sciatica

[dunnecm]

Hi This is my 1st post, nice to discover this group Having really bad sciatica at the moment...last 3 months...bechet's is also flared up during this time...have a disc bulged on my mri however its mild and not indicative of sciatica as per the report...just wondering if anyone has experience sciatica due to bechet's

..thanks

[Dan_NY]

Hi. Something like 12 years ago I had some fairly intense pain the doctor diagnosed as sciatica. It was never linked to Bechets, as my Bechets diagnosis came a year or so ago (though I have had this for much longer). Could it have been yet another related issue? Maybe/likely.. But nothing definitive. Mine went away after a few months and was somewhat mild.

[shazguy]

Hi my name is Sharon and I have had Behcet's for 25 years with all the usual ups and downs! I also suffered a "Bulging Disc" in 2009 which was pressing on the Sciatic nerve, Wow, I didn't know anything could be that painful !*!*! Physio' didn't help, Traction didn't help, Ultra-sound Chiro-practice didn't help, but thankfully Morphine through a drip finally managed to ease the pain - not completely but enough so I could breath in and out again. I know this all sounds a bit "Melodramatic" but believe me when a slipped disc is pressing on the sciatic nerve all the time and sitting aggravates it, standing aggravates it , walking aggravates it, believe me it is a huge drama !***! The only option left was to remove the disc completely which I happily agreed to. After the op' I was amazed how quickly I felt better, I practically danced out of the day ward and didn't suffer any set backs or infections or anything. Which as a Steroid Dependant, Immuno-suppressed Behcet's sufferer is a bloody miracle!

Unfortunately when I went for the 6 week post op check up I was told that he hadn't removed the disc and had instead put it back in and stitched the hole/tear back up.

When the same problem reoccurred in 2012 I was told "Oh yes, it will always be prone to coming out after a repair" What!!!!!

I related how well and easy the 1st op' went and asked if he would do the same op' again but this time actually remove the problem disc. I was told "No, that was a one time only op because scar tissue from that op' now prevents us from being able to accurately pinpoint where the disc is in relation to the Sciatic nerve and if we cut in the wrong place you could end up paralysed for life!. *****

The only thing on offer now is painkilling injections into the spine. which I have had twice now for 2 more flare ups. It does settle down when the inflammation goes down enough for the disc to slip back in, but it does also reoccur without cause. Because of the Inflammation I also wonder if it is related to Behcets but have been told that it isn't but rather that it is made worse by the whole over-active/ suppressed immune system that we have. My advice is that if offered have the Disc removed and stress that you DO NOT WANT A REPAIR. Hope this helps and sorry for the really, really long reply but I do go on and take ages to get it all out,

Much sympathy, understanding and love coming atcha,

[dunnecm in reply to shazguy]

Thanks Dan and Sharon...

Your response offers reassurance that the two conditions are not related...as u know most doc's have not encountered bechets so I fears sometimes that things will be missed accidently...think maybe its the road to diagnosis!...will take all your advice on board..thanks so much