Advice please!

[Bevvy]

I actually use a different community but this one was mentioned so I thought I would have a look.

I have multiple issues but am concerned about pain that is uncontrolled!

For 2 years plus I have had chronic cyatica (apologies for spelling) chronic back pain!

I am now taking maximum co-codomol and have to take every day. When pain is severe this does not help! My GP has thought about other pain meds and is aware what next stage of meds would be from pain clinic. However I am taking heavy duty meds for depression and she can't pescribe them.

I have seen a physio, chiropractor (privately) and osteopath.

Any suggestions what I could take when pain severe?

Thanks

[earthwitch]

May sound a bit stupid when you are taking strong opiate pain killers already, but have you tried NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen? The reason I'm saying that, is that they are excellent at dealing with inflammation, and if there is an inflammatory component to the pain, then you could find that NSAIDs actually deal with it better than non-anti-inflammatory pain meds. You should be able to take NSAIDs with cocodamol safely, as long as you don't get an NSAID that also has paracetamol in it.

Other than that, I;d suggest asking for referral to pain clinic - your GP may think they know it all, but its more than just adding in extra drugs - Pain clinic doctors are specialists and they can give you advice on how to adjust your meds to give you one set of meds for regular pain control, but then allow you to have a strategy to deal with breakthrough pain. They may also offer you steroid+anaesthetic injections directly into the area that are long acting (and usually have to be done under ultrasound or xray guidance, so the GP can't really do them). I got really excellent advise and assistance from a Pain Clinic when I had got to the max cocodomal dose too - I also have similar problems with meds in that I am intolerant of quite a lot of stuff, and that limited what GP could give me.

[Bananas5]

Hello Bevvy

Not good if you are mexed out on one pain med.

I agre with Earthwitch - get a referal to Pain Clinic. They are excellent and will ofer you pain management rather than just dishing out more meds.

Que often the pain nurse there is as knowledgable as the consultant and easier to see¬ She will know all the different combinations of drugs and can offer alternative therapies too. Acupuncture can work for some people and be very beneficial where it is muscle pain.

We are licky as the consultant knows us well and advice for David can usually be given over the phone. But that is a very long way down the chronic pain line.

Good Luck

Pat x

[Bevvy in reply to Bananas5]

Thanks for replies. I HAVE tried ibruprofen even though I shouldn't.... I have COPD and severe asthma so shouldn't take it.

Will talk to GP about pain clinic. Difficulty is that due to change gp soon cos moved. But not had run of good enough health to change gp!! But will talk to her about pain clinic. Just had load of blood tests to double check nothing more serious going on.

[briar-rose]

Hey there, have to agree with the others pain clinic is a must, but you may want to try some fennel tea (most health food store stock it) fennel helps with nerve pain, i try and drink 3/4 cups a day, it tastes very aniseed but a spoonful of honey (or two) soon sweetens it up, it doesn't kill the pain but does help take the edge off, and it is safe to take with co-codamol (that's what i am taking for crps) hope this helps. Stay well.

Amy.

[Coastwalker]

Low vitamin D bloods can be one of the causes of sciatica and back pain, not saying you have low vitamin D or are D deficient, but 80%+ of us do and many do not know they are deficient or low till they get blood tested.

Also people who stay indoor a lot are prone to Low D.

Does your sciatica and back pain get any better in the warmer sunnier months Bevvy ?

[Bevvy in reply to Coastwalker]

Can't say I have noticed improvement in the summer.

I am taking vitamin D supplements over the winter months due to another condition so that handy! I do try to spend time outside when weather improves.

Thank you for your thoughts

[Coastwalker in reply to Bevvy]

You are welcome, good to hear you already take D supplements Bevvy, just make sure it's a good dose of vit D.

Can check correct dose amounts on the vitamindcouncil

Doctor gave me 1000iu of D3 (due to me being unknowingly D deficient) and it got rid of my sciatica, hips, leg, back, tailbone pains for almost a week then all pains came back, I was told by members on my site to look on the vitamindcouncil, I then upped my dose to the recomended level and all pains went almost overnight, if I forget to take my D3 I soon notice it as it all comes back and I am in agony again.

[Hidden]

Hello

i understand you are on a different site that is not connected to these pains, So I do not know what medications you are taking

The sciatic nerve can be painful and there are several thing you could try,

You can try NSIDs and stronger medications such as Tramadol type,drugs, with the sciatic nerve been effected some anti-depressants can help such as Amytryptalene.

You can also use a Multi Channel Tens machine as a nerve block, you could ask a pysio to show how to use the TENS although I would recommend for all above to discuss your problem with a GP and make an appointment with a Pain Clinic, they would supply you with the machine if feeling generous