Sciatica

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Pansy4
Pansy4 Member Posts: 11
edited 3. May 2015, 03:58 in Living with Arthritis archive
Any tips on how to reduce sciatica pain? Also what do people find best pain relief for arthritis? What, if any, other then prescribed medication help?

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  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Pansy

    No meds got rid of my sciatica or even touched the pain. I had steroid injections by xray direction on 3 December 2009 and was told I had a 50/50 chance of it working for me. It DID! I have been sciatica free since then.

    I can no longer tolerate the usual anti inflams offered and only take Zapain - cocodamol - which does take the edge off my general OA pain. I can tolerate a couple of anti inflammatories but the gp prefers me not to take them long term as they have cardiovascular implications. I came off etoricoxib not so long ago at the GP's request and I agreed, which I had been on for years and my BP came down dramatically so I was able to stop taking the lisoprinol 2.5 and only take a water tablet now. Unfortunately all meds seem to have side effects of some kind or other.

    I wish you well,

    Elna
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hello Pansy4
    I have sciatic pain from the disc in my back or hip they are never sure, its awful pain so I feel for you, I take amytriptaline this helps in bed but not in the day,and I don't want to up it,like Elna I cant take antiiinflams, so I do stretching exercises the physio gave me, and they do help..but its not easy has most are done on the floor and I need OH to help me get down and up, hope you can get some relief very soon..
    Love
    Barbara
  • frogmella
    frogmella Member Posts: 1,111
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Amitriptyline will work but gabapentin will work all day without knocking you out so much. Normal painkillers don't work on nerve pain. Have you had a scan to see if the pain is caused by a prolapsed disc or anything? If the pain lasts more than 6 weeks you should play up for a scan, then you might get an injection etc. I know that pain so well - I had it for months/years. Nobody who hasn't had it understands.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    My mum struggled with sciatica for a couple of years. In the end it was around three months of hydrotherapy that sorted things.

    For my arthritis I use co-codamol 30/500, I get by on four per day; that leaves me room to up the dose or turn to the stronger stuff if needed. In my experience any form of pain relief only dulls the sharper edges and it always comes back. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • scozzie
    scozzie Member Posts: 333
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Pansy, I really feel for you!

    I had sciatica back in 1999, when I still lived in Oz, and like Elna had steroid injections by X-ray -- the first gave me only short term relief as they didn't quite get the right spot, but about a month later they tried again and I've been basically sciatica free since then ... I still occasionally get the odd twinge, but nothing much. At the time I was also receiving treatment from a physio who had only the second Pilates physio set-up gym in the state of Victoria and he had me doing various exercises to strengthen the smaller core muscles in my back and stomach. When I started Pilates with him not long after the sciatica started, when trying to touch my toes I could only reach my knees! After a few months of Pilates, prior to the first injection, I could reach my ankles, which is as far as I ever got! Lol!

    At the time I was also on a prescribed NSAID, can't remember which one (I know wasn't Ibuprofen, cos I self started on that and then the doc gave me something stronger, possibly Diclofenic) but it did help a little ... back in those days my stomach was ok with NSAIDs, but nowadays I need Omneprosol too! Of course, I was also taking 8-500 cocos for extra "relief" lol!

    I've also found that a good firm mattress is a must!

    Good luck!
    Scozzie
  • Fionabee
    Fionabee Member Posts: 146
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi Pansy. If you Google "cobra sciatica" you'll find an exercise that is supposed to help. I never used it, but a young woman I know who was suffering used it on recommendation of the physio an thought it helped.
    Do you know why you have sciatica, wear & tear or something more specific?
    DD is right, tablets dull things, but it's alwYs there. I take Tramulief 100mg SR @ bedtime and then fall back on Zapain (co codamol 30/500) as & when, but it bungs me up terribly so I try not to overdo it. Did take Gabapentin for a recurance of leg pain, it helped a bit.
    Advice these days is to keep moving, but sometimes I really want to yell "are you kidding" :-? Try hard to pace your chores & activities, but if you are still at work, that is easier said than done.
    Fby
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