# Sciatica



## annetony

Help!! I suddenly got this on Wednesday and I am in absolute agony

I normally get back pain and trapped nerves due to scoliosis, but I have never experienced pain like this, it took me 30 minutes to walk to school to pick my grandchildren up, it usually takes just over 10, I wouldn't have made it at all if I didn't have Libby's pram to lean on

Has anyone on here suffered from it and what is the best pain relief they used, saying that I took 30mg dihydracodiene before I set off for school, I may as well not have bothered

And to top it all, its my works do tomorrow night, so I want to be able to enjoy it,and the way I feel now I don't want to go, but feel guilty if I don't as the meal has been paid for by the boss


Anne


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## tonka

*Total sympathy...*
I had it once and was reduced to tears on many occassions, had to crawl upstairs, sleep where I dropped, struggled to get to the loo.. etc etc..
Was reliant on a walking stick for a long time....
Swimming was found to be the best excercise... But get plenty of rest, if you carry on with normal things it WILL get worse..

HOWEVER.. Mine eventually just seemed to ease and finally clear.. Do a bit of web searching and you should find loads on the subject...

Good luck...


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## vonnie

Poor you, I feel for you.....I had this once too. I found a TENS machine helped me a lot. I got one from my Doctor on loan but I believe you can buy them quite cheaply now. Hope you get better soon, Von


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## JacSprat

I've suffered with sciatica for years now. I went to a specialist about 15 years ago (when I was only 27), he x-rayed me and found osteoarthritis. He said I had the back of a sixty year old! Any road, he prescribed anti inflamatories and muscle relaxants. There was talk of injecting steroids into the spine as well as fusing the offending vertabrae if and when things get intolerable.
Any road, keeping my weight down-ish has helped a lot but I still get terrible attacks if I overdo the lifting or twist in an awkward way. Best relief is a lie down on a hard-ish bed with a pillow under the knees. Ibuprofen is the best over-the counter pain relief for me, but don't eat them like smarties or they'll give you a lot of stomach distress. It's all just so annoying, but one has to learn to ignore the pain as much as possible.

Hope this helps!
Jacquie


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## richardjames

I have found that 'stretching' the spine may help the trapped nerve pop out - the best way is holding onto the architrave and bending the knees. Failing that lie face down on the edge of the bed, moving forward so that your goes down to the floor thus openning up the spine
Hope that helps
Richard


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## 107558

I have 5 slipped discs in my lower back 8O - Yes, I know, I don't do things by halves. :roll: 

The best thing is swimming and walking. You'll need a stick to walk more than 20 yards at first.

Forget the Works "Do". If you go, take a hand towel rolled up and place it in the small of your back when you sit down.

Also place the rolled up towel in the small of your back when you lie down on your back.

Get the Quack to prescribe you some powerful pain killers. I use Ibruprophen (spelling?) 600mgs (I know the dangers, no more than 2400mg in any 24hrs and always with food, before you all start shoutng) and Co-Codamol for quick pain relief while you're waiting for the Ibruprophen to kick in.

If you're lucky you may be up and about in time for Christmas!


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## 107558

Many years ago the treatment was to place a collar around your neck and hang you from it. 8O 

I understand that one or two broken necks resulted before they stopped this practice!


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## 107088

2 things I would suggest.

1/ Get thee to a physiotherapist, who will, for a modest fee give you a positive diagnosis, and exercises to help with the problem. You will need a professionals help to relive the constraint on the sciatic nerve.

2/ I you can get a doctors appt. you may want to ask him about ZYDOL.
Please be aware, zydol is an extremely powerful analgesic which is known to make the patient feel really wierd. ( i know this ). The side effects are potentially bad enough to make some people not take them.
You can get analgesia with 30mg. Codeine and 500 mg. Paracetamol, which you prollywill find enough. Also as for Diclophenic, which are the Arnie of Anti inflammatory tabs. You really need to seek these medical practitioners, as you will not easily get rid of the problem. Worse case senario is a fitted ortho corset, or a plaster cast post surgury.


Sort it soon, sciatic reoccurs mostly becaue the patient doesnt sort it with the right help.


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## 107558

As BandAid says go and see a physioterrorist.

You will probably need to go private to get immediate treatment (which is what you do need). My NHS Physioterrorist has a waiting list of 4-6 months which is way too late and why my sciatica now keeps returning. It needs treating _*NOW*_ or it'll return every cold snap for the rest of your life - your choice!

If I had my time again, I would go private immediately - no argument, no discussion. Book an appointment for tomorrow morning.


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## julie798

*sciatica*

Hi
I suffer from sciatica, it effects me a lot of the time, since I broke my back, i see the physio regularly i also take zydol 150sl and celebrex 200 2 times a day, if you go to the doctor, he will send you for a scan and a nerve conduction test, to be able to prescribe what is best for you, i sympathise with you


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## claypigeon

I found that Cuprofen Max strengh did the trick for me but only take 1 every eight hours.

Dave


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## Wizzo

I had it about 4 years ago. It made my left thigh muscle go numb. I've suffered with back trouble before but this was the first time where I had sciatica too.

I went to a chiropractor who sorted me out, but I think I left it too long before going for treatment. I still find my left thigh muscle starting to tingle and go numb if I stand still for too long. Walking all day causes me no problems but standing for 30 minutes starts to give me discomfort.

JohnW


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## sirhandel

Coupla years ago suffered from bad sciatica. I was sitting in the office and decided it was so painful I had to go for a walk. So hobbled to WHSmiths and something on the bottom shelf attracted my attention. So painfully went down on my haunches and something went CLICK. Got up and it had gone. So I regularly now go to WHSmiths and repeat the treatment - haven't had a relapse since.


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## Grizzly

You have my total sympathy !

I found Zydol ( aka Tramadol) very good indeed BUT, as said earlier, it does have fairly strong side effects. One of them with me seems to be an unspecified allergy for which I now take a daily Benadryl tablet. If I don't I come out in hives. This has been going on for almost a year and I only took Zydol for a fairly short time. 

I now take CoCodamol and muscle relaxants. I use a hot water bottle as hot as I can bear it though my doctor reckons I'd be better off with a bag of frozen peas. Somehow they are not what I feel like.

Exercise does help a lot as does correct posture- with me anyway (!)

G


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## 1946

You poor thing. As everybody else on the forum, I suffered too.
A combination of vitamins B1 + B6 + B12 helps very well. For tension headaches too. Don't take them longer than 3 weeks as it builds up. Give it a rest and restart again.

