I have been suffering from acute sciatica for 8 weeks now and firstly started treating it with cocodamol 30/500 x 2 (3 times daily) and ibruprofen 500 x 2 (3 times daily.
Week later went to doctors who prescribed diclofenac 50 x 1 (3 daily) and paracetamol 500 x 2 (4 daily) didnt do much. the following monday went back and saw difo doc who prescribed me to continue taking paracetamol, diclofenac but also added diazepam 2mg x 1 (upto 4 times daily) day after ended up in A&E in agony. was treated with 100 volterol and 10m diazepam and told to go home take 2 x 30/500 and go to bed. I did and slept for 6 hours. On mothers day (mother of 4) I was taken by my husband to A&E in agony, who prescribed me the usual 100 volterol, 10mg diazepam and also 2 x 50 tramadol, I left in tears unable to walk in complete agony and collapsed as I left hospital, this resulted in me being admitted to a medical ward (they dont keep sciatic patients in hospital) I was there for 3 days and left on crutches and the following medication (daily times in brackets) 2m diazepam (3) 2 x 50 tramadol(3) anti sickness tablet (1) diclofenac 50 (3) 2 x 500 paracetamol (4) and 1.5ml morphine (4) and some other tablets in total 23 tablets a day plus the morphine. I ran out of these 10 days later and went back to my doc who put me on durogesic DTrans 50/hr patch and told me to take 2 x paracetamol 1 x diclofenac 1 x 2m diazepam upto 4 times daily if needed and 1 anti sickness tablet a day. I went for interfential treatment 15 mins at the physio wednesday and thursday and got myself a tens machine. Friday came and I ended up in agony unable to sit, stand, walk off to A&E. I told them I had taken 2 x 500m paracetamol, 1 diclofenac and 2m diazepam 2 hours earlier and was on the durogesic patch and he proceeded to give me 100 volterol, 10m diazepam and 2 x 50m tramadol to get my pain under control so i could be examined (all in all they overdosed me and sent me home). On Tuesday of this week I went to see a orthopaedic physiotherapist consultant who gave me a thorough examination and put me through complete hell and sent me for xrays (1st xrays i had been offered in the 8 weeks). The xray only show bones but they suspected a prolapsed disc and bone spurs at L4/L5 and L5/S1 and told me to go back to physio and see how I go on for another 8 weeks before they would even consider any further examination. I have had arthritis in my knees since the age of 14, was showing signs of arthritic changes in my back in my early 20's and injured my shoulder in my early 30's which left arthritis and bones spurs and required surgery to also fix a torn ligament (which went undiagnosed for 12 months!) I have had surgery on my knees 4 times to trim cartlidge remove debris and trim the back of the knee and will need knee replacements, but at the age of 38 am deemed far too young. I also suffer from torticolis of the neck, (touch wood no symptoms for over a year now). I have seemed to ranted a lot but the patches on me dont seem to do much for the pain and give me horendous nightmares and thats whats woke me up and set me searching for a site, in the hope I could find others with similar problems.
I dont know after 8weeks agony and can bear to put up with at least another 8 before they do any further examinations.
I have now removed the patch and do not know what pain killers I can take (bit of a dilema) I am thinking of taking 2 x paracetamol and 1 tramadol and going to bed with my heat pad and tens machine.