Hi I suffer from arthritis but for the last 4 weeks I've been unable to stand for more than 4 mins at a time before the pain in my leg is so excruciatingly painful that I have to lie down with my legs up.
I have diagnosed this as sciatica and when I spoke to my doctor she agrees with me but as I have cocodamol for my arthritis she has not given me anything for it, she just said to get back to her in a week or 2 if it’s no better. Does anyone know anything that can help as I am unable to do anything that requires standing. I feel utterly useless. This occurred following 2 weeks of genuine influenza despite having the jab. I just don’t want to get up in the morning because of the pain and I feel thoroughly depressed as nothing I do seems to help. Did try some naproxen that I was given last July but my doctor doesn’t approve of it. Does anyone know how long sciatica lasts.
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I find sciatica absolutely excruciating. I have so far not found a painkiller that really touches it. I do go to a physio and that helps. I also bought a TENs machine.
Hi piglette Thanks for replying. It’s so frustrating not being able to do things like usual and I find it even more painful than my arthritis. I have got a tens machine which seems to help a bit but it doesn’t last. Perhaps I’m not using it enough. I’m a bit housebound so I can’t get to a physio. Keep hoping it will just go at the moment. 😂
A friend did show me some exercises which she showed me in the middle of a cafe! It looked like she was tying herself in a knot, much to the amusement of everyone else. There is no way I could do them, without the sciatica even! My only solution was time when it went away!
Thanks Madlegs but it is hard to get about . We are in our 80’s and don’t possess a car since my husband had a stroke. I have tried to do some stretches on YouTube but it seemed to make it worse. Might be I should try again though..😘
Suffered terribly with sciatica and found the only way to go was to find a comfortable position in bed and rest. I was prescribed tramadol. As time passed its got better but I still have to be careful how I move and bend. I was offered investigative surgery years ago in my lower spine with no guarantees they could fix things, and a physio advised against it so I didn't go ahead.
These days I'm dealing with OA, specifically in the left knee although its widespread. No car here either, I live with a partially sighted son who has agoraphobia life hasn't been easy for either of us. I recommend rest as much as possible xx I'm 76 in 2 weeks.
Hi Chrisj so sorry to hear your problems. I’m 80 next year and seem to be going downhill fast due to various problems but I feel so frustrated as I am unable to do hardly anything because of the pain . I thought my arthritis was bad enough but at least it didn’t stop me doing things. The pain was bearable but not so with sciatica..I too suffer with agoraphobia so I sympathise with you and your son.I hope things improve for you both. God Bless
Unfortunately the NHS messed me around for months before I eventually decided to see a private consultant who after a series of MRIs and other tests advised an op to reduce the bulging disk pressing into my sciatic nerve.
By this time I had became bed bound.
Here's the good news - the op proved to be a total success, I now have no sciatica with zero pain.
Yes, the private consultant and treatment was expensive but worth every penny.
Hopefully your pain can be managed with painkillers, exercises etc and an op won't be necessary.
So glad you got it sorted, it’s such an excruciating pain. Nothing seems to work for it so I’m going to try various things that have been recommended by the other members but I feel it may have to be a chiropractor or physio as it’s the only thing that seems to work with most of them
When I had acutely painful sciatica 7 years ago, like you I found the pain relief a locum GP prescribed didn't help. I had to sleep in a chair for 6 weeks because pain kept me awake when I was lying down, and walking was agony. Then a physio recommended I ask my GP about low dose amitriptyline, which has a history of being used for acute nerve pain. Adding 10mg each evening improved things enough for me to sleep in bed again. There's some info about it here. sportdoctorlondon.com/amitr...
It took 6 months of physio and chiropractic before I was completely better.
Thank you so much Belle 11 this is my fifth week and I am stuck on my settee. Too painful to stand up or even sit. I used to be on Amitriptyline some years ago and it did help me sleep well and my son in law used to take it for a pain in his back. I’ll speak to my GP about it .😘
My ex suffered from sciatica, unable to sit.A neighbour was a reflexologist, he did not even touch the area of pain, only massaged the sole of his foot and calf so gently that I thought at the time, what a waste of time and money! But to our amazement the pain was gone in about 30 to 40 mins.He gave him 2 more sessions the next two weeks just to make sure and that was it.
I lost contact with that person else I would send his details. Not sure all reflexologists have this gift but he certainly did so worth investigating. He also cured my 3 day insomnia with just one head massage.
wow that’s amazing. I did find using a tens machine on the heel of my foot took away the pain from the bottom of my foot. Perhaps I should persevere and try massaging my foot. Anything’s worth a try. 😘
so so sorry for you, pain is so debilitating. I think from my brother having similar, it lasts until the sciatic nerve is moved surgically, sometimes it gets A little better then reoccurs , so my brother had the op. He’s fine now, at 71 he is asfit as a fifty year old.
I am 71 and have recurring sciatica usually triggered by long flights or car journeys. generally can deal with it with yoga but my last bout was so bad I went to a chiropractor- I walked out of the session pain free - went back for one more session the following week and do daily yoga to stretch glutes, lower back and hip flexors to keep it all moving. I use Adrienne’s Yoga on You Tube but there are some that offer seated yoga for lower back and sciatica that with daily practice will gradually release the nerve. It can initially be painful but you have to persist. Usually sciatica comes from nerves in lower back and often your glutes will trap the nerve.
Thanks for the advice kiwitravellor I will give YouTube a try again I am just a bit wary of doing more damage but will def try hot bath as usually shower. 🥰
if I had a flare up of back pain and sciatica I would normally get diazepam on top of tramadol. Tens was also good but more distracting than pin relief. Hot bath as well as Ibrugel rubbed in after.
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