20 y/o with bad sciatic nerve pain

[LexaS]

Hello. So here's my story,

6 days ago I woke up with a horrible stabbing pain in my right buttock that radiated down my leg to about my knee. I was still able to hobble around the house at this point. The day and weeks prior I suffered no injuries, no back pain, and I am only 20 years old. This came completely out of nowhere.

I let myself rest that day occasionally walking around but as the day went on the pain got much worse. By the end of the day I couldn't get myself up off the couch and I was in excruciating pain.

The next day was even worse, I couldn't move an inch, I was crying and screaming and my boyfriend couldn't even dress me. We called an ambulance, they had to give me a needle in bed to numb the pain and carry me out in my sheets as I was unable to move. At the hospital they gave me a shot of morphine and a small prescription of t3s and naproxen. The morphine was like magic, I walked out of the hospital on crutches that night feeling hopeful. They determined I had sciatic nerve pain, no scans were done to find the cause.

Each day since has been a mix of sadness and small bits of hope. Some mornings I've woken up feeling rather pain free but when I try to move I am reassured that the sharp feeling of pain is still there.

Everything I read says not to spend more than two days in bedrest but I am on day 6 and I am not even able to move myself into a more comfortable position.

It has improved, as in I am not screaming in pain without even moving, and I can actually get a couple hours of sleep in the night. But I want to get up and walk around so badly. I've been doing light stretches in bed every time I feel okay.

I can't even get out of bed to use to the washroom.

I need advice or at least to feel like I am not alone.

Has anyone experienced this? How long did it take you to get up? I'm tired of being afraid to cough, sneeze, and not knowing what the weather is like outside. I haven't been dressed for a week just laying here feeling like a lost cause. I need hope.

[Ph77-65twz]

Sounds awful just put my back out yesterday and had to ask my wife to help dress me. Ontbe positive side things can be done for sciatica, Physio therapy can help, personally with sciatica I found manipulation can help with normally osteopaths or chiropractors do although it all costs money, my Physio does manipulation and that's rare for Physio's. I ve had sciatica in the past and know the unpleasant effects. Known as a trapped nerve, it's important to get right advice hence the Physio after seeing a doctor. I wish you well and am really sorry your suffering with this. But things on the whole do get better over time although it doesn't feel like it, nobody realises just how bad back pain in any form is until they get injured. It might be worth googling national back pain association as they have an advice helpline but don't know off hand the number. Anyway try to be positive. Get on to your doctor as they can refer you for an MRI scan to see what's going on. Anyway all the very best to you and I hope your condition improves.

[flamenca1]

Hello Lexis

I was just like you. I could be in bed 5 days then I would be able to get up. I had injections but nothing helped. Had to go to the bathroom in a wheel chair screaming with pain using loo.

GP prescribed all kinds of tablets, Codeine, Tramadol etc. Eventually went to see a private Consultant who said I needed an MRI scan. It would take 2/3 months on NHS so decided to go private. Scan revealed a bone/spur growing between nerves.By this time I was on Morphine and Oramorph it knocked me out and helped the pain. This was prior to having an operation to shave the bone. It is brilliant, straight away I was painfree.

You need to ask GP to refer you to a Consultant ASAP. I feel for you. I never ever want that pain again. Don't know what I would have done without my husband.

Good luck.

[air4ce]

Hello LexaS...I know the pain you have described. The only cure for now is taking muscle relaxers and something to ward off the pain. The naproxene will reduce swelling in the tissue surrounding the sciatic nerve. Short term fix is about four days bed rest while using a heating pad. Use pillow to elevate your legs or place the pillows between your knees when sleeping on your side.

[LexaS]

Update; I am still in bed, today is day 9. I urge anyone who has experienced this to try taking b12 vitamins daily. I started last night and feel a DURASTIC improvement today, the pain is still there but so so much less than it was before. From a simple little vitamin, I can't believe it. My muscles are sore from bedrest but I'm going to continue taking this everyday and I will let you guys know how long it takes for me to be feeling totally normal again. So glad my boyfriend did a bit of extra research and got me the vitamin. I feel so much better!

[Helpforpain12 in reply to LexaS]

Hi I really think u need to get a scan asap as this sounds painful so think best to get this whatever it is that's causing it known so u know what to do, take for pain etc. I will try the B12 definitely as I'll do anything to take pain away so I'll let u know how get on so we can compare notes on this so thanks for that. Also I know u are sore I totally understand where you are coming from and I know u will say u can't it's very painful I get this too but try this what have u got to lose I did this on advice and it's unbelievable the help in taking pain away. Ok firstly go on floor sit on your knees as knees are on the floor your heels sitting at ur bum very very slowly put hands in front of you and slide very slowly as far as u can what we are aiming for is your heels dig into ur bum when this happens wriggle your heels a tad forceful while gently massaging ur sciatic nerve ( which is in at ur bum) and while wriggling heels into it you will feel a slight nerve discomfort shouldn't be very painful quite relaxing and repeating as often and as long as you want too then really does help!!!! Or get a tennis ball 🎾 place it under bum cheek and slightly roll over it slowly and it will also massage nerve. I have what u have too and this helps me I really hope it helps you. The tennis ball can be placed under bum even if laying it bed if too sore to get up but does work better with solid ground under ball. I hope this helps u as much as did me. Also YouTube have so many videos on relieving sciatica kinda like yoga and massages etc have a wee look 👀🤔 xx sorry just wanted to try make things better for you. Xxxx😬😊