Good luck 

Maddie


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## ardgour

Take yourself off to see a good osteopath - they are regulated by law so you should be fairly safe. He/she will check exactly what has happened in your spine, click it back for you and give you a couple of exercises to release it immediately if it happens again.
I was shown these quick exercises about 15 years ago by an osteopath who was teaching a course I was on (nothing to do with backs but I happened to mention I got some back trouble) and they work every time for me. If you can tackle the problem as soon as it happens then it will limit the damage (not to mention the pain)

Chris


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## annetony

Wow!! Ive just returned from work after hobbling round the ward, Its a popular thing this sciatica,

thanks everyone for your brilliant advice I am going to try them all  

I already have very strong painkillers Kapak also known as Tylex, they havent touched it so I am going to try the anti inflamatorys as suggested, I will also root out my tens machine and give that a go

I am by no means a wimp and have worked for 3 days with it, but I would rather give birth with no pain relief than this 8O 8O I have never known pain like it. keep well folks and heres hoping you dont get any repeat attacks

I will just have the meal tommorrow night then go home to bed with my hot water bottle and hope it eases by Monday :roll: :roll: aren't I boring :lol: 

Thanks again

Anne


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## tony50

*sciatica*

I've had it off and on for past 30 odd years see a good osteopath, he orshe will know whether they should treat you , my osteopath would not treat me 6 months ago ,after just looking at my back, just had 6 injections around spine, worked for about 8 weeks , now pain returned , if it's your first bout of this a osteopath will soon put you right after a day's rest you will feel ok, the above is my opinion only ,hope you soon feel better


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## framptoncottrell

A lot of good sense in the above postings.

I went to a sports physiotherapist after I injured myself riding. He immediately diagnosed torn ligaments that had made the surrounding tissue swell and press on the sciatic nerve where it leaves the spine. Excrutiating.

He used massage, a professional TENS machine and acupuncture and, in collaboration with my GP, put me on pain-killers and anti-inflamatories. I hate drugs and couldn't wait to get off them but his recommendation of a personal TENS machine had me mobile pretty quickly. I used it for six months with one pair of pads on the inflamed part of my spine and the other pair of pads on either side of the main centre of pain along the sciatic nerve (down the side of my leg). The machine was not expensive and the pads last for quite a while.

I was not impressed with the diagnoses that various GPs produced - only one got it right - but the physio was spot on in both diagnosis and treatment. I cannot speak too highly of what he did.

The after-care advice was lots of walking, cycling (both of which I love) and swimming (I'd have drowned!).

Dr (musical, not medical) Roy


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## Invicta

Osteopathy worked for me too when I was in absolute agony with my back. 

It was a long time ago when I was working as a district nurse. I saw my GP in a the house of a mutual patient. He could see the agony I was in and prescribed analgesics for me there and then. This was on a Friday and I told him that I was going to an osteopath the next morning. He had been recommended to me by the patient I had previously visited that morning who lived immediately opposite him. The GP's comment to me was, "Well if you want to waste your money!"

I was off duty over the weekend and had the treatment by the osteopath on the Saturday morning. I was back at work on the Monday when I saw my GP while out on my rounds. He couldn't believe the improvement in me and was later to go to the same osteopath himself! 

Following this experience, any twinge in my back and I was off again to the osteopath!

In March this year I developed a frozen shoulder so this time I was off eventually in July to another complementary therapist, (I hate the name alternative medicine!), an acupuncturist this time who is also a medical practitioner. 

Again very satisfactory conclusion. I am now pain free and my arm movement is almost back to normal.


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## JockandRita

annetony said:


> I would rather give birth with no pain relief than this 8O 8O I have never known pain like it.


Hi Anne,

Not qualified on birthing pain, but agree totally about sciatic pain. Unfortunately, all of the above suggestions and medication didn't help me very much.

As a Fireman, I have always had bouts of back pain, and managed to get over it each time. However, in the late 80's and early 90's things started getting worse, and I was eventually diagnosed as having a PID (slipped disc) which in turn, caused the Sciatica. The pain was something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. 
After two weeks of traction, I felt great, but had to be rushed back into hospital the next day, and "blue lighted" down to Addenbrooks for an MRI scan, something I had asked for repeatedly, but was denied due to cost restraints at the time. :x 
Within a five weeks, I underwent major spinal surgery on the lower back, (L5 S1).

That did the trick for me, and I eventually returned to operational duties after a gap of 15 months. 
The occasional cortisone injection to the opposite side of the spine now, keeps me relatively pain free. 
Having retired from the Fire Service, has vastly reduced the amount of abuse that my back was subjected to at times. :wink:

I do hope that you get it sorted permanently.

Jock.


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## Grizzly

JockandRita said:


> Not qualified on birthing pain, but agree totally about sciatic pain.
> .


I was thinking about this last night. When the pain is at its worse you are almost tempted to amputate your leg and the lower back to get rid of it. It seems the only way.

Now how bad is that ?

G


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## G2EWS

Hi Anne,

You have some very good advice above but just want to add my bit.

As you are now aware if not previously the pain you are suffering is due to a disc which has burst and is now touching your spinal cord. The disc is the only inanimate object in your body. It does not grow nor feel pain, hence when they burst and it is usually the lower ones the 'sack' just sits there. If you make a movement that allows it to touch your spinal cord then you will feel pain.

This pain can occur anywhere but commonly in the sciatic nerve.

Important to understand that it is normal for the disc to burst due to the fact that we are supposed to moving around on all fours not two feet. This causes a considerable pressure on the disc which if you are in the slightest sporty will burst. Most people have it, but an unlucky few experience pain every now and then.

There are many side effects of this physical problem, the worst of which is loosing control of your bladder or bowels. If this happens you will get an immediate operation under NHS due to the fact that if not treated it could become a permanent problem.

For most people an occasional movement will bring on a back pain which will slowly go. For others the pain stays and you struggle to keep on top of it.

The common treatment apart from fusing the vertebrae together having removed the offending empty disc is anti imflammatories and of course pain killers. The principle being that when the disc touches the spinal cord your anti bodies will attack it and there is then a large swelling in this area. In turn this causes even more pain! So you get the idea, reduce the swelling and you reduce the pain.

Next to popping pills and you have a variety of different aids. Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, Chiropractice, Acupuncture and a few more.

