So Miserable
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hi, I'm a 34 year old mother of three young children. I recently started suffering from sciatica about two months ago. I had a MRI and the doctors told me I had a pretty bad herniated disk. I took the shot in my back about 5weeks ago because the pain was so horrible. I couldnt walk, eat or take care of my children. I had to quit my job because I couldnt lift, bend. The shot worked, my pain decreased about 70%. I still had numbness but aleast I could take care of my children. Oh, and I stopped every medication, muscle relaxer the doctors prescribed to me. Not that it ever worked for me. Anyway, I had a few deep tissue massages after the shot to help loosen the muscles in my leg. It helped somewhat. Now, the pain is back. I have to take Advil 400 mg every four to five hours to perform everyday tasks. I cant sleep more than four hours because I wake up in horrible pain. Then I have to lay in bed in pain crying out until the medication works about a hour later. When I get out of bed in the morning I scream out in pain. I'm just really worried of my kids constantly seeing me in pain or crying. I'm loosing hope! I have an appointment for another injection this Friday. But I dont want to depend on those for the rest of my life and I know all this advil is dangerous. SORRY for the long rant, but my family doesnt understand how painful sciatica is and Im feeling depressed. Please help! Oh, and the doctor said my herinated disk could could be caused from just picking up my children the wrong way. I never started PT due to the pain.
0 likes, 17 replies
jimkim002 Pam2169
Posted
I think they can operate on your vertebra, I hope so. good luck.
jimkim002 Pam2169
Posted
https://www.spine-health.com/video/lumbar-microdiscectomy-surgery-video a good informative link
Kookywit Pam2169
Posted
Herniated discs can, should be operated. There is a patient here that has done every treatment available & he knows a lot, his name is Chico Marx. Your muscles are weak and muscles support the spine, one gets herniated discs from having weak muscles , little exercise and bad posture, in your case lifting the children up the wrong way. BUT you should be able to get it operated , meanwhile perhaps a Chiropractioner could help you.
Pam2169
Posted
Ok, I was hoping to avoid surgery since I need to care for my children. Thank you!
harpoon Pam2169
Posted
I've had a minor herniated disc in my 20's and it eventually "went back" into place with a couple weeks rest. Anyway, look for and get link of Chico Marx in this forum.
Kookywit Pam2169
Posted
Weight training is the best way to prevent Herniated discs. Contrary to popular thought, discs DON'T get slipped. They become dehydrated or damaged by incorrect posture and a sedentary way of life. If you strengthen the core and muscles surrounding your bones you'll be able to overcome any back problems.
If you think that surgery is the best way to go, yes look for Chico Marx. He's been through it all, but then he was a sportsman. Yoga is another way of strengthening the muscles so they support the bones and correct bad posture etc.
betty44 Pam2169
Posted
Hi Pam,
Not sure if you are still looking at this, or what your situation is now, but I feel like I could have written the majority of what you wrote in regards to pain!
I started suffering from excruciating back pain last February 2018) - to the point where even standing straight was bringing me to tears. An Emergency room visit, X-Ray and then MRI showed I had a slight disc bulge. Went to chiropractor and then to PT., as well as pilates over the next few months with nothing helping. Back pain wasn't to the level it was, but did still hurt. Then august hits and I start getting the Sciatica. Went back to Dr, tried more PT but nothing helped, and honestly, the PT moves started hurting me more. By the time it got to September, I was in excruciating pain again - even coughing or sneezing screwed me up.
Dr kept suggesting heat and ibuprofen, but I pushed for another MRI. Got sent to spine specialist who agreed another MRI was way to go - it showed the disc had herniated more and was pushing on my sciatic nerve. Had a steroid injection in both sides of my back - helped the right side, but did nothing for the left (which is the bulk of the protrusion). Had another injection just on the left, and it certainly helped with the back pain but the sciatic pain stuck around.
Was then prescribed anti-depressants for the pain, which did nothing (except give me horrible headaches and nausea when I came off them), then I was prescribed seizure medication, which I ended up refusing to take as I was given 360 pills that were a 30 day supply...!! Ridiculous - I don't want to take that many. Got referred to a surgeon who has said that microdiscectomy is the way to go - scheduled in for 15th May. However, due to the length of time I've had this issue, there is a chance it may not completely rid me of the pain.
Like yourself, I wake up pretty much every night at 2pm in pain, and am unable to get back to sleep, so I cry. Even putting on socks/pants in the morning hurts.
Whilst weak back muscles play a part, I challenge people who say it only happens to people with a non-active lifestyle. Up until this, I was an avid hiker, exercised every morning for an hour (with weights and body weight), went walking for over an hour multiple times a day and did a spin class 5 days a week (ironically, the spin class causes me little to no pain, so luckily I am able to continue this). And I am also not overweight, so that's not it either.
Would love an update on your situation!!