[LexaS]

Thank you all for the help I will update tomorrow

[LexaS]

Update; today was day 12 of being bedridden. Although my sciatic is improving slightly I have developed stage 1 bedsores on my butt and keeping the pressure off is adding an extra problem I walked for a bit today though it hurt quite bad. I'm starting to feel like this is going to get worse before it gets better ugh

[LexaS]

Update; it is the morning of day 17, I sneezed yesterday and anyone whose experienced sciatic pain knows this can cause a lot of pain. It was super weird however when it happened i felt a crack and it actually somehow made me feel better!

In the last couple days I have been able to move around more in bed, it really is true that the more you move the better you feel. I've been sitting up when I can to change up my blood flow, makes me a bit dizzy but it has been helping for when I actually stand up.

I am finally seeing the light! Got up today without my boyfriends help (still using my crutches) but I was able to put weight on my leg without the pain increasing. Literally cried happy tears. I was only up for about 15 minutes to exercise my muscles as they still feel very weak but last time I got up it made me crazy nauseous so the improvement is insane! I'm still taking 2 Tylenol extra every 6 hours and a Motrin extra strength every six hours as well, planning to wean into something less strong in the coming days.

There is hope! As I said, today is day 17 and my goal is to be feeling almost myself again by the 21 day mark wish me luck!

[LexaS]

Hello everyone I am sorry I haven't given an update. I was finally able to return back to work and have been very busy making back the money that I lost in the time I was on bed rest. Today is the 2 month mark of the day I woke up with unbearable sciatic pain. I have gone to physio and they have given me exercises and stretches that I have completely ritually everyday. I still feel the pain but it feels more like a cramp or a light sting and it only happens when I sleep in a bad position or if I over exert my leg. I am going to get it checked up right away to ensure that I don't endure any long term damage. My advice for anyone experiencing this pain would be to have patience. I know from experience that's the last thing you want to hear but it's really true.

I stressed myself out by hoping I would just wake up and feel like myself again but it just doesn't work like that. This form of injury takes time to develop into a serious pain and therefore will also take plenty of time to recover from fully.

In my case we were able to discover that my disc actually ruptured, and that once the fluid inside was exposed to the areas in my body with blood flow, my immune system attacked the rupture thinking it was a foreign body.

This injury has surprisingly made me rather optimistic and I was actually happy to hear it was a rupture and not a slip because the chances of it reoccurring as it was are rather low.

Anyway if anyone has any questions I am always here to chat. And thanks again to everyone who helped me through the hardest times of my injury.

[3rohan]

I suffered from Sciatica but in left side of buttocks it was so painful that even I try to have simple punch movement it would be very painful.

I am Nepalese so this is what I did. We have vaidya, he told me my sciatica origin is at the last vertebrate bone. So every week he massaged over there and tried to move few nerves. I did that for whole 3 months. Then at China I did series of acupuncture from buttocks to toe, while I did swimming and sciatica stretch for 3 whole years. Additionally I sat like Japanese having my buttocks press my foot a hour per day. I experienced relief within a month of these practises and was able to heal myself a lot. However sciatica symptoms comes out if I work in a chair for 16 hours for 2 weeks continuously.

[LexaS in reply to 3rohan]

Today is officially a year after I woke up to the most severe sciatic pain I’ve felt in my life. After July 20,2017 I couldn’t walk on my own for a month and a half, and after that I was on crutches for three weeks. The pain comes and goes but it has never been immobilizing as it was. I stretch every single day and although I am not a fitness nut, I try to keep my core strong. I agree, that sitting makes it so much worse! I try to be up on my feet as much as I can, (not hard as I’m a waitress).

I just wanted to reply to say to anyone who may be suffering that the pain won’t last forever. I will never be more grateful for being able to be up and walking than i have been since this experience. Focus on the good, and enjoy how healthy we are and lucky to be alive! Good luck to anyone else dealing with these health issues. ❤️

[teddy30 in reply to LexaS]

Hi there, I am right now having the worst pain in my life! I cannot stand up with the severe cramping and tingling that happens when I try. Only going the toilet to pass urine twice a day cause it’s so painful. Feel horrendous and all I do is cry x