About a month ago, what I believe to be my sciatic nerve started giving me problems. Whenever I sit or lay down, I get a sharp pain starting in my lower back and shoots down the back of my right leg, which then turns to a dull, throbbing pain in my ankle. Once I get up and start moving around, the pain goes away and I don't have any problems moving or bending, but it's prevented me from relaxing or even getting a decent night's sleep in weeks. The pain is so intense that it wakes me up out of a dead sleep before the sun even starts to come up, and for the first hour or so I'm awake, I walk around like I ran backwards through a corn field with my pants down, so to speak. I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this, or something similar before, and what they did to get some relief. I'm desperate, and could use any help I can get... Some things I've already tried: First, the doctor is out of the question, as I have no health insurance. Nor do I want to go to the emergency room, just to have a doctor give me a prescription for something I can buy o.t.c. for a fraction of the price that isn't going to work anyways, and then have a gigantic bill to deal with. Despite my screen name, I don't take prescription pills for fun/to get high... but in the last month, I've taken more stuff than I have in the past 10 years. Some of the things I've tried are (please forgive the spellings, again, I'm not too familiar with pharmaceutical drugs) Vicodin (big waste of time and money), percocet (kinda helped keep me asleep for a bit longer, but did nothing for the pain), neurotin(from what I've read on medical sites, used to treat nerve pain. It kinda helped for a few hours), as well as various other pain pills, anti-inflamitory pills, muscle relaxers, and even zanex and valliums (I figured, hell, if I'm gonna be in pain, at least I can be happy about it for a few hours...lol) I've also tried stretching, hot and cold treatments, massages (even the happy ending didn't help....much ) The only thing that gives me any relief and lets me sleep all night is to take 3 (or sometimes more) percocets and drink with them. Now, before I get lectured on the dangers of doing such a thing, and even though a lot of my friends consider that a great way to spend the night, I have NO INTEREST in having to do that for any extended period of time. I'm not trying to become some pill popping junkie like so many of the people in my neighborhood. I'm trying to find another way to deal with this, preferably WITHOUT chemicals. Yeah, I have my fun, it's pretty obvious that I like to party, but I've never been the "Hey let's take a bunch of medicine to get high" kind of person. Any advice anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated, as I've been dealing with this for about a month and I'm really tired of having to go for 4a.m. walks every morning just to stop myself from sawing my own leg off. Again, something that DOESN'T involve drugs would be preferred. Thanks in advance. p.s. I really hope I don't get in trouble for posting this... I know there's a lot of references to things in this post that the mods/admins would probably prefer not to have on these boards, but after a month of the b.s., I'm desperate and am trying anything a this point. Mods, if this thread is not acceptable, I apologize and go ahead and lock/delete it if you see fit to do so.
Yeah, I think you're going to have to see a doctor on this, health insurance or not. Sooner is probably better, or the booze/percocet combo might mean you'll have to ask him about what's wrong with your liver as well.
I has issues too. Fortunately I have company benefits to cover chiro and physio, but as you said that's not an option. I don't know what you do for a living, but i sit all day and I got the company to buy an ergo chair that you actual kneel on creating less stress on back. Another thing to do is lay on your back on the floor with your legs up on a chair.
So I'm a Physician Assistant and see a lot of lower back issues, to include sciatica, in my job. But before I talk about your concerns, I would like to know how you managed to get Neurontin, Valium, Vicodin, Percocet, etc. without seeing a doctor? It's just--well, you've managed to get not just one or two but many prescription drugs, which I find...odd.
My guess is that the meds come through family. Does it really matter? As health care providers we aren't supposed to judge or withhold treatment based on our views. That being said, it may be a pinched nerve or a slipped disk causing the issues. A chiropracter may be able to help.
We're also not supposed to provide substandard care, which is difficult to avoid when done over the internet. It also matters because if he's getting the meds through...um, "alternative" routes," the dosing might be incorrect. For example, Neurontin can require gradual but steady increases in dose to be effective. Also, what kind of health care provider are you? Because while saying I shouldn't "judge" is one thing, but suggesting that a proper history is inappropriate is ridiculous.
