Lower bad back and lower abdomen pains - sciatica?

[Riri]

Hia, after some advice. Want to my GP with lower back pains which radiates through to my lower abdomen. She did some examinations at the surgery and she has done bloods to test my ovaries which were clear. On the day, GP felt it may be muscular. It started to clear up last week and I thought as was out of the woods but the last few days have been terrible, it's a lot worse after sleeping so I am starting to think it may be my mattress/posture. I can hardly straighten up in the morning and the pain is above my bum but also through to my stomach at the very bottom. I'm not sure whether to just keep taking panadols or to go back. I'm wondering if it's sciatica? Anyone else on here had any experience of sciatica or muscular pain such as this? Sugars have been normalish doing all this - I have had to increase basal over the last 4-5 weeks but that could be period or weather related.

 

[iHs]

I had sciatica when I was in my 20's. Mine was caused by me stretching up to get a suitcase down from the top of my wardrobe. At the time, I had a job as a typist so was sitting down a fair bit and the pain started with a numbinb tingling sensation going down one leg and the only way I could relieve it was by standing up. I went to Gp who sent me for an xray and the results were that 2 discs in my lower spin had moved a bit and were touching on the sciatic nerve. What cured it??...........laying on my tummy in bed or laying on the floor, going for physio at hospital and using a tiny velcro wrap around corset

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[noblehead]

I would certainly go back and see your gp Riri. Mind if your mattress hasn't been changed for a long time it may well be your posture whilst sleeping, might be a good excuse to buy a new bed/mattress to see if it helps.

Hope things improve for you soon.

 

[Riri]

Thanks guys. I'm off to Greece next Tuesday and as it happens we're pushing the boat out and going to apartments that are a bit posher this time - they have only just opened (on the island of Symi) and they say that they have orthopedic mattresses. It will be a test maybe to see if it is the bed after all!! Normal villa mattresses on Symi are awful!!

 

[iHs]

Just a thought Riri.....you could buy yrself one of those blow up mattress beds to lie on b4 spending shed loads of money on new mattress. Fun and games blowing the thing up in the middle of the night.........nice lot of flatulence when it stsrts to go down lol

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[Beshlie]

Riri, I have had 2 attacks of sciatica, one lasting about 4 months, and found lying on my back in bed with a pillow or two under my knees helped as it kept my spine straight. It is usually down the one leg and with me the pain went into my foot too. I even had to sit to prepare meals. I don't recall pain in my stomach though but that doesn't mean to say you can't get it there. But you really should go back to see your dr, if nothing else but for some pain meds. If it's sciatica it will burn itself out eventually, but it's not a nice thing to have! Another thing which I found helpful, and still do for Fibro pain, is a TENS machine. I wouldn't be without it.

 

[Riri]

Thanks. Will try the pillows tonight. I have taken paracetamols in readyness for the night/morning pain. Was yours with you all the time or did it worsen through the night and at getting up time?

 

[Beshlie]

Thanks. Will try the pillows tonight. I have taken paracetamols in readyness for the night/morning pain. Was yours with you all the time or did it worsen through the night and at getting up time?

My sciatica pain was with me most of the time, except when I could take the pressure off the sciatic nerve and lower spine. The worse part about it in the night is that it keeps you awake, and it was worse when I was standing up. At times I didn't know how to sit, lie or stand! If I remember right I took Tramadol for the pain, or cocodamol, but Tramadol is better, so long as you don't take certain antidepressants. If you are thinking of buying a new mattress I recommend a medium posture spring, I found an orthopaedic one much too hard. If you choose to buy a TENS machine LLoyds Pharmacy (online) have some cheap ones, mine was about £10, which are good. They were recommended to me by someone else who suffered from sciatica. I do hope you get some relief from this pain.

 

[Deleted member 83869]

My sciatica pain is with me ALL the time no painkillers are working and I can barely sleep! I am trying to persuade my GP to give me tramadol but apparently 20 is too young to have it!!???

Have to wait till the end of July to see my orthopaedic and get the results for my MRI before they can do anything else

 

[Adele99]

An MRI during a 12 week episode of screaming sciatica in 2005 revealed I'd 4 prolapsed discs sitting on the nerve which had got inflamed. Thankfully it started to ease off , as they couldn't operate due to heart problems. Have had a couple of bad sciatica episodes since then, the most recent just last month, but in general if I'm careful with what I do, it doesn't cause me a lot of problems.

Last month was murder with no sleep and not being able to find any position to ease the sciatica, and I thought not another 12 weeks of this but it settled down again after 3weeks this time. Very happy. My GP gave me Oxynorm also called Shortec and Oxycontin also called Longtec along with 2.5 of Diazepam to take as required. Worked really well with the sciatica which surprised me as I didn't think they'd help,

The OxyContins are controlled drugs so your GP might not want to precribe them initially as they can in some cases become addirictive, but my GP knows I can stop and start them without any problems so is fine about giving me them when needed.

 

[bobrobert]

I too have sciatica. I read that Alpha Lipoic Acid is a good supplement to take if you have this condition. I started on it a week ago so it is early days to make up my mind about it. There are other "benefits".