Don't be afraid to ask your PCP for some chemicals; that's what they're for. I get so many young medical professionals that freak out when they see what I take. Bunch of Debbie Do-Gooders that think I'm gonna turn into a junkie and buy those dinosaur tranquilizers. I'm 65. I think it's a little too late to learn how to bang some street drugs into my veins. If I take the drugs as prescribed and keep them in my system more often than not that's all I need. To each his own.
Sciatica
- Thread starter pharman
- Start date
twodog max
Member
Before loading up on meds CAREFULLY read up on the side effects. The doctors have me taking gabapentin. I have almost all the side effects to one degree or another. At times they make me goofy as a road lizard. I have tried to quit but pain returns and then I can't sleep and my BP goes through the roof. Between a rock and a hard place is an accurate description.
What I have found is that there are many causes for sciatica pain. Until such time as an MRI reveals the exact cause of the pain, and there are many, your individual treatment course is an unknown. My biggest problem was an improperly read MRI that missed the real reason for the pain I had. The neurosurgeon found it right away. He also said surgery would cause more problems than it would fix. Anytime a surgeon says you do not need surgery stick with them.
What I have found is that there are many causes for sciatica pain. Until such time as an MRI reveals the exact cause of the pain, and there are many, your individual treatment course is an unknown. My biggest problem was an improperly read MRI that missed the real reason for the pain I had. The neurosurgeon found it right away. He also said surgery would cause more problems than it would fix. Anytime a surgeon says you do not need surgery stick with them.
Paul in Nevada
Member
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I fought this for months. What cured me were hip rotation exercises on a Pilates machine.
Beneficial exercises, massage therapy or chiropractic manipulation and acupuncture have gotten me through a crushed L1 vertebra and this current sciatica episode. We all need to keep active and pay attention to what we're doing while working or doing anything strenuous as we age, it ain't fun for most of us. I'm doing floor exercises every day for no less than fifteen minutes, just to stretch it out and with everything else I'm doing fine without any medication. I do take herbal supplements like Turmeric for inflammation and rub in a good CBD oil every evening before bed...seems to be working, every day is better than the one before, did some power washing on the patio and sidewalk today.
i fought what i thought was sciatica for 2 months before i went to a Back Doctor come to find L 3,4 and 5 Vertebra where out of line here it is 5 months later 6 pins and screws fusing them together surgery was last week on 27th . dont mess around to long
my nereves are just now waking up and have some pain until they calm down
my nereves are just now waking up and have some pain until they calm down
Last edited:
hemiram
Member
I've had at least some sciatica for about 24 years now. I was 42, and simply picked up an almost empty bag of cat litter (Maybe 1 pound left in it) and wow, was it bad. I missed almost 3 weeks of work from that first bout with it. It cleared up almost as suddenly as it started, I was hurting bad, and I had to deskunk one of my dogs, and bending over him in the tub made 90% of the pain disappear by the time I was done. By that night, it was totally gone. I would have spells of it about every 3-4 months, usually lasting 4-5 days. None was as bad as that first one.
This 3-4 months between spells coninued until 2007, when I severely injured myself in a stumble and fall. Since then, the intensity has diminished a lot, I don't have it bad enough to miss work or not do something I really want to do. But its almost always there a little if I'm standing up. If I stand still, it slowly intensifies to the point it's really unpleasant and at the same time, my right knee goes partially numb. My back is severely messed up, bad discs, arthritis, and other things are all happening at once. Tens devices sort of worked, but I would rather have the minor pain than the feeling it gave me. Salonpas and other "hot" stuff does nothing, rest seems to be the only thing that helps. I have had a couple of surgeons look at my back and both said, "Wow, you're really messed up!", both didn't recommend surgery, which was a shock. So far pain shots are a bust, they didn't work for my mom, either. PT was a disaster, as usual with my PT experiences. I'm only pain free sitting down. Lying flat on a bed is pretty bad, laying flat on an X-Ray table is almost as bad as it gets.
I see Oxycontin in my future.
This 3-4 months between spells coninued until 2007, when I severely injured myself in a stumble and fall. Since then, the intensity has diminished a lot, I don't have it bad enough to miss work or not do something I really want to do. But its almost always there a little if I'm standing up. If I stand still, it slowly intensifies to the point it's really unpleasant and at the same time, my right knee goes partially numb. My back is severely messed up, bad discs, arthritis, and other things are all happening at once. Tens devices sort of worked, but I would rather have the minor pain than the feeling it gave me. Salonpas and other "hot" stuff does nothing, rest seems to be the only thing that helps. I have had a couple of surgeons look at my back and both said, "Wow, you're really messed up!", both didn't recommend surgery, which was a shock. So far pain shots are a bust, they didn't work for my mom, either. PT was a disaster, as usual with my PT experiences. I'm only pain free sitting down. Lying flat on a bed is pretty bad, laying flat on an X-Ray table is almost as bad as it gets.
I see Oxycontin in my future.
7shooter
Member
The only thing that helps me is chiropractic although daily stretching ecercises seem to prevent the problem.
I tried this twice, but no luck. I believe the medical name is "nerve ablation".
