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sarahsweets · Jan 08, 2022 at 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Discombobulated

I’ve had sciatica over 7 months now, although looking back I had the beginnings some time before. This is what they now term a chronic condition, in many people this will resolve in a few months but it hasn’t with me.

I’m taking low dose amitriptyline to act as a nerve damper and naproxen and paracetamol daily for the pain. They definitely help but they don’t get rid of it entirely and I still have a nasty flare up most days for at least part of the day. I can at least walk now and that helps, although I’ve given up running which I love. I do various stretches which help sometimes although not a full yoga routine as some moves are too much for me and aggravate the pain.

The physio said he’d refer me for imaging with a view to nerve injection/surgery if appropriate but I’m holding off for now. I’m wary of making matters worse tbh.

Has anyone any experience of this condition? Any advice? Either dealing with the pain or whether surgery or nerve injection helped you?

Well my husband has back issues not EXACTLY sciatica as the main issue but its part of it. Gabapentin helps some. He had the injection which was more of a precursar to nerve ablasion which worked really well for him for about 2 years. But he tweaks it at least twice a year and that requires a couple of days of rest. Hes done pt out the wazoo as well. I am not someone who pushes pain meds but for people in his (and maybe yours) predicaments I think certain patients should have temporary access to pain medicine above aleve, motrin and tylenol. I know the world is in freakout mode over the opiate epidemic, I get it. And daily narcotics are not necessarily suitable for these conditions, I get that. But the few times a year that something as simple as bending down to tie his shoe- can cause him to not walk right and be in tears does not need more pt. Doctors should also read the warnings and side effect profile of the OTC pain meds. Not pretty. I had a cousin accidentally od on OTC meds because her scoliosis was so painful and she didnt take any prescribed opiate. She didnt over do it via amount it was 7 straight days of the max dosages and she went into rapid organ failure. There has to be a middle ground. My husband has received shots of toradol in the office and says that has worked amazing and last fall he received 3 days of percocet and was much better.