Hi. I have just turned 41 and was in so much pain in the last 2 months. I was diagnosed in April with bulging / herniated disc on L5/S1 and also degenarative disc disease. Sitting or standing and even walking makes my pain worse. Night time the pain is at it's worse. Pain is in my lower back, left buttock and shooting in the left or right of the groin. Did anybody here had the same horrible experience? Did anything help them? I am taking naproxen 500mg twice a day,co-codamol 30/500 1 or 2, 2 or 3 times a day, gabapentin 300mg at night. Thank you. Already had a steroid injection two months ago but the pain relief was only for about 2 weeks. My surgeon suggested another steroid injection or surgery to remove the hernia, followed eventualy by another surgery to remove the degenerated disc and fuse the two vertebras. All is super scarry for me as I am feeling that my life is upside down, not beeing able to look after my family, being in pain every day and with two surgeries on my spine looming around the corner. I have started phisiotherapy last week with first session of medical acupunture/ dry needling today. Can't see I have noticed a difference but I am hoping I will after a few sessions.
Your advice or experience is so welcomed.
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Alina80
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Ohhh you are my twin after yrs,of backache my back finally gave way mri showed bulging discs in my spine drug after drug sleepless nights and constantly being in agony is crippling me
I had a similar situation last year, although slightly different in that I have spondylolistheses in L4/L5 and a mild disc problem in L1/L2. So I understand that extreme pain and not being able to care for the family. I have trouble taking opioids and NSAIDs too, so once the initial pain dropped down a notch I had to stop taking them.
Slowly six months later it is tolerable. I am doing physio, but I have found a private physio (a lecturer from a university) that has been so much better than the NHS one. It has been a slow recovery, but I have realised that it has to be slow and gentle, I have to really pace myself and not do too much each day.
I hope things get better for you. Keep at the physio, but gently does it.
Hi yes, it’s how it started with me except it would shoot down the back of my leg into my foot, then my foot and lower leg went numb. Had CE and had a discectomy. Lots of people only need that one op and no more. So you never know you might be fine afterwards with gentle exercises and walking. I had another 2 discectomies at the same level you are having fun with. Unfortunately it kept on herniating and had to have a fusion last year. The fusion is a much harder op to recover from but not impossible. I am still having bother with nerve pain down my leg and my back is never going to be the same but it’s definitely getting better now. It’s been a long slog but I had little choice. I am getting stronger all the time now. If you first go for the the relatively easy op (discectomy) and see how you feel afterwards. It’s just a one night stay normally and then building up your strength afterwards and who knows you may never need anymore.
Sorry to hear about your issues. I have a couple of bulging discs and also DDD. Having suffered back pain for over thirty years the condition was finally diagnosed with MRI's. The frustration over the years coupled with pain has been exhausting. So much so I took retirement at 61. I've since had my hips replaced as they suffered from osteoarthritis which I'm told is also the issue with my lumber area and neck. Have had many injections over the years that have offered little help, sorry to say that physiotherapy was the same. As I head towards 65 I don't think anything else will be offered other than pain killers and pain management. I've been told that any operations that are available come with a high degree of risk which I'm not willing to take at the moment. Unfortunately the general medical contacts are limited in their knowledge, It's not until you get to see specialists that the facts are laid out. I would suggest you keep on at the NHS until you get definitive answers. I had to go to a private and expensive consultation to get answers, which was basically learn to live with it. Unfortunately my ability to do day to day tasks are limited and while I accept the conclusion my life is not a happy one. Good luck with your quest in finding a way forward with your pain and sorry I couldn't be positive about the expectations.
Hi Knuckledragger, I just had to reply I’m like you just undergoing ill health retirement I’m 62 with DDD like you I have paid and paid to get answers have been insulted and humiliated at nearly every turn and I hate well at your age with what you have what do you expect now I’m penalised for saying what I expect It certainly isn’t an easy road to walk and my life is certainly not a happy one either I’m quite bad tempered I’ve stopped pandering to the various egos of some medical professionals too and stopped drugs that make me bed bound and zombie like when people say what do you expect I say care and understanding so at my age I’m saving my money and doing what I can when I can
Hi Alina I was diagnosed with DDD and herniated L5 S1 about 7 years ago.I had surgery in 2019 but it hasn't help.I do however take nefopam which helps with my nerve pain. It's excellent as it blocks the signal from your brain to the pain.i hope you are okay, it is awful pain I know.i also take naproxen and amitriptyline.
Hi Alina80. I am sorry you are in so much pain and confused as to what to do.I got mechanical damage to my L5S1 and damaged my sciatic nerve on my right hip and down my right groin and leg. Excruciating pain at first. Luckily my doctors got me to a pain clinic and the surgeon gave me a cortisone injection to the spot. My relief lasted about 2 days so they put me on 1800mg of gabapentin. I had been in transformers which was useless and after about 3 weeks the gabapentin kicked in. Oh boy what a relief! However I was still in pain walking and moving so docs finally upped it to 2700mgs and naproxen 500mgs when needed. This seems to work quite well although I don’t like the effect naproxen has on my brain. I try not to do anything complicated when I take it. I’m a bit stupid though, I can’t sit still, have to be doing something so not helping myself to heal quickly. But the gabapentin does the job for me. See your docs and get them to up the gabapentin. It might help.
