I have had bouts of sciatica over the years but none have been as bad as this one. It has been going on for 6 weeks now. The first 4 weeks it affected my left side right down to my left big toe. I was able to walk, even though the pain caused some discomfort. I always use a stick outdoors. After 4 weeks it moved to the middle of my back and was painful in the lumbar and coccyx area. I was still able to get around okay. However, on the Monday morning almost 2 weeks ago it had shifted to my right side and the pain is excruciating. I am having to use a stick indoors. I am really struggling to do the most basic tasks. The absolute worst thing about it, though, is that sometimes I lose control of my bladder because I cannot get to the toilet quickly enough. I am using maxi pads but on 2 occasions I have soaked right through to my jeans and also partially soaked my knickers. This is very degrading. I cannot go out while I am like this. I am worried about trying to get to the Drs because of my decreased mobility and also because I don't want to wet myself in the waiting room. When I get up from sitting my legs and feet don't seem to want to walk, so it takes me a few moments to get going by which time it is often too late. Just over a week ago, having phoned the GP's surgery, a nurse phoned me and she asked me if I'd like to see the Dr and I explained that I wouldn't be able to get there easily. I told her that my massage therapist suggested that I ask for a muscle relaxant. I had to wait for the GP to prescribe them but I am not sure that they have helped. In fact, I have been wondering if they might be the cause of me losing control of my bladder. Has anyone else experienced this? Any reassurance or advice would be much appreciated. Many thanks for reading my post.
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Ottolotto
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I’m afraid you need to go to A&E. Thete is a condition of the spine called cauda equina, where pressure on the spinal cord, can cause issues with the bladder. It is the me sensitive, and if left too long can be irreversible. It can also cause pain and weakness in the legs, and troubles with vowels. It can cause numbness in the saddle area. You don’t need to display all symptoms, but trouble with waterworks is a red flag, and needs investigating urgently. I was an orthopaedic nurse, and have nurses several people who were left with life changing outcomes, and ended up in a wheelchair. I hope it is not cauda equina, but it needs ruling out at hospital.
I totally agree when I had siatica in both legs last year,(which turned out to be osteoarthritis in both hips)I was always asked how was my water works lucky for me ok
As it is the weekend I suggest you either call 111 NOW & insist on speaking to a clinician……….what you describe can be a very nasty serious condition if you don’t get any satisfaction .,..please ,go to A&E .
Be patient because 111 Can be very irritating…..but do answer their questions calmly & you will get through to speak to somebody l
Just read to 111 what you have written here …& emphasise your lack of bladder control……….please do get to see a doctor…..NOW!
You absolutely definitely need to get yourself to A&E as soon as possible. I had an accident a couple of years ago and fractured my sacrum. It was agony to say the least but when I got to A&E the only thing they were interested in was ‘had I lost control of my bladder or bowels’. I knew that was caused by cauda equina. So I wouldn’t hang around any longer - you need to go visit A&E. As it is a Saturday today, your GP surgery is likely to be closed so don’t even bother to wait until your doctor opens again on Monday. As Runrig says it is potentially very serious.
Not to scare you but I was going to say the exact same thing as Runrig. I had these symptoms and my GP saw me and sent me straight to A&E as she said she couldn’t risk that it was cauda equina and it needed investigation quickly, she said it is one condition you will get an MRI for quickly. Please get it investigated.
Agree with all the others . This could be a medical emergency called Cauda Equina and needs to be sorted out as soon as possible. Please don’t wait - go to A&E. If it’s not that be relieved but if it is it could cause you untold problems and it’s very serious. Sorry to alarm you but you need to be seen asap. I too was an orthopaedic sister and this is a big red flag!
m GP sent me direct to a&e with a letter so 111 so they can either book you in or call an ambulance better this way I believe than taking yourself off but depends where you live and wait times. A simple scan will tell them and stop any fears or get treatment 🥰
Mine landed up being a very over active bladder issue and infection.
Ottolotto, please respond to let us know you’ve seen these messages. There is a tight window to irreparable damage, so I’m hoping you’ve been to A&E. please update us, as we are concerned for you. 🤗
As everyone on here has said, it sounds like causa equine. I have just been diagnosed with it. Do phone 111. The quicker you get seen the better. Good luck and take care.
