L5-SI back pain - sciatic nerve

[bjquil]

I have an L5-SI protruding annulus - with sciatic nerve damage on the left side (numbness in left leg). I am being seen at a pain management center and am in the middle of havng shots in my back. I have had a total of 4 so far - each one being in different areas.  After each injection they tell me it will take a few days for the shots to take affect, however I hurt worse and the pain intensifies.  The last shots I had were the worst - I know have numbness in the right side - the shot must have hit the sciatic nerve.  Now I have numbness in both legs.  I am taking tramado hcl 50mg and tizanidine hcl 4mg for the pain and muscle spasms.  I have an ulcer and am limited on what I take. Trying to sleep at night is stressful, I wake up every 2 - 3 hours in extreme pain.  I went through PT and that did not help - i was in more pain after wards.
I would like to hear from someone who has similar problems and what they have done.

[retiredbethany]

I have sharp stabbing dibilitating pain in my butt cheeks and the top of my legs that make my legs give out.  Can't hardly stand and walk in the morning and hollar ow ow ooow when trying to bend my core to sit.  I had a spinal fusion L4/L5 and a laminectomy 1 1/4 yr ago.  After the recuperation I felt like I had a new back for 4 or 5 months.  I am 61 and overweight (200) and 5'1/2", have severe arthritis and fibromyalgia since my mid 40's.  I've always lived on every diet, there is (people in my family who have weighed 350 - 500 lbs), feel I have bad genes (and habits).  Felt I should now  exercise, so was doing water aerobics because it doesn't hurt me.  Loved it!   Then pain started coming in my buttocks.  I was taking a Darvocet and Tizanidene and getting through the day.  After they kicked in I would have a fairly normal day with only occasionally stabbing.  But it comes back at night, probably cause the drugs have worn off.  It has gotten progressively worse week by week for the last 6 months and I had to give up exercising.  The back surgeon Dr. did xrays, then CT Scan.  It showed nothing that he could see to cause this problem.  Now he has me going to 4 weeks of physical therapy, it hurts terrible and doesn't seem to help, and taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen and Valium.  I felt I wasn't doing as good as on the Tizanidene so I'm stopping the Valiums and trying that with the Ibuprofen.  I will do this therapy, but I don't really expect it to help.  I go back to him in 6 weeks.  He said there was a slim chance a screw was minutely loose and causing this and he might have to go in and look.  OMG!  I think I'd need a 2nd and 3rd opinion first.  So depressing.

[nevadaguy79]

I don't think I saw this on here so i will give my 2 cents.  I am 29 with severe/chronic sciatic pain from herniated l5-s1.  I had a nerve root decompression in 2/2004 and I was pretty much OK til about a year ago.   My buddy told me that his dad smokes marijuana for his back pain, so I gave it a try.  Now realize that there are different types of marijuana just like there are different types of liquor.  Just like the difference between red label and blue label Johnny Walker, if you get good, medical grade marijuana, it DOES help A LOT with back pain.  Don't listen to all the haters and non-believers who are brainwashed by a society that is brainwashed as well.  Marijuana is not dangerous, is not a gateway, and I pretty much can promise you it will help with chronic back pain.  

[visi]

consider the physical therapy wqith traction,ultasound, and laser therapy this all wqill help you but not heal you.i have an herniated disc in l5 s1 it has been two years and still it hurts me.i dont knowq what to do more.i dont wqant to make surgery i am afraid.

[buddyanne]

i herniated s1, l5 with sciatica pain.  i was totally incapacitated for 4 weeks before i could have the surgery and lost 25 lbs in that month, which i needed to lose.  i took percocet every 4 hours around the clock. i had surgery feb 2 which really helped relieve the pain and am in pool therapy 3 times a week.  i still have sciatica pain which my dr. said could last 2 to 6 months due to the inflammation.  i hope to return to work april 3.  i went to a nuero surgeon in toledo ohio with excellent reputation.  i am really tired of the sciatica pain which i only take 1 percocet daily.  2/3 of herniated disc  pain can be resolved with physical therapy whereas i was the 1/3 who needed surgery.  my suggestion is go to a neurosurgeon - it is their specialty.   good luck and i definitely feel for you when it comes to the pain.  no one knows how awful it is until they go through it.   i am a rn with my bsn, and i will always take people's pain complaints seriously and hopefully give them as much relief as possible

[Angel92108]

My story is LS SI too ,but I found a doctor to help .. The DRX 9000 is what is doing the trick, if you are in San Diego, Dr Mike Mountain is who you should use he has undone decades old pain.No surgery!!!

[Mollyrae]

Hi Rocco;

You should start a new thread. It will be easier for members to respond. Tuck should be along sometime soon and I haven't seen Sharon in a very long time.
I'm glad you found the source of your pain. Lymes Disease can be painful.
Take care, Mollyrae