Just got out of the hospital, 28YO, Sciatica

[shocksyde]

I feel so f'in old!

Around 6pm last night, I suddenly got a horribly weird shooting pain down my right leg and could tell something bad was happening. Made it over to the couch, and couldn't get off it all night.

There was no chance I could make it to my car, so I had to take a ride in an ambulance. Weeee!

Let me just say that Sciatica is quite possibly the most painful thing I've ever endured. I was given a painkiller shot in my butt cheek, as well as steroids, Valium and percoset. I still couldn't walk.

After about 6 hours in the emergency room and an entire cocktail of drugs, I was released. Currently riding the percoset pony into the setting sun.

Cherish your healthy backs, you lucky bastards. I wouldn't wish this pain on my worst enemy.

 

[Analog]

hope you get better soon. Is this a lower back issue?

 

[Krazy4Real]

Ugh... that sucks man. Did you do anything to cause this pain in the first place, or has it just not been this bad before?

 

[eldorado99]

Sounds bad. Get well, get well soon we wish you to get well. /cake

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Isn't sciatica a symptom of something else? Did your doctors find out what it was or did they just dope you up and send you home?

 

[shocksyde]

hope you get better soon. Is this a lower back issue?

Yeah, the sciatic nerve travels from the lower back down your legs. The one on my right side is swollen and being pinched.

 

[shocksyde]

Isn't sciatica a symptom of something else? Did your doctors find out what it was or did they just dope you up and send you home?

You're right, shouldve specified. The doc did some motion tests to determine it was a swollen sciatic nerve, and prescribed steroids to reduce the swelling and percocet to kill the pain.

To be honest, the percocet doesn't really do too much except make my face tingle, haha.

 

[Yeem]

or did they just dope you up and send you home?

This of course. It's what passes for healthcare today. :thumbsup:

 

[Malak]

My mom has trouble with that all the time. Personally, I have no idea what a healthy back feels like.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Had that in my mid-30's for about a year... Man did that suck. In pain all the time... hard to sleep... miserable.

 

[shocksyde]

I used to think people were always full of shit when the complained about back pain.

It can be extremely painful and completely debilitating. Yipes.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

You're right, shouldve specified. The doc did some motion tests to determine it was a swollen sciatic nerve, and prescribed steroids to reduce the swelling and percocet to kill the pain.

To be honest, the percocet doesn't really do too much except make my face tingle, haha.

Ah, glad they found the cause. Hope you recover quickly

 

[shocksyde]

Ugh... that sucks man. Did you do anything to cause this pain in the first place, or has it just not been this bad before?

I've tweaked my back before, but nothing like this.

I was just standing in my room looking around for any stray dress socks to throw in the laundry. Then shit turned sour.

 

[Ronstang]

Old? I have had this problem since I was 16, and that was 31 years ago.

 

[jmagg]

I've had a few bouts with sciatica. A low impact chiropractor ended up being the long term fix.

 

[shocksyde]

Another nice tidbit: The doctor seemed completely convinced that I was making it all up just for the painkillers, haha. Even though I was laying on a stretcher, writhing in pain.

 

[kranky]

I've had a few bouts with sciatica. A low impact chiropractor ended up being the long term fix.

That's what worked for me.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Is this a permanent thing?

 

[destrekor]

I foresee nasty back trouble in my future, and my dad has had a terrible back for years. Even after surgery his only relief is painkillers when it's a bad day. Ever since it really cropped up, he still cannot properly feel his right foot like normal.

And I already feel I have a messed up back, always feel like there is major tension or something. Tried physical therapy, stretching on my own, pushing a lot of stretches until I can make it pop some, which usually temporarily helps.
I have a fear it's the beginning of some kind of nasty systemic arthritis, so if it's simply back issues that will crop up later, I might feel a little relieved... though will still be jealous of all those without any back pain whatsoever. I don't know what that feels like. And I'm only 23.

 

[Squisher]

Another nice tidbit: The doctor seemed completely convinced that I was making it all up just for the painkillers, haha. Even though I was laying on a stretcher, writhing in pain.

Here is one of our own emergency room nurses in the What would you ban thread:

Oxycondone/Oxycontin banned for anyone but late stage cancer patients. The shit is basically legalized heroin(potency wise that is)

And thanks to stupid doctors who will prescribe it sight unseen tons of people get hooked on it and come to my ER asking for pain meds...wasting my time and potentially delaying treatment for people that are actually sick.

Without pain meds my wife would be bedridden.

 

[kami333]

Another nice tidbit: The doctor seemed completely convinced that I was making it all up just for the painkillers, haha. Even though I was laying on a stretcher, writhing in pain.

It's even worse when you tell them acetaminophen doesn't do anything for you and that you just want oxycodone.

 

[destrekor]

I've had a few bouts with sciatica. A low impact chiropractor ended up being the long term fix.

That's what worked for me.

Did y'all have long-lasting success with only a few visits, or did you have to make a ton of visits over a long period of time?

And, what were the costs, if you don't mind? Did your insurance cover anything? I haven't found any solid information as to whether chiro is covered with my insurance, and I've been itching to try a chiropractor... I feel for exactly this type of health issue, that's what they do right, it's the "we can heal medical disorders" approach that makes me cautious of visiting one, as I'd just like to find one that basically focuses only on the skeletal/muscle, kind of like an advanced physical-therapy approach - minus all that crazy jazz.

 

[skyking]

my brother drove a bus for years and fought it too. It is a common ailment for truck and bus drivers.
We get complete relief with stretches and back exercises. The worst thing you can do is lay in bed too long.

 

[BoomerD]

I've lived with sciatica-like symptoms for years. I have several bad/herniated disks in the back, and while they MAY be part of the cause, my pain management doc also suspects "SI Dysfunction" which is the sacroiliac joint...where the bones that make up the pelvis attach to the spine. Of course, medical doctors and chiropractors differ greatly on treatment for this...but I've gotten SOME relief from periodic cortisone injections...but the fucking insurance company has stopped authorizing them...so I just live with the pain...the only thing I take is OTC NSAID meds...even though I have a couple of bottles of both vicodan (Norco) and oxycontin. I despise the "stupid pills" and refuse to take them unless things get unbearable.

When things get real bad...I have to get up and walk around for a while to get things "limbered up" again, even in the middle of the night...I haven't slept all the way through the night in almost 7 years without taking stupid pills...and they don't usually do it either.

I was a regular chiropractic patient for decades. I believe in the stuff...but my chiropractor "fired me" because he said my back had degenerated so badly that chiro wouldn't really help...<shrug>I haven't been to a "back cracker" in about 5 years...longest I've gone without adjustments since the mid-80's.

 

[Balt]

Same age as OP. I've had some flare ups on both sides from time to time. Fortunately in my case some ibuprofen usually does the trick. Since it sometimes persists for over a week, though, I often end up taking a lot of ibu. I guess I should just be glad it's not more serious than it is (yet). It makes bending over to pick something up absolute hell, though.