Hi everyone, I am so sorry that you have been worried about me. Thank you all so much for your advice which I took straight away. I rang 111 but it took ages to get through. Eventually spoke to a nice chap who allocated an ambulance. An hour later a nurse from 999 called me and went through everything again and said she would send the ambulance and it would be with me within 2 hours. Nearly 3 hours later an ambulance turned up and the paramedics were lovely. Arrived at A&E at about 9.45pm and was triaged about 2 hours later. The dept was absolutely heaving with patients. At midnight I had blood tests and a bladder scan. 2 hours later I saw the A&E dr who was absolutely lovely. He did all sorts of tests and went off to contact the neuro-surgeon at Brighton Hospital which is about 40 miles away from where we live. He was gone for an hour and a half. Neurosurgeon is 99.9% sure that I don't have Caudia Equina. If he'd been certain I would have been rushed to Brighton Hopsital. Then the A&E dr spoke to the orthopaedic team. An orthopaedic doctor then came and saw me and went through everything. By this time it was about 6.00am. Unfortunately, my husband who is 80, has become very frail after a stroke 3 years ago and he is very unsteady on his feet and has been having falls where he falls backwards. This has been going on for months and he is now, finally, being thoroughly investigated. I need to be strong to look after him so the timing of my flare up is really awkward. The paramedics and the doctors are all very concerned that Ian, my husband, and I have been muddling along for so long trying to look after each other when neither of us are in good health. They are going to try to get us some support at home. In December, last year, I was behind my husband going up the stairs as I wanted to make sure he got up to bed safely. Unfortunately, when he got to the top he fell backwards and took me with him. We fell down 7 stairs (we are in a split level house with 3 sets of 7 stairs) and I bashed my head on the dining room door splitting the wood. We were both very fortunate that we didn't break any bones. We ended up in A&E after a 3 and a half hour wait for an ambulance. We then waited 5 and a half hours to see the dr. At the time my head was splitting and I had an egg shaped lump on the back of my head. I have osteo- arthritis in my lumbar spine so I always have back ache so I never mentioned the pain in my back and it wasn't x rayed. Also I was in shock so wasn't really thinking very straight. The A&E doctor I saw this morning was quite concerned that I never had an x ray of my spine at that time. We wonder if maybe my back as injured at the time of the fall and as I have been going about daily tasks it has become progressively worse. I was going to be admitted to a ward at about 6.00am this morning and then have an MRI scan of my lumbar spine tomorrow but, because my husband is so frail, I was given the option of coming home with him and returning in the morning at 7.30am to be admitted to SAU and have an MRI scan. The orthopaedic doctor said that I'll need to wait on the ward until the scans have been read and a decision made as to what they can do to help me. He thinks my problem is possibly degenerative. The trouble is I now have to do all the heavy jobs that my husband used to do. I applied for assisted bin collection and that was approved and started this week but the bin man took it to the lorry and emptied it and then left it on the pavement! I thought they were supposed to put it back! One of our nice neighbours noticed it had been left out and put it back for me. I have never felt so useless and helpless in my life. Having replacement knees, 10 years ago, was a doddle compared to this! Sorry that I have rambled on but I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for your timely advice. I appreciate all your responses to my post. Thank you all so much. I'll keep you posted after I have had my scan tomorrow. Take care of yourselves.
Oh my! Your story sounds so similar to my parents. You have so much going on. I just wonder whether the affect of the fall on your brain has been properly investigated. Were you given a brain scan? Did any bleed take place? Head injury support is shockingly bad and patients are often not given advice on symptoms that may occur after leaving hospital. Sometimes it takes a while for the symptoms to come up and the incontinence may be a brain neurology issue rather than spinal. If you did have a brain injury, Headway is a great support service. I will be praying for you and your husband xx
Thank you for your advice. I am seeing a urology nurse tomorrow so will mention this to her. I was not given a CT of my brain when I bashed my head falling down the stairs. XX
I’m so glad to hear you got to hospital and were seen. Even better that you got such lovely caring doctors. I hope you’ve had the MRI by now and that you can get to the bottom of whatever is wrong. You really have had a dreadful time.
Would you qualify for any sort of help at home to deal with the heavy jobs around the house? I’m sure someone at the hospital would be able to point you in the right direction.
Anyway, glad to hear you’re getting the care you need. Keep in touch with us. x
Dear Ottolotto, what a lot you have been through with your own health issues and your husband's. It is important that they do the MRI and check what is happening with your spine. I get sciatica and have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis and back pain. Had MRI and one done for cervical ( neck) pain. I was told that if I had bladder problems then I needed to see doctor immediately.
Hope that you can get some support at home. Has Social Services been contacted as they do assessments for help at home, what your needs are etc. - for both of you. That is important to make clear. Could you get advice from your local Age UK? Or your local Citizens Advice Bureau?
What a terrible ordeal you've been going through, both you and your husband, but I'm glad to hear you're now getting help. Good luck to you both, I hope things will now start to improve for you. 🙏 xx
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