I think I self-diagnosed my sciatica issue

[Baz]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

We are all different and will be affected or relieved to various degrees.

I find for me at this point in time that lack of exercise will trigger episodes.

Whenever I get lazy I pay the price.

Ah....truer words have never been spoken, brother!

"At this point in time" especially being the qualifier for many of us (I'm 67).

I did some stretches earlier and it seemed to help.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Be very careful with the prednisone!
-snip-
Just be careful with that stuff. It is powerful medicine.

Thanks for the head's up, Glen - good to know!

I despise taking any kind of pills actually so shouldn't be a problem.

In fact, I had some Prednisone left over from when I had Bronchitis last year.

But posts like yours are important because at some point someone else will read this thread and learn from it, benefiting from your posts as well as all the others, regardless of my situation.

[Racerbvd]

Mine is finally under control, Chiropractor stretching exercises, red laser bed(looks like a tanning bed) but where I got the most relief was a couple of lidocaine shots in the bum to block the nerve so I could do the above.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Be very careful with the prednisone!

That stuff is scary. My MIL started taking it under doctor's orders. She suddenly felt like 20 years younger and loved it. She is a very quiet lady, and I had never had a long conversation with her after many years of marriage to her daughter. Out of the blue, she called my cell and chatted like a teenage girl about all sorts of things for over an hour!

She finally started gaining weight, especially in her face, and her doc took her off of it. She crashed like a heroin addict with a monkey on her back. It is a too long of a story to go into her issues then, but it was months before she was back to normal.

Just be careful with that stuff. It is powerful medicine.

I went through two, six month stretches, in a 1.5 year period, of Prednisone use in order to treat an optic nerve condition, via a neuro-ophthalmologist I was referred to by a retinal specialist; hyper activity, much trouble sleeping, hot all the time (including episodes of flushing) severe headaches and even much increased irritability. Then came the weaning off processes that were very tough (crashing like a heroine addict, like you mentioned above). That was a very unpleasant time for me but sure beat going blind!

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by Rawknees'Turbo

I went through two, six month stretches, in a 1.5 year period, of Prednisone use in order to treat an optic nerve condition, via a neuro-ophthalmologist I was referred to by a retinal specialist; hyper activity, much trouble sleeping, hot all the time (including episodes of flushing) severe headaches and even much increased irritability. Then came the weaning off processes that were very tough (crashing like a heroine addict, like you mentioned above). That was a very unpleasant time for me but sure beat going blind!

Ronnie that sounds horrible, but we know why you almost went blind.

[Herness]

Just go and see the doctor. Self diagnosis are not always correct from my experience.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by gsxrken

Ronnie that sounds horrible, but we know why you almost went blind.

Wanna see my Popeye arm?!?!

[Baz]

Well, even after starting the two prescribed meds, my leg was still in pain today.

So I decided to deploy some of my CBD arsenal.

Took one of the Delta 8 Gummies and rubbed my leg where it was hurting with the salve.

Pain was cut in half within' one