However, the next bit is VERY IMPORTANT! Do not attempt any of these without first seeing your Doctor! You must find out how severe the problem is before proceeding to the next phase. It is probably worth paying for a scan as it can take up to a year with the NHS, again check with your Doctor who will advise how long and if not who you can use. One of the best and lowest cost private clinics is in Wroughton near Swindon, which is where mine was done.

Now to me!

After many years of suffering and about the time that we had 9/11 I suffered extreme pain and was popping 30 pills a day! I had a bed in my office and could not hold a conversation for more than a couple of minutes without forgetting what we had been talking about. I had a scan which shows two discs embedded and distorting my spine.

The night before a private operation I chickened out. Reasoning with myself that I could walk now but if the operation went wrong I would be in a wheelchair and it would be my greed for more that caused it!

I thought about what others had told me including my Doctor. I had tried a chiropractor which made it worse, I tried other physical treatments and they had all made the problem worse over the years. In the end I started to remember what others had told me about acupuncture and how I had totally ignored them!

I went to see the Devizes Acupuncture clinic and met Jane Ford. After my first session I knew what 9/11 was all about. Within a few weeks I was off the pain killers and within a year I found myself capable of leading a normal healthy life.

I can go on about how acupuncture has been proven by the Western world as better than an anesthetic but I leave you to read what you can from your library.

But do not use your Doctor for acupuncture even if it is free! The Doc went on a weekend course, a qualified practitioner trains for five years! And then some!

However, all that said, don't do anything until you have spoken with your Doctor.

Hope that helps,

Best regards

Chris


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## Invicta

G2EWS said:


> Hi Anne,
> 
> But do not use your Doctor for acupuncture even if it is free! The Doc went on a weekend course, a qualified practitioner trains for five years! And then some!
> 
> However, all that said, don't do anything until you have spoken with your Doctor.
> 
> Hope that helps,
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Chris


I would say to anyone going to see any therapist that it is extremely important to check out their qualifications and experience.

I am fortunate to have found a medically qualified doctor who, as well as his medical training, has undertaken an extensive course in acupuncture, not just weekend courses that I know are available not only to doctors but other healthcare professionals, including nurses and physiotherapists. 
He holds the Diploma in Medical Acupuncture (DipMedAc). He has successfully treated my recent 'frozen shoulder' with acupuncture.

At the first visit this doctor undertakes a full medical examination and history that is followed up by investigations such as blood tests, x rays etc if they are indicated. I am now awaiting the results of a recent MRI scan on my lumber spine that was damaged 21 years ago now in an RTA. That was after the Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc (PID) I had suffered during my community nursing days. This doctor tried acupuncture to try to alleviate some of the back pain I suffer in that area but when I had no relief from it has now progressed to further examination of the area via an MRI scan, a course of action basically only available to medical practitioners.

I see this doctor as a private patient paying £32 for a session of acupuncture and £15 for a consultation without any treatment being given. The MRI scan and any other investigations are undertaken 'free' in the NHS.

Acupuncture can be 'free' if prescribed by a medical practitioner and carried out in a Pain Clinic. There should be more complimentary therapies available 'free' within the NHS. Pill popping is not the long term solution-the anti-inflammatory medication I was taking raised my blood pressure to a dangerously high level so they had to be stopped.


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## 101776

For any of you that are finding the pain unbearable, can I suggest the following, which has worked for me for the past nine years...to varying degrees:-

BuTrans transdermal patch and use co drydomol tablets as a top up.
Please be advised that your doctor may fall off his chair when you mention Butrans !! (see here- )http://10.224.71.8:8081/pilsdocs/17000/17008/PIL.17008.html

This stuff is awful, it makes you feel sick and dizzy until you get used to it but is designed to relieve severe, long lasting pain in the back. It also comes in tablet form i.e Temgesic but the tablets taste awful & you melt them under your tongue.

Two days without it and I'm back on a walking stick and need help to turn over in bed, but when I'm on it I can function relatively normally.

I'm taking amitriptyline as well, not for depression, but it works in conjunction with the other stuff....don't ask me how I don't know.

Can I just say that my medication is a very drastic step for most people to undergo, but it depends how much pain you are in to start with....!


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## Invicta

In response to Bouncer's last posting I have copied the following article that appeared in a Pain Concern publication. Pain Concern is a registered charity promoting awareness and treatment of chronic pain. 

AMITRIPTYLINE 
Many people living with chronic pain are daunted by the prospect of long term or even permanent drug therapy. What are these drugs, are they safe and how do they work? Concerns such as these can stop people perservering with medicines that may offer a real life enhancing solution to their condition.In this article Dr. Mick Serpell explains how amitriptyline works and gives reassurance about the side effects that you might experience, especially in the early stages.

The main aims in managing chronic pain are to relieve the pain and just as importantly to improve your quality of life and get you doing more. There are four approaches to pain management: 1) physical therapy (physiotherapy, acupuncture, TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) etc. 2) drug therapy; 3) regional analgesia (injection of drugs around nerves or other tissues); and 4) psychological therapies (techniques which improve coping of pain).

Two types of pain 
Doctors describe pain as either nociceptive, neuropathic, or a combination of the two. It is important to distinguish between the two types of pain, as they need different medicines. Nociceptive pain is pain that starts off as a response to tissue damage or a painful stimulus like a hot surface. Examples include mechanical low back pain and degenerative or inflammatory joint pain and so it is easy to understand why nociceptive pain is the most common form of chronic pain. Although these pains may begin as purely nociceptive, over time there may be changes within the nervous system that may result in neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain may also be the result of nerve damage that makes the nerve overactive. Therefore the drugs used for neuropathic pain are aimed at stabilisation or "calming" of the abnormal nerves. Perhaps it should be no surprise that drugs used in other conditions where nervous tissue is overactive or "excited" such as epilepsy or depression have turned out to be useful medicines for chronic pain where the nerves have become overactive.

Drug therapy 
Conventional painkillers such as codeine and brufen are used for nociceptive pain. They are often not effective for neuropathic pain. Most of the drugs used for neuropathic pain are not just used for pain relief (analgesia). For instance, amitriptyline is an anti-depressant drug but is now probably used more commonly for pain than for its original use. This is the same situation for some anti-convulsant drugs, which are used more frequently for neuropathic pain than epilepsy.

Change your lifestyle! 
Always remember that the medicine alone will not be enough. While drug therapy can play a major role in the management of pain, changing your lifestyle (such as building up your fitness and getting more exercise) as well as learning to manage and cope with your pain better, are also vital to the successful outcome.

