Orphenadrine

[ghoegap]

My hwp had been using ophenadrine some time ago and stopped because of fears around using anticholinergics. However, his unrelenting battle with sciatica has me wondering if it might not be worth taking the risk. He is a well person in every other way, but the pain has him battling to do exercise. He is managing to keep up some exercise but his beloved long ( up to 8 km) walks has been utterly curtailed.

[Boscoejean]

There seem to be medical devices to help with sciatica. Maybe the doctor would know if any of these could be effective. Several of them are shown online if you search medical devices for sciatica. You may need to find out if any of them are covered by insurance or if there is actual research that confirms that they are helpful. Some of them appear to have been cleared by the FDA but not sure how beneficial that would be but I guess that maybe if the FDA approves them they are not considered bogus.

blog.elitemedicalsupply.com....

My sister found epsom salt baths to be helpful for the pain. I also read that using arch supports can sometimes be helpful.

[MarionP in reply to Boscoejean]

When it comes to devices, FDA are not very much help and there are no guarantee of anything really. Devices are exempt from the serious kinds of examination and challenge that FDA is supposed to provide for drugs.

[Boscoejean]

spine-health.com/blog/massa...

[docjleonard55]

I have found reflexology to be helpful.When my wife was pregnant, she developed terrible sciatica. Having gotten a book on reflexology as a gift and out of concern for her sever pain, and her delicate condition, I looked up the points referring to sciatica. Unbelievably, it worked on the first try! Of course it had to be repeated but it stopped the pain cold after 5 minutes of treatment. You can look up the points, and technique, online. Good luck. I hope this helps,

[ghoegap]

Thanks to all for input!

[park_bear]

Sciatica is due to impingement upon the sciatic nerve as a result of degeneration of lumbar intervertebral discs. Fish oil has been shown to help intervertebral discs regenerate. Salmon is the best source of fish oil. I recovered from sciatica as a result of a diet with plenty of salmon. Further details here: tinyurl.com/27b3ahw7

[MBAnderson in reply to park_bear]

More excellent research from Wilderness Voice

[ghoegap]

Thanks! We have been trying that, salmon not readily available, we are in South Africa . Been using fish oil high dosage but no change thus far. Took your advice last go round and continuing with it. Some time ago he had been prescribed first Akineton and then when that became unavailable Norflex which is ophenadrine. It was prescribed by the neuro in a general manner for Parkinson's stiffness etc. My husband then became aware that is was an anticholinergic and worried about the side effects of long term use. I looked at the studies. Seemed serious. I just had the sense that his pain was worse since stopping the Norflex and I wondered if it was a risk worth taking in the short term. It was why my question involved the ophenadrine. It has been an ongoing battle. He sees a physio that specialises in parkinson's and stroke rehab once week, and does a group class with her as well once a week. Keeps up exercise as much as possible. Started high dosage PEA . Does stretches . He has been trying and doing whatever he can but can often only walk short distances before the pain is very bad . Even so he walks when he can, swims from time to time. He is using carbo levedopa, Thiamine , the usual array of stuff. Still need to get the proper B6!

[MarionP in reply to ghoegap]

Are you in a state where you can legally use cannabis? The jury is out experimentally on CBD but I would bet there are some people who think it helps for some things.

[Ghmac in reply to MarionP]

I read recently that CBD savue with just a drop or two of THC tincture was very helpful for pain.

[MarionP]

Any thoughts anybody about baclofen?

[ghoegap in reply to MarionP]

Thanks for responding. My original post was in order to question whether the reports on the bad effects of anti cholinergic drugs like for eg baclofen , norflex, akineton are justified. My hwp stopped using those because of fears around the links between using anticholinergics and the risk of dementia. He is using cbd and can up that use. If anyone has an opinion or insight into the real connection between anticholinergics and dementia in the elderly please do respond!

[MarionP in reply to ghoegap]

Well, everybody has their own opinion, just like everybody has their own arse.

My feeling is those fears can be overblown. There are much bigger forms of complicators and exacerbaters of senile dementia. If you were to worry about anything, it would be the anxiolytics based on benzodiazepines, but really only if used excessively, chronically, or in high doses. Sleep deprivation and excessive neurostimulation, lack of exercise and mental stimulation, non-REM sleep, antipsychotics, nutritional deficits, metabolic disorders that co-occur such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and the primary diseases of dementia themselves, and their degree, co-occurring mental illness, and also their degree, and co-occurring neurological disease, are of much greater proportional concern than antihistamines and anticholinergics... as a rule, since every case is unique and unique sensitivities abound. However management is appropriate because of the potential for inadvertent dependency, because the human brain and neural system is predicated on being/becoming addictive... It's not the drugs so much as our own brains, because habits and patterns and adaptation and addiction are all forms of very very powerful and necessary survival skills, in the sense of evolutionary survival... We evolved addicta-bility into our own brains a whole lot more than most people appreciate... It's why our own brains produce chemicals that, pound for pound or perhaps milligram per milligram, are more powerful at addicting than a great many substances we have found in the wild... including opiates (and use pretty much the same chemical mechanisms...tho recent chemistry has finally caught up to us). We only tend to notice and complain when things go wrong, but nevertheless they are operating all the time and underlie a great deal of our adaptability and success as a species.

Anyway, no I wouldn't fall off my chair in paroxisms of fear, such fear can be unnecessarily addicting too.

[ghoegap]

Yes thanks! always a problem with info in isolation!

[honeycombe3]

hi ghoegap, I am a 75yr old female retired teacher in UK diagnosed for 18yrs. Many years ago I was having problems with pain and mobility. My consultant was a gerontologist and was prepared to prescribe Orphenadrine although it was out of fashion. I took it with great success for over three yrs when I stopped because it was adversely affecting my cognitive abilitity.

[ghoegap in reply to honeycombe3]

Thanks! Good to hear from someone who has experience with this medication