Hi there,
Sorry to start my first post by looking for help but am getting increasingly desperate.
I'm a married man of 43, I was in quite a physical job when I had an attack of sciatica 7 years ago. To cut a long story short - I had to give up working. I've been in pretty much constant pain in back, hips, left leg since. Pain and mobility got worse over last 2 years, went back to go as cant do physio exercises - these days I can't stand for more than a minute or two before back locks up and shake violently and have to sit or lay down. When I went back to gp on top of the tablets I take - they put me on bu trans patches with a view to putting them up every couple of weeks until they did something. Got up to 15mcg then other gp sent me back to pain clinic. They said due to my ruptured discs, surgery not an option. Injections too risky due to infection and didn't have anything good to say about morphine products.
I am on 400 tramadol
. 8 x 30/500 co codamol
. 3 ibuprofen 400
Bu trans 10 mcg & 5 mcg
The patches do nothing, the tablets don't do much, but if I forget them it is worse so they must do something. I can't do anything these days which involves moving my back or torso without increased pain and cramps. I spend most of the time on the bed to try and ease the pain. I get out about once a month if I have to and my poor wife is having to do everything.
When the letter comes through from the pain clinic in going back to gp and would really appreciate any advice on the way to go on the painkiller front. I understand we are all different and shouldn't prescribe but general experience/knowledge based advice would be greatly appreciated as I'm struggling to find anything that helps make this pain bearable.
Thanks very much and sorry to bend your ears
Scott