Sciatica appointment

[Koalajane]

Just been to see doctor re my sciatica. I did ask if she thought it could be piriformis syndrome but she didn’t think so.

I have been prescribed amitrptyline (I think that is how you spell it) and cocodamol.

I can’t see there are any interactions with the amitriptyline and prednisolone.

Any thoughts would be welcome

[PMRpro Ambassador]

There are several on the forum taking both. I think you need to be careful what time you take the amitriptyline before bed to avoid a morning hangover effect - what dose are you on? MrsNails uses it I think

[Koalajane in reply to PMRpro]

I haven’t collected it yet but she said it would be a low dose

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Koalajane]

You need to take it no later than 7-7.30 pm -or you feeling hungover in morning..

[Koalajane in reply to PMRpro]

I have been given 10mg

[Koalajane]

Thank you for that. I have forgotten what it feels like to be hungover but I don’t think I want to experience it!

[MrsNails]

As DorsetLady says take by 7.00/7.30pm as it takes a while to ‘kick in’ & you will have slept off any after effects by the morning. They usually start you on 10mg/20mg dose but it definitely relaxes those muscles so hopefully it’ll help 🙏🏼

[Koalajane]

Thank you, I hope you are okay

[piglette]

I must admit no tablets seem to help my sciatica, which quite took my breath away. The only thing that worked was physio.

[Koalajane in reply to piglette]

I have physio booked for 4 weeks time

[piglette in reply to Koalajane]

I hope it helps but a long time to wait. There are exercises that help that Dr Google might give you.

[Koalajane in reply to piglette]

Thanks I have looked at some on the NHS sciatica page and done them. They are stretching the leg

[piglette in reply to Koalajane]

A friend showed me how to do them in the leisure centre cafe. She sat on the floor and looked as if she were putting her legs behind her ears! It got an audience.

[Koalajane in reply to piglette]

I bet!Not sure if I could manage that. Getting up from the floor is hard enough!

[piglette in reply to Koalajane]

Exactly what I thought, I did not join her!

[Pixix]

I’ve been on pred & amitryptylline for 2 years now with no drug interaction issues. I still have sciatica, sadly it didn’t help at all. I was given amitryptylline as a muscle relaxant to help with fibromyalgia. I have had to stop taking it because I started getting a bad tremor in my hand and arm, BUT one month after stopping amitryptylline the tremor is worse, so it wasn’t related!! Hope it helps you. I’m waiting to see my GP, but it looks as if my sciatica is compounded by osteoarthritis in my hip. I guess you don’t trust your GP to know if it’s OK to prescribe the two drugs together, hence this post! I think I thought there would be something built into dispensing software to stop the prescribing of two drugs that aren’t allowed to be taken together!!!

[Koalajane]

Just checking really. Dose is only 10mg so should be okay and hope it works although I have been told it takes a few weeks to kick in