weeks. Will let you know how this goes. I would suggest you see a specialist and get a good diagnosis. Wish you the best in getting relief! Glenn102632

 

Hi,

I have been suffering from this pain long tome ago. My symptoms are exaclty like yours: feeling paralysis when the crisis appears ,cant move my leg (sometimes both), when I walk too much or do too much exercices the pain appear .it is several pain .I had to do a Mri ,nothing showed up .. I dont want my doctor to think im acting because the pain is there !! I cant do normal stuff ,like cooking cleaning stuff like that ... Nothing works,it is not muscles , and it appear mostly at night . I have been using medics a lot and nothing work . I cannot lay on my back ( I had to lay on my back for Mri and I suffered the whole time and days after !) I was so depressed because im not crazy and nothing showed up on Mri I didnt want them to think that Im lying... So I was hoping to see something on the internet and then I found this !

I suggest you prepare a detailed log of incidents that occur daily, including time, date, type, intensity, and duration of pain. Consult and review this with your doctor. If he can't give you a diagnosis and treatment plan, get all your records from him and get appt with another doctor. Their job is to diagnose and treat health problems. Good luck Rebecca. Pain, especially night pain, is hard to live with since you cannot get needed rest.

I have the same problem, did u get a answer?

Rebecca204 I probably don't belong as a responce but I hope you will tell me where to post this correctly.  Our problems are similar but I have no answers yet;

I have been plagued by lower back pain for a long time.  I can not lay flat without extreme pain so for almost a year and one half  I've slept in a recliner.  My Neurologist had an MRI taken and sent me to a pain management doctor.  I met the pain Dr for a consult and he explained I had three things  going on with my back...arthritis, 3 bulging discs and a vertebrae that protrudes about 1/3 of an inch.  He felt the arthritis was the pain culprit and scheduled me for a facet injection procedure.  I went in 2 days ago for the procedure and found myself in worse pain after the injections that when I arrived.  The pain was much like I have when laying flat, which in fact I had for 30 minutes.  Today, the doctors office called to tell me that he can't offer me anything since the injections didn't work and just left me hanging.  AAARGH...I am beside myself!  Can anyone help?  Where do I go from here!