Pam2169 betty44
Posted
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I got the first steriod shot in my back within 5 weeks I was back to being in pain. The first couple of weeks I was still in pain. But it was manageable , I was still taking advil. But I cut it down to one pill a day. Thank GOD the pain went away. Once a while I get back pain or stiffness. Or get pain in leg or in my foot . Mostly in the morning when I wake up . I feel like the doctor is truly my guardian ANGEL. I was getting to a really dark place and depression with statica. I have three young children so surgery isnt a option. I HAD to push through the pain to do daily activties. I really understand your pain and frustration. You wake up in pain take pain medication only to be in pain in a few hours. I just will say start off slow and increase activity daily. I read on here to decrease medication and pill killers in half. It worked! Good luck and I PRAY you get back to your old self! PLEASE contact me. I KNOW how lonely this can be no one understood how much pain I was in! Take Care ❤
betty44 Pam2169
Posted
I'm glad to hear the pain went away for the most part!!! I hope it continues to go that way.
You're so right - it's all very depressing, and very few people in your life truly understand, so to most people it just sounds like we're complaining about nothing.
I'm hoping the surgery works for me...
I wish you well on your road to recovery and I hope that it continues to be a good one now you have a good doctor!!!
lloyd32048 Pam2169
Posted
smile at the world pam and the world will smile back ,
not to sure who said that to me i hope i cant or wont remember .
i had a reaction ti an epidural steroid injection
last year coowee 50 days of pain , 7/10 pain hardly geting out of bed struggling to just get to the shops in those 50 days was coowee like a mountain climbing experdition .
the pain isnt going to kill you its a mind game nerve pain turn it into a game, its not a nice game but war with the nerve pain as honestly the pain wont kill you it grinds you down tell you a story that brought my sciatica back on after my 6 weeks shall i after my operation and it broke me heart when those jabs came back 😃 constipated 4 days no poo went for a poo stopping double hernia intestine from sinking south anyway vroom done down stairs kitchen i was in and drip drip drip thought nooooo whats that then looked and bath was all full up with poo water and toilet was overflowing truly all over my floor sinking through the floor down the walls back ache numb foot anyway so scooping toilet throwing it out the window as when i was plundging the bath it came out the toilet what a game was a foot as on me knees i was in smelly water couldnt work out what was going on turned house mains of and away i went plundging on my knees doing it as back was aching anyway anyway aod paying £300 for a plumber not in the world of paying out that type of money got it unblocked crap up past my elbows but did it back was aching but thought coowee well done type of thing went to the shop bought some mr muscle and few other things wasnt a heavy bag and zap zap zap sciatical went down me leg it didnt drop me though but got home and a few more times 6 weeks if taking it easy after that operation i had taking everything sensible and vroom but took me a day to scoop me self up . hopfully if was just the toilet games what went on so doctor put me on gabapentin 30mg 3 times a day they seem to of taken the sting out of things starting to read about everyone moaning about gabapentin but how about that then for a sciatica story to come back and haunt me , you be strong pam its not nice and you have lots of options to be going at you fight it though as you will honestly you will look back and laugh at it and the situations you powered through there is that saying its not how your knocked down its how you bounce back up so dont be crying as it will get better put your boxing gloves on x 😃
Pam2169 lloyd32048
Posted
lol your story made me laugh! I totally agree its a mind game. Stay strong❤
lloyd32048 Pam2169
Posted
XXXXXXXXXX 😃 xxxxxxxxx
thought it would make you laugh ummm wasnt laughing at the time but wiped it of page turned 😃 you stay strong one lloyd is around show you a picture of me strimming the grass on me knees as well thats a laugh and a half to lol dont like to here you crying
thats why i sent my poo down the wall story to make you laugh 😃 x onwards fight it xxx
lloyd32048 Pam2169
Posted
you doing ok pam with your brain game of pain hope you got it under control been testing these gabapentin out on nerve pain and if you are still suffering i recon gabapentin would take you through the pain game so if stuck and in a state of being upset on your pain give gabapentin a go they will take a day or so to get into them but they do work good on nerve pain trust me tried them tried jumping of them as well and i wouldnt say that was much to worry about either .
had all the epidural steroid injections and if they are not working so well then the next step is an operation but truly i would only say operation if you have blunting or no feeling in feet or legs or any other place,
not an expert on nerve pain but coowee an A+ i have in trying to deal with nerve pain as chyropract and all sorts gabapentin is my thoughts on hitting your nerve pain onwards x
jimkim002 Pam2169
Posted
injection helped me. another injection might help you some more. I agree too many pills is not a answer. Surgery can help, it is difficult to find a Surgeon. Good luck,
harpoon Pam2169
Posted
Degenerative Disc Disease with sciatica and stenosis here. 61 years old.
Careful about chiropractic therapy. I've had my issues 2 1/2 years. Finally went to a chiropractor and after 5 session over two months I developed a torn IS joint which caused pariformis which caused my knee to "track" incorrectly. So now I have a limp, with leg, buttocks, and foot pain. Going to a Sports PT which is slowly having results. For me it stretching, which needs to be a lifetime lifestyle.
betty44 harpoon
Posted
agreed - I think my stint at the chiropractor made it so much worse!!
Sorry you went through that 😦