I take gabapentin 600mg I’n the morning and 900mg at night I take a mixture of tramadol ibuprofen paracetamol I never totally get rid of the pain but it helps me to live with itI have arthritis fibromyalgia and osteoporosis if I didn’t take them I would not be able to walk some times it’s unbearable and you carnt tell anyone how you truly feel as people would think you just moaning all the time sometimes I may try solphadine for a change
Coming up to 4 weeks ago, I stopped taking Pregabalin because of side effects and gross weight gain (and the NHS blames individuals for obesity!). Withdrawals are now minimal. But, something I've been trying to get answers to for years, without success is: what are the prognoses of degenerate lumbar scoliosis (which I have)? I know it's progressive, but progressing where and how?
Hi, I had the same thing with pregablin now on tramadol with an anti sickness knocks me off my feet as for trying to get help with any referrals is just near impossible, I’ve been told to just remember they’re dealing with covid and basically the nhs is on its knees now so nearing not fit for purpose but just what the govt want really as for overspill if you pay you get seen if not stiff upper lip and wear and tear i was even told I was a liar or it can’t be that bad well I do wonder if the country is going backward Take care 😊
Hi, I’m in a similar situation to yourself but not even managed to see anyone yet I’m in so much pain and unable to walk 😢 I rang the hospital today to ask about my referral and was told it’s going to be 60+ weeks, can I ask how do you get to see anyone from pain management? I’m really at a loss as what to do I have not been in work for 9 weeks now and need to get myself sorted before going back any ideas would be appreciated I’m currently taking naproxen twice a day and 300mg Gabapentin 3 x day also Tramadol every 6hrs and it’s doing nothing for my pain I feel so miserable. Thanks
Hi, so sorry you are not finding any relief with the medication. What helped me when I had a flare up was a steroid injection in the nerve root of my spine. That was done in May when I was in Romania to visit my family. It worked for about two weeks and then the pain came back gradually. From what I know here you need to see a spine specialist/surgeon or a pain medicine doctor. I know is hard to get an appointment. I had my appintment here privately but that was just to tell me the facts and to give me some gabapentin on top of what I already take ( cocodamol and naproxen) and wait for another month to see how I am doing. I am having phisio in the meantime as well, which is basicly a set of exercises to do at home, that are suitable for my back and also he does dry needling, a form of acupuncture. I had my first session on Tuesday and I can say that I had an almost pain free Wednesday but the pain came back the next day. I had another session today and I am hoping It will work again. The phisio also advised to do a few short, 10 minutes walks a day. I think the doctors tend to wait at least 12 weeks to see if the body starts to naturally heal and the pain starts to improve, before they consider surgery. I think you need to try so see if a steroid injection might be good for you. If you can't find any relief I wonder if you might be seen by a specialist if you go to A&E? Do you have an MRI scan or doctors report that explains about your spine?
Hi Alina, I’ve been suffering for 16 weeks now yes I have had a mri scan which says mild wedge shaped compression fractures in T9-T10 mild spondylosis with mild bilateral facet joint Osteoarthritis flavel ligament thickening of TH-LS spine T9-T10 circumferential disc bulge contacting but not compressing L5-S1 significant disc degeneration, disc flattening moderate circumferential disc bulge and disc osteophye complex moderately narrowed neuroforamina disc prolapses also visible contacting and probably irritating L5 small vertebral hemangiomas with degenerative non specific bone marrow changes also visible small sacral tarlovs cysts at S2-3 level small schmorls nodes and uneven vertebrae end plates of lower TH-LS.I don’t understand any of it to be honest and the guy I seen bluntly told me I don’t deal with chronic pain so has referred me to a consultant but the waiting list is 60+ weeks and I’m in so much pain I feel like I’m getting no help apart from GP handing me tablets that aren’t doing anything I’ve got my 1st physio ringing me on Monday but doubt I’m gonna be able to do anything but will try and find out how I can go to pain management as an injection sounds like what I would like to try I just need a break from pain and also get back to work I’ve been off 9 weeks now, do you work ? and if so how do you feel taking medication as I’m drowsy don’t feel like I can work while on all these tablets. Thanks Hazel x
Hi, I have L5/S1 prolapsed disc and DDD, living with all the pain and problems for years. I was initially on codeine and then tried some other things that didn't suit and am now settled on buprenorphine patches...but it wasn't my GP who told me about them (probably due to cost!) I don't sleep well and certainly don't have the same quality of life now but I think I do OK. Hopefully you'll find some relief soon. Be kind to yourself!
Hello there I am going thru the same I am at a point we’re I can hardly walk all I do is lay in bed most days I do get up to go outside and walk around but that’s getting hard even. I’ve been told not to lay around it makes it worse. Another one that irritates me is they tell me if I lii Iu she weight I’ve lost 25 pounds so far. I have the L5 S1 bulging disk. Tried physical therapy epidural injections nothing is helping. I take gamapentin and another pain Med I refuse to take narcotics. Surgery hasn’t been discussed yet either. I also want my life back I hate not being able to do anything. I just got a injection Tuesday it didn’t even work. My pain and trouble is my right side mostly and I’m a huge fall risk. I was in the medical field for 32 years and had to retire from it. I wish you luck your not alone I’m glad to have this app so I can talk to people like you guys who know what I’m going thru.
I too had siatica which I had for a very long time,so so pain full. The only medication that seems to help me was similar to what you are on ,but like you I could not sleep. But back than I was prescribed oramorph . The doctors are not really allowed to prescribe it . I do think what helped me sleep was amitriptlinei just hope you can get some relief soon ,take care
I have had alll you had had. Thhe ops no help iaam on a cocktail of drugs and had to give up a good job I loved 10years down the line i live with it sorry to say
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