General principles of drug therapy 
Your doctor will start you off at a low dose of your medicine and this is increased up to a suitable dosage and duration until you obtain noticeable pain relief (or experience severe side effects). This procedure of increasing the dose step by step while monitoring the effect is called "titrating the dose". If there is no relief the drug will be stopped. Your doctor is likely to gradually wean you off the medication over one to two weeks, to avoid potential side effects from sudden withdrawal. If you get partial, but inadequate pain relief, a second different drug can be prescribed in addition.

Once you are on the right dose and drug combination for you then you can continue on the medication indefinitely. You and your doctor may decide that you should wean off the medicines gradually every six months or so to ensure they are still necessary for you.

Most doctors agree that medication for chronic pain should be taken "round the clock" rather than "as required". It is easier to keep pain at bay rather than trying to control it after it is allowed to resurface.

Antidepressants 
The tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, are the "gold standard" for neuropathic pain as they are the most effective and best-known drugs for this condition. They can also be useful for chronic nociceptive pain, especially if there is a neuropathic component to it. They appear to work in the nervous system by reducing the nerve cell's ability to re-absorb chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenaline.These chemicals are called neural transmitters. If they are not reabsorbed they accumulate outside the nerve cell and the result is suppression of pain messages in the spinal cord.

All in the mind? 
The way antidepressants give pain relief is completely separate from the anti-depressant effect. The dose required for treating depression is much higher (often over 150 milligrams (mg) a day) than the doses used for pain relief. Also, there are many different antidepressant drugs available that are effective for treating depression, but only a small number are also effective pain killers. 
It is important for you the patient to be given a full explanation of the rationale for antidepressant therapy. It is not that the doctor believes your pain is due to depression. So do not think you are not being taken seriously and that the pain is "all in the mind".

Of course, depression can occur with chronic pain, but it is usually an understandable reaction to the pain and improves as the chronic pain improves. However if severe it too may require treatment with an antidepressant drug.

Starting amitriptyline 
One in three people will get greater than 50% pain relief with amitriptyline, which is regarded as an excellent result for chronic pain conditions. It is started at a low dose (10 or 25 mg a day) and gradually increased in 10 or 25 mg increments each week up towards 100 mg if any side effects are tolerable. The tablets are small and difficult to cut in half, and will often produce numbness of the tongue due to a local anaesthetic effect, but it is available as a syrup. It is better to use the syrup if small increases of dose are required during the titration (dose build up) phase.

Keep taking it! 
You may notice pain relief as soon as two weeks after starting, but often amitriptyline requires to be taken for six to eight weeks at the best dose level before one can say the drug has been given a fair trial. Many people stop taking the medicine because they experience side effects early on but do not feel any benefit. However, if you can persevere, you will often get tolerant to most of the side effects after a few days to weeks and you may then start noticing the benefits of the medicine.

Although there are number of side effects associated with amitriptyline most of them are extremely uncommon. The most common ones, experienced by only 5-15% of people, include dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea and constipation. These side effects are generally harmless and provided you do not exceed the dose will not cause any damage. Most people find they adapt to these and eventually they go away. Amitriptyline is not addictive but if discontinued, should be withdrawn slowly over two to three weeks in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms of headache and malaise.

Not for everyone 
Your doctor will not prescribe this drug for you if you have had an allergic reaction to amitriptyline or related drugs; a recent heart attack; or recent administration of drugs that can interact with amitriptyline.

When should I take it? 
Amitriptyline is long acting, so only needs to be taken once a day. As one of the most common side effects is drowsiness, it is best to take it a couple of hours before bedtime. This effect can be particularly useful if you suffer lack of sleep from your pain. Sometimes there is a "morning after" type of hangover feeling, but this usually wears off with time. Occasionally amitriptyline can cause insomnia; if this happens it is better to take it in the morning.

Worth trying 
If side effects are a problem, there are other similar drugs (for example nortriptyline, and imipramine) that are worth trying. 
Many people stay on amitriptyline for years and say that it has transformed their lives. When dealing with pain, it is worth giving drug therapy a chance and working with your doctor to try different approaches so that you find the particular approach that is right for you, which brings you the benefits of pain relief , allows you to do more and gives you the quality of life that you and your doctor both want.

Dr Mick Serpell is Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at University Department of Anaesthesia, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow.

Pain Concern Publications

Pain Concern, PO Box 13256, Haddington EH41 4YD, Tel. 01620 822572 www.painconcern.org.uk


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## krull

I had a slipped disc and apalling sciatica. This is how I dealt with it:

Voltarol (diflenec sodium) -anti inflammatory
Tramadol - pain relief
Physiotherapy - expensive but needs must and could not wait for nhs
Tens - Get physio to show you how to set it up.
Swimming during attack and after
Cycling after resolution

I have been left with one leg larger than the other due to muscle wasteage, but am now managing it with swimming and the occasional bike ride when my leg starts getting numb.

Good luck....


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## 101776

Thanks for that article Invicta, it was an easy to understand explanation...so says she all fuzzy and luvved up on drugs!!!!lol

I think the main problem is, when you have chronic pain and cannot sleep or sleep intermittantly as I do (30 mins here and there at night), you eventually get to a point of depression through exhaustion, because you cannot 'switch off' the pain and spasms....and every twinge is magnified by your own misery..(hope that makes sense).

My o/h says sleeping in the bed with me is like a fairground ride, you never know when a leg or arm is going to start waving about in the air, or worse still when Ihave a pain spasm and heatwave at the same time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you can't predict which way the duvet is going to be flung....ho the joys of living with me... :lol:


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## JockandRita

G2EWS said:


> Reasoning with myself that I could walk now but if the operation went wrong I would be in a wheelchair


That was the dilemma that I was going through, but as firefighting was the only job I ever wanted to do, and the one that I was most competent at, there was no choice in the matter, so it had to be "going for bust", and the surgeon, Mr Gordon Chambers (sadly deceased), understood completely about my predicament, but was clear to make no promises. I could have ended up in a wheel chair too, and was given a 50/50 chance of coming through it in the clear. God rest his soul.

Jock.


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## G2EWS

'I am fortunate to have found a medically qualified doctor'

Hi Invicta,

It would worry the blazes out of me if the Doctor was not medically qualified!!! :lol:

Very few Doctors have a proper qualification in acupuncture as they quite honestly don't have the time to learn!