Kind of surprised that if you want to manage it without drugs you haven't looked up homeopathic or herbal remedies...but in truth if its so bad you cannot sleep, you need to go to the emergency room. Even if you elect not to fill the prescriptions they will inevitably give you, at least you'll know what you're dealing with. --Moony
oh lawdie Homeopathic or herbal remedies? And hey, when those don't work, you can try psychic surgery or a sweat lodge or maybe just the power of positive thinking. HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE IS FRAUDULENT GARBAGE. I appreciate that position will offend some folks because it's "your opinion," but when opinions are potentially harmful, the right to voice them without opposition is essentially abdicated. Second, if it's so bad you can't sleep, you need to schedule an appointment with a primary care physician, NOT go to the Emergency Department. The ED treats emergencies--and pain for the last month, even pain so severe you can't sleep, isn't an emergency. And attitudes like that are one of the major causes of long wait lines and poor patient satisfaction in the ED. Finally, even if you did go to the ED, no, there's no guarantee you'll know what's wrong with you, since the ED isn't the Diagnostic Department. Determining the underlying cause of back pain can require the involvement of several specialists and often has more than one cause (specifically, depression is a common co-morbidity and possible contributing factor). EDIT: I'm not inherently opposed to herbal remedies, although I think presenting them as fundamentally different from medicines is intellectually dishonest, since both are just chemicals whose use is intended to correct pathology. But the lack of FDA oversight screams caveat emptor.
I have the same problem, and some things that have worked for me include: 1. Stop carrying a wallet in your back pocket!!!! 2. one of those braces for your chair with a lumbar support 3. I also have a prescription for Percs and a muscle relaxer if it gets really bad, but with steps 1&2 it doesn't that often. Remember, this is coming from someone who works sitting on his a$$, (school bus driver)
I didn't see you ask about a proper history. You asked where they obtained the drugs. I understand about meds and dosing. I am a Registered Nurse, since you asked.
I think those are both excellent suggestions. I forget about the wallet thing a lot because my patient population rarely carries their wallet in their back pocket (because we have like ten other pockets), but research has shown that can be a major contributor to back pain and should be one of the first things addressed. So yeah, excellent call! Gotta start somewhere. And if you have the good fortune to work in an environment where questioning patient motives isn't part of the job, I envy you. But you're right, "withholding care" is always inappropriate--however, determining the validity of complaints and ruling out secondary gain is just being a good provider. Not saying this is the OP, but for the lolz: YouTube - chronic pain patient in the ER
My great grandmother had something similar to what you had, we took her to the Emergency Room. I can't remember exactly what it was but after the operation she just had to take a pill for a month or so and she's never had the same problem since. I'll ask my parents about it to see if they know. Hope everything works out alright for you dude
Have you tried Acunpuncture? That's a option. Also, like others have said, see a doctor to get a definitive diagnosis and a possible treatment plan.
Sciatica....*shivers* Try an acupuncturist or a chiropractor if at all possible..second opinions..bless your heart. You're in my prayers...
Well, since you asked, some came from family. Some, well, I don't know what it's like where you live, but around here, it's not real hard to find someone selling their prescription. I'm 30 now, and I've known where to get prescription pills since about the 8th grade, and I don't even use them for "fun" like a lot of people I know or have known. You don't really think they're THAT hard to find, do you? And I'm not trying to be mean, but are you going with the "House" form of medical care, meaning the "I'm gonna be as big of a prick possible while I'm helping you" method? How could you sit there and eat popcorn at a time like this?!?!?! I see why you posted that though. I wasn't trying to start a war over medical advice, but I guess I temporarily forgot this was TFW. I actually did stop carrying it in my back pocket, and it helps while I'm in the car. That's good advice. Thankfully, it doesn't hurt while I'm at work since I rarely sit down for very long. I'm glad too, because pain pills and muscle relaxers make me sleepy. Everyone else- thanks for the suggestions. I'm kinda doing the kneeling chair thing(forgot the name of 'em...it's early), as in, I'm kneeling in front of my computer right now. lol. And we have a family friend that's a chiropractor. I didn't really give it much thought, because this is (In my EXPERT amateur, untrained medical opinion) a nerve issue, but I think I'll give him a call and see what he says. Someone asked why I didn't have medical insurance and what I did for a living. Well, since my dumb-ass didn't finish college, I work as a manager in a restaurant, and I only make $10/hr. After bills, that doesn't leave me with a whole lot of extra money to where I can justify racking up a few thousand in medical bills on top of that. Especially when doctors around here have a weird fetish for prescribing things like ibuprofen & Naproxin (Advil & Alieve, respectively) which I can just get from Walgreens without a doctor, and really don't work for anything other than a headache. I always wondered why doctors even write 'scripts for that stuff. I'd imagine that 99% of the people they prescribe that to come back and say it didn't help at all. As much of a smart-ass as I am, I really do appreciate everyone's help (wow, I just called myself a smart-ass, and a dumb-ass, all in the same post...So I guess if you can find a happy medium there, that would make me either a dumb smart-ass, or just an ass of moderate intelligence. lol)
