how do y'all live with this???

[mellie67]

i am a 42 yr old female; have had back pain for as long as i can remember.  the sciatica started back in the early '90's when i became a nurse.  had a real intense episode back in '05 when preggers with my last kid.  have had minor episodes on and off since then until now.  i have the most intense pain running down the back of my left leg, all the way to the bottom of my foot which has numbness now for a week.  i don't work anymore but stay home and take care of my kids.  that makes pain management hard as i cannot take more than anaprox until my hubby gets home at night from work.  and the daily vicodan can't go on; not looking to becoming habituated.  cannot to the exercises as exacerbates the pain.  totally tanked my mri today as i learned i am EXTREMELY claustrophobic.  now will have to reschedule when my hubs can be there and can be given conscious sedation.  on a small unrelated aside--now know i definately will want to be cremated as opposed to buried in a casket.

now to my question; what do y'all do that really helps?  chriopractor?  acupuncture?  lots of drugs???  we are by no means rolling in the dough, so i have to stick with what my insurance will pay for.  just would like to know what has worked for others out there with the same problem.  thanks, mel

[mellie67]

thanks for all the suggestions....i have a 4 yr old and cannot take the narcotics during the day...already on 2400 mg of neurontin qd, anaprox, and skelaxin, which does offer some relief but i remain limited in what i can do.  this last "attack" has been the worst as i still have leg pain and some foot numbness.  before staying at home with my kids i was a nurse, so this has been a progressively getting worse problem for over 17 years.  did call today to get a mri set up that i can tolerate; either with medication or possiblely an open mri.  soon as i get the results i will clue y'all into what my problem is.  thanks again.

[helenlegs11]

Well narcotics may be PART of the answer, obviously masking the symptoms but not curing them, especially if you have had the problem for some time. (drugs will often help and even help cure short term sufferers)
I have gabapentin too plus tramadol and an antidepressant. Gabapentin (a drug 1st used for epileptics) stops the brain reading pain signals from the nerves (and you do have a sciatic nerve complaint)
BUT, you need that MRI scan.because you can't really know where your problem is, and therefore how to deal with it until you do know.
If your MRI rules out any disc and nerve impingement in the spine, check out piriformis syndrome. . . it's rare, but is a complete pain in the bum (literally) and can cause sciatica. You Tube/google it and see if any of your symptoms match.

[toolmaker]

Narcotics is the answer.

[squirtatious]

Based on my own experience, I would recommend seeking chiropractic care. They are experts in the muscular/skeletal system and I've had success with my chiropractor and the treatment plan he devised for me. Acupuncturel water therapy, physical therapy, decompression therapy, heat, ice, ect would all be great things to do until u can get that mri thay would more clearly demonstrate where your problem layed and what the exact nature was. Are your leg symptoms always there? Or intermitent? Nerve pain in the legs can far surpass any back pain from my experience, I understand!! *hugs* take care and keep us posted on how ur doing and what ur mri shows.

[opus88]

hi Millie, I feel for you dear. I have had sciatic pain for at least 15 yrs....for a long time deep therapeutic massage therapy helped, still does somewhat.
Have also been going to acupuncture treatments off and on for 4 yrs....this too helps somewhat.
Opiates do not help sciatica!!!
about 7 yrs ago I was put on a medication called neurontin (gabapentin) an anti seizure medication. this has given me alot of relief, of course it needed to be increased over the years to be therapeutic...the last 4 yrs I am taking 1800mg a day, last fall it was increased to 2700mg however the increase was of no further help as my doctor indicated is usually the case.....1800mg is the normal max. for nerve pain.

there are also other similar meds like Lyrica

I've been lucky even after taking the gaba for 7 yrs I really can't complain of any side effects....but there is a possiblity of many so research it well if you decide to give it a try....for me it was a god send!
good luck