Whatever is chosen must be confirmed with your Doctor and to be honest it would be a fool who decided to do anything without their agreement.

Some great and useful drugs have been written about and it is worth pursuing what is best for you in discussion with your GP.

Additional therapy must be looked at with care. My problem was made worse by a Doctor who thought he was a physio and promptly tore muscles in my leg which of course only added to my pain.

In the end I found acupuncture to be a phenomenal treatment for me which has a basis in Western tests as mentioned before. It is worth looking into for anyone who has severe pain.

Once I got over the worst I then resorted to a Bioflow bracelet which works in a similar fashion to acupuncture.

Bioflow

Those who have met me will have seen the gold bracelet I wear on my right wrist.

As a sceptic of both acupuncture and 'bracelets' I have been amazed at the transformation in my health. Having played sports at country level I am aware of how devastating it can be to loose the ability. Whilst I will never be at those levels again, I can do most of the things I used to love like cycling, walking and working out in my own gym.

Best regards

Chris


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## Invicta

G2EWS said:


> 'I am fortunate to have found a medically qualified doctor'
> 
> Hi Invicta,
> 
> It would worry the blazes out of me if the Doctor was not medically qualified!!! :lol:
> 
> Chris


I am sorry if I didn't make myself clear Chris. I made the comment 'medically qualified doctor' as there are people holding a doctorate in specialities other than medicine, some of whom could be undertaking acupuncture along with other complimentary therapies.

I know of a Chiropractor who qualified as such in Australia, then did post graduate studies to practice as a Spinal Specialist in the United Kingdom who calls himself 'Doctor'.

There are many people, who see the word 'doctor' and assume that person is medically qualified. On this site we have a very good example of a non medical doctor who always signs his postings as ;Dr (musical, not medical) Roy.


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## G2EWS

Hi Invicta,

No worries, just a bit of friendly banter.

Almost time for bed!

Regards

Chris


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## 116388

When a young athlete in my early 20s (I'm now 42) I suffered this a few times. I was running a lot on the road with training shoes with not enough support. The sciatica was worse when walking up stairs. Anyway, I changed the training shoes and have never had the problem again even despite my marathon days when I'd train beyond 170 miles a week.


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## Snelly

This post is so apt. Avid blog watchers will know i've been suffering for a few weeks now after pulling my back at work. Im up on MHF at silly o clock cos I can't get comfy in bed due to it feeling like someone is trying to remove my leg from the hip joints with a spoon. Im miserable and fed up.


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## buttons

Depends where the pain is, is it in your back or is it in your legs and feet. If it is predominantly leg pain then a scan will identify what the problem is. 

There are a number of ways to improve the situation. Light exercise, walking with support or cycling are good. Always think back, when you move i.e. getting out of bed, use your arms not your back.

Remember that the pain in your leg is something rubbing against or compressing the delicate tissue of your sciatic nerves, they can suffer permanent damage if you ignore the pain or remove it with very strong pain relief.

For back pain, use heat pads, pain relief and light exercise. Always think back when getting out of bed and no lifting, then hopefully it should improve in a day or two.


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## cris15

I suffered with sciatica for many years my doctor gave me the usual pain killers but they didn’t work very well.

I eventually went to an osteopath she told me to relax let my shoulders drop and walk like a women (swing my hips when walking).

At the risk of being arrested I tried it, got some strange looks but it worked haven’t had a problem for a year or so now and can walk miles again.


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## annetony

Just to thank everyone on their replies on this subject, since my problems I have being having and have had lately, I have lost wieght and have had no problems since.
whether that is the reason I dont know and probably never will but I feel much better and can run without getting out of breath where as before I could only walk maybe something good has come out of this after all

Anne


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## krull

I had this, took me over 7 weeks to get back to work. This is how I dealt with it:

Pain killer: Tramadol, max dose (this is opiate based)
Voltarol:Anti inflammatory.
Physiotherapist twice a week. 
Tens machine. 
Walking stick
Various medical cushions for car seat (still in place)
Spine exercises every 2 hours.
Walking stick
Swimmimng
New orthopeadic matress.

Cost me a fortune, but I was in tears at one point and helpless.
Cost a fortune. Ended in referral but sorted itself. Slipped disc.

Good look. Be careful, I had just sciatica, tried to ignore it, then one day sat down on loo and couldn't get up.


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## JockandRita

krull said:


> I was in tears at one point and helpless.
> Ended in referral but sorted itself. Slipped disc.


Hi Krull,

Having been there, I do sympathise.

Mine resulted with a Disectomy/Laminectomy on L5 S1. That did the trick.

Jock.


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## tokkalosh

Thought it best to revive this thread rather than start up another.
Seems like some good advise there although obviously different treatments suit different people.

I have had Sciatica since the last week in January - didn't do much about it as my previous and first bout last August sorted itself out. Took Ibuprofen and Paracetamol, visited doctor who took a blood test, checked that last August's XRay was clear, put me down for Physio and sent me on my way.

The pain increased so much recently I took the advice of people and went to a chiropractor. My first session was on Monday, since then the pain has increased, to the extent of waking me up at night!
I have changed to taking Co-codamol and they seem to help somehwat.
My second session was today ..... I have been in agony since  
Only just in last half hour found a reasonably comfortable position to sit in.
I realise it would have been easier had I gone for treatment sooner - my worry is that I am making it worse having this treatment.

So all you sufferers, what's the latest please :?:


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## Jezport

Invicta said:


> In response to Bouncer's last posting I have copied the following article that appeared in a Pain Concern publication. Pain Concern is a registered charity promoting awareness and treatment of chronic pain.
> 
> AMITRIPTYLINE
> Many people living with chronic pain are daunted by the prospect of long term or even permanent drug therapy. What are these drugs, are they safe and how do they work? Concerns such as these can stop people perservering with medicines that may offer a real life enhancing solution to their condition.In this article Dr. Mick Serpell explains how amitriptyline works and gives reassurance about the side effects that you might experience, especially in the early stages.
> 
> The main aims in managing chronic pain are to relieve the pain and just as importantly to improve your quality of life and get you doing more. There are four approaches to pain management: 1) physical therapy (physiotherapy, acupuncture, TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) etc. 2) drug therapy; 3) regional analgesia (injection of drugs around nerves or other tissues); and 4) psychological therapies (techniques which improve coping of pain).
> 
> Two types of pain
> Doctors describe pain as either nociceptive, neuropathic, or a combination of the two. It is important to distinguish between the two types of pain, as they need different medicines. Nociceptive pain is pain that starts off as a response to tissue damage or a painful stimulus like a hot surface. Examples include mechanical low back pain and degenerative or inflammatory joint pain and so it is easy to understand why nociceptive pain is the most common form of chronic pain. Although these pains may begin as purely nociceptive, over time there may be changes within the nervous system that may result in neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain may also be the result of nerve damage that makes the nerve overactive. Therefore the drugs used for neuropathic pain are aimed at stabilisation or "calming" of the abnormal nerves. Perhaps it should be no surprise that drugs used in other conditions where nervous tissue is overactive or "excited" such as epilepsy or depression have turned out to be useful medicines for chronic pain where the nerves have become overactive.
> 
> Drug therapy
> Conventional painkillers such as codeine and brufen are used for nociceptive pain. They are often not effective for neuropathic pain. Most of the drugs used for neuropathic pain are not just used for pain relief (analgesia). For instance, amitriptyline is an anti-depressant drug but is now probably used more commonly for pain than for its original use. This is the same situation for some anti-convulsant drugs, which are used more frequently for neuropathic pain than epilepsy.
> 
> Change your lifestyle!
> Always remember that the medicine alone will not be enough. While drug therapy can play a major role in the management of pain, changing your lifestyle (such as building up your fitness and getting more exercise) as well as learning to manage and cope with your pain better, are also vital to the successful outcome.
> 
> General principles of drug therapy
> Your doctor will start you off at a low dose of your medicine and this is increased up to a suitable dosage and duration until you obtain noticeable pain relief (or experience severe side effects). This procedure of increasing the dose step by step while monitoring the effect is called "titrating the dose". If there is no relief the drug will be stopped. Your doctor is likely to gradually wean you off the medication over one to two weeks, to avoid potential side effects from sudden withdrawal. If you get partial, but inadequate pain relief, a second different drug can be prescribed in addition.
> 
> Once you are on the right dose and drug combination for you then you can continue on the medication indefinitely. You and your doctor may decide that you should wean off the medicines gradually every six months or so to ensure they are still necessary for you.
> 
> Most doctors agree that medication for chronic pain should be taken "round the clock" rather than "as required". It is easier to keep pain at bay rather than trying to control it after it is allowed to resurface.
> 
> Antidepressants
> The tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, are the "gold standard" for neuropathic pain as they are the most effective and best-known drugs for this condition. They can also be useful for chronic nociceptive pain, especially if there is a neuropathic component to it. They appear to work in the nervous system by reducing the nerve cell's ability to re-absorb chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenaline.These chemicals are called neural transmitters. If they are not reabsorbed they accumulate outside the nerve cell and the result is suppression of pain messages in the spinal cord.
> 
> All in the mind?
> The way antidepressants give pain relief is completely separate from the anti-depressant effect. The dose required for treating depression is much higher (often over 150 milligrams (mg) a day) than the doses used for pain relief. Also, there are many different antidepressant drugs available that are effective for treating depression, but only a small number are also effective pain killers.
> It is important for you the patient to be given a full explanation of the rationale for antidepressant therapy. It is not that the doctor believes your pain is due to depression. So do not think you are not being taken seriously and that the pain is "all in the mind".
> 
> Of course, depression can occur with chronic pain, but it is usually an understandable reaction to the pain and improves as the chronic pain improves. However if severe it too may require treatment with an antidepressant drug.
> 
> Starting amitriptyline
> One in three people will get greater than 50% pain relief with amitriptyline, which is regarded as an excellent result for chronic pain conditions. It is started at a low dose (10 or 25 mg a day) and gradually increased in 10 or 25 mg increments each week up towards 100 mg if any side effects are tolerable. The tablets are small and difficult to cut in half, and will often produce numbness of the tongue due to a local anaesthetic effect, but it is available as a syrup. It is better to use the syrup if small increases of dose are required during the titration (dose build up) phase.
> 
> Keep taking it!
> You may notice pain relief as soon as two weeks after starting, but often amitriptyline requires to be taken for six to eight weeks at the best dose level before one can say the drug has been given a fair trial. Many people stop taking the medicine because they experience side effects early on but do not feel any benefit. However, if you can persevere, you will often get tolerant to most of the side effects after a few days to weeks and you may then start noticing the benefits of the medicine.
> 
> Although there are number of side effects associated with amitriptyline most of them are extremely uncommon. The most common ones, experienced by only 5-15% of people, include dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea and constipation. These side effects are generally harmless and provided you do not exceed the dose will not cause any damage. Most people find they adapt to these and eventually they go away. Amitriptyline is not addictive but if discontinued, should be withdrawn slowly over two to three weeks in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms of headache and malaise.
> 
> Not for everyone
> Your doctor will not prescribe this drug for you if you have had an allergic reaction to amitriptyline or related drugs; a recent heart attack; or recent administration of drugs that can interact with amitriptyline.
> 
> When should I take it?
> Amitriptyline is long acting, so only needs to be taken once a day. As one of the most common side effects is drowsiness, it is best to take it a couple of hours before bedtime. This effect can be particularly useful if you suffer lack of sleep from your pain. Sometimes there is a "morning after" type of hangover feeling, but this usually wears off with time. Occasionally amitriptyline can cause insomnia; if this happens it is better to take it in the morning.
> 
> Worth trying
> If side effects are a problem, there are other similar drugs (for example nortriptyline, and imipramine) that are worth trying.
> Many people stay on amitriptyline for years and say that it has transformed their lives. When dealing with pain, it is worth giving drug therapy a chance and working with your doctor to try different approaches so that you find the particular approach that is right for you, which brings you the benefits of pain relief , allows you to do more and gives you the quality of life that you and your doctor both want.
> 
> Dr Mick Serpell is Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at University Department of Anaesthesia, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow.
> 
> Pain Concern Publications
> 
> Pain Concern, PO Box 13256, Haddington EH41 4YD, Tel. 01620 822572 www.painconcern.org.uk


I have suffered with sciatica for a number of years and tried physio, accupuncture, anti inflamatories etc ect.

As a last attempt before considering more drastic action I was put on Amitriptyline, it took around 3 weeks to kick in but it has brought my pain down from an 8 to a 4. It seems to have also stopped most of my headaches.

The only side effect is strange dreams. I still suffer mild pain but can live with it as it really only comes on when I stop rather than when I am active.


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## annetony

Maybe being active is the way to go, I suffered for weeks but kept on working, I was on my feet all day and walked to and from work--well hobbled really lol- 

It eventually went and up to now I haven't had another attack 

I always have worked through my pain--it works for me although not for everyone 

I was tripped up by a customer in the shop I worked about 6 years ago, I heard a crack as I fell down and my left ankle swelled up to 3 times its size--as I am stubborn I wouldn't go to A&E and just went home (this was a Saturday) I returned to work limping on the Tuesday and worked through it 

Occasionally I get a flare up and it is very painful but the Xrays found nothing and the A&E doctor suggested I walked on it as normal--it worked so that is what I do now 

thats just me and everyone is different so take medical advice before you do anything so there is no further damage 

Anne


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## Chausson

hi
I have been suffering with sciatica since the end of January when I was emptying the cassette on the aire in Anglet on our way to Portugal, I was going to return home but decided not to spoil the hols for the wife so carried on. Well all I can say is that it got worse by the day but, as luck would have it we did take an ice pack plus hot water bottle and a ten's machine. These helped somewhat but I was glad to get home.
Went to see the quack told him what had happened and he was bloody marvellous with me, he said and I quote "GO HOME AND BE HAPPY" I walked out in total disbelief of him. I am now having chiropractic sessions and feeling a bit better.


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## JLO

I have had sciatica on and off for years, usually find it is worse if I go on a "training" day and end up sitting all day on a hard chair. 

Don't take painkillers except when I really really need them (I have brittle bones so have lot of bone pain and have had two fractured femur) anyway I digress, for the sciatica my GP told me to bend over from my waist and let the top part of my body hang for a couple of second/minutes depending on how long you can take and then straighten up again, this usually works for me though not always.

Was given Morphine and Tramadol after my op for fractured femur and the side effects were frightening (and funny) I thought my husband had come to visit me wearing a tight pink lycra dress!!


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## Hezbez

I find that a TENS machine really helps. Depending on the injury you can get relief which varies from a couple of hours to days/weeks.

Not just for sciatic or other back pain, but for all different kinds of muscular pain.

When your muscles go into spasm they often stay that way indefinitely. I find that the TENS is the only thing that seems to kick start the body into stopping the spasm. (I probably haven't explained this very well but I know what I mean :lol: ).

My hubby swears by it too.

You can get the machines really cheap now (about £15) from LLoyds the Chemist.

I consider it an essential part of my First Aid kit. And another good thing is that it's drug free!


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## greenasthegrass

ok this is going to sound very odd but I kid you not its a worker!

Last October I went swimming and must have over done it and since then till January was in agony was able to keep moving etc then husband mentioned he has got rid of it by drinking a potion of cider vinegar and honey in a small tumbler.

Now its absolutely rank and I admit it makes me gip but after 5 days it completely disappeared. Its the vinegar really and the honey makes it less acidic.

Try it ... you might be surprised.

Greenie :lol:


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## Hezbez

That reminds me, I've got a bottle of cider vinegar in the fridge. Got it a couple of months ago, took one sip and nearly boaked!

Maybe I should try it again and persevere this time. Maybe it's like red wine and I will develop a taste for it :lol: 

Tesco do the organic Aspalls one at a good price.

My granny swore by it.


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## mandyandandy

Have had it for about 15 years now, but it took a few years off in the beginning and then came back after the 3rd child, giving birth didn't help so not going to do that again!!  

I find that if I do the bending and lifting of anything at the same time it can trigger it. 

I only ever wear bed socks around the house so that when I turn my body turns and doesn't jar my hip like it does in shoes or slippers. 

As soon as I feel it go I have to stop there and then and just wait with my leg usually off the floor and wait, try and relax the muscle in your buttock as that is what causes it to flare up more. 

I also find it can "go" a few times over 3 or 4 days but if I catch it in time it will go completely without the use of my ant inflammatory tablets . Keeping going for me just doesn't work and seems to make the nerve more and more angry. 

The amount of people who suffer from this astounds me. 

Mandy


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## tokkalosh

Lots of advise here, thank you everyone  

I shall go out today and buy a Tens machine (Lloyds 4 pad £14.99)
and maybe get some cider vinegar. I was hoping for a 'quick fix' and there obviously is not one, just have to hope I soon find out what works for me.


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## Hovis

I don't want to be an alarmist, but I contracted "sciatica" last June whilst if France. After much complaining to the GP I eventually got to see a Specialist at Lincoln, and it now has emerged that the "sciatica" was thought to be the onset of Myeloma, of which I have been diagnosed, and am now on the 5 monthly course of 6, which includes oral chemotherapy etc. Make a fuss and get it checked out! I hope that in your case this is not so. Take Paracetomol or Co-codomol but not Diclofenac.
Hovis :roll:


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## tokkalosh

Thanks Hovis, food for thought.

I have today purchased a Tens machine and am using it as I type - impressed so far, it certainly feels as though it will be beneficial


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## Jezport

Jezport said:


> Invicta said:
> 
> 
> 
> In response to Bouncer's last posting I have copied the following article that appeared in a Pain Concern publication. Pain Concern is a registered charity promoting awareness and treatment of chronic pain.
> 
> AMITRIPTYLINE
> Many people living with chronic pain are daunted by the prospect of long term or even permanent drug therapy. What are these drugs, are they safe and how do they work? Concerns such as these can stop people perservering with medicines that may offer a real life enhancing solution to their condition.In this article Dr. Mick Serpell explains how amitriptyline works and gives reassurance about the side effects that you might experience, especially in the early stages.
> 
> The main aims in managing chronic pain are to relieve the pain and just as importantly to improve your quality of life and get you doing more. There are four approaches to pain management: 1) physical therapy (physiotherapy, acupuncture, TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) etc. 2) drug therapy; 3) regional analgesia (injection of drugs around nerves or other tissues); and 4) psychological therapies (techniques which improve coping of pain).
> 
> Two types of pain
> Doctors describe pain as either nociceptive, neuropathic, or a combination of the two. It is important to distinguish between the two types of pain, as they need different medicines. Nociceptive pain is pain that starts off as a response to tissue damage or a painful stimulus like a hot surface. Examples include mechanical low back pain and degenerative or inflammatory joint pain and so it is easy to understand why nociceptive pain is the most common form of chronic pain. Although these pains may begin as purely nociceptive, over time there may be changes within the nervous system that may result in neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain may also be the result of nerve damage that makes the nerve overactive. Therefore the drugs used for neuropathic pain are aimed at stabilisation or "calming" of the abnormal nerves. Perhaps it should be no surprise that drugs used in other conditions where nervous tissue is overactive or "excited" such as epilepsy or depression have turned out to be useful medicines for chronic pain where the nerves have become overactive.
> 
> Drug therapy
> Conventional painkillers such as codeine and brufen are used for nociceptive pain. They are often not effective for neuropathic pain. Most of the drugs used for neuropathic pain are not just used for pain relief (analgesia). For instance, amitriptyline is an anti-depressant drug but is now probably used more commonly for pain than for its original use. This is the same situation for some anti-convulsant drugs, which are used more frequently for neuropathic pain than epilepsy.
> 
> Change your lifestyle!
> Always remember that the medicine alone will not be enough. While drug therapy can play a major role in the management of pain, changing your lifestyle (such as building up your fitness and getting more exercise) as well as learning to manage and cope with your pain better, are also vital to the successful outcome.
> 
> General principles of drug therapy
> Your doctor will start you off at a low dose of your medicine and this is increased up to a suitable dosage and duration until you obtain noticeable pain relief (or experience severe side effects). This procedure of increasing the dose step by step while monitoring the effect is called "titrating the dose". If there is no relief the drug will be stopped. Your doctor is likely to gradually wean you off the medication over one to two weeks, to avoid potential side effects from sudden withdrawal. If you get partial, but inadequate pain relief, a second different drug can be prescribed in addition.
> 
> Once you are on the right dose and drug combination for you then you can continue on the medication indefinitely. You and your doctor may decide that you should wean off the medicines gradually every six months or so to ensure they are still necessary for you.
> 
> Most doctors agree that medication for chronic pain should be taken "round the clock" rather than "as required". It is easier to keep pain at bay rather than trying to control it after it is allowed to resurface.
> 
> Antidepressants
> The tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, are the "gold standard" for neuropathic pain as they are the most effective and best-known drugs for this condition. They can also be useful for chronic nociceptive pain, especially if there is a neuropathic component to it. They appear to work in the nervous system by reducing the nerve cell's ability to re-absorb chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenaline.These chemicals are called neural transmitters. If they are not reabsorbed they accumulate outside the nerve cell and the result is suppression of pain messages in the spinal cord.
> 
> All in the mind?
> The way antidepressants give pain relief is completely separate from the anti-depressant effect. The dose required for treating depression is much higher (often over 150 milligrams (mg) a day) than the doses used for pain relief. Also, there are many different antidepressant drugs available that are effective for treating depression, but only a small number are also effective pain killers.
> It is important for you the patient to be given a full explanation of the rationale for antidepressant therapy. It is not that the doctor believes your pain is due to depression. So do not think you are not being taken seriously and that the pain is "all in the mind".
> 
> Of course, depression can occur with chronic pain, but it is usually an understandable reaction to the pain and improves as the chronic pain improves. However if severe it too may require treatment with an antidepressant drug.
> 
> Starting amitriptyline
> One in three people will get greater than 50% pain relief with amitriptyline, which is regarded as an excellent result for chronic pain conditions. It is started at a low dose (10 or 25 mg a day) and gradually increased in 10 or 25 mg increments each week up towards 100 mg if any side effects are tolerable. The tablets are small and difficult to cut in half, and will often produce numbness of the tongue due to a local anaesthetic effect, but it is available as a syrup. It is better to use the syrup if small increases of dose are required during the titration (dose build up) phase.
> 
> Keep taking it!
> You may notice pain relief as soon as two weeks after starting, but often amitriptyline requires to be taken for six to eight weeks at the best dose level before one can say the drug has been given a fair trial. Many people stop taking the medicine because they experience side effects early on but do not feel any benefit. However, if you can persevere, you will often get tolerant to most of the side effects after a few days to weeks and you may then start noticing the benefits of the medicine.
> 
> Although there are number of side effects associated with amitriptyline most of them are extremely uncommon. The most common ones, experienced by only 5-15% of people, include dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, nausea and constipation. These side effects are generally harmless and provided you do not exceed the dose will not cause any damage. Most people find they adapt to these and eventually they go away. Amitriptyline is not addictive but if discontinued, should be withdrawn slowly over two to three weeks in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms of headache and malaise.
> 
> Not for everyone
> Your doctor will not prescribe this drug for you if you have had an allergic reaction to amitriptyline or related drugs; a recent heart attack; or recent administration of drugs that can interact with amitriptyline.
> 
> When should I take it?
> Amitriptyline is long acting, so only needs to be taken once a day. As one of the most common side effects is drowsiness, it is best to take it a couple of hours before bedtime. This effect can be particularly useful if you suffer lack of sleep from your pain. Sometimes there is a "morning after" type of hangover feeling, but this usually wears off with time. Occasionally amitriptyline can cause insomnia; if this happens it is better to take it in the morning.
> 
> Worth trying
> If side effects are a problem, there are other similar drugs (for example nortriptyline, and imipramine) that are worth trying.
> Many people stay on amitriptyline for years and say that it has transformed their lives. When dealing with pain, it is worth giving drug therapy a chance and working with your doctor to try different approaches so that you find the particular approach that is right for you, which brings you the benefits of pain relief , allows you to do more and gives you the quality of life that you and your doctor both want.
> 
> Dr Mick Serpell is Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at University Department of Anaesthesia, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow.
> 
> Pain Concern Publications
> 
> Pain Concern, PO Box 13256, Haddington EH41 4YD, Tel. 01620 822572 www.painconcern.org.uk
> 
> 
> 
> I have suffered with sciatica for a number of years and tried physio, accupuncture, anti inflamatories etc ect.
> 
> As a last attempt before considering more drastic action I was put on Amitriptyline, it took around 3 weeks to kick in but it has brought my pain down from an 8 to a 4. It seems to have also stopped most of my headaches.
> 
> The only side effect is strange dreams. I still suffer mild pain but can live with it as it really only comes on when I stop rather than when I am active.
Click to expand...

I have seen a Neurosergeon today about my sciatic pain. Surgery is not an option as there is one disc that is protruding into my spinal canal and the scar tissue caused by an operation could cause worse pain than I am in. The good news is that the slipped disc above has made more space around my spinal cord which reduces the pressure on my nerves.

So I will have to live with it, take pain killers, avoid lifting heavy weights and not go running or jogging.


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## tokkalosh

Thanks for the update Jezport, sorry to hear there is nothing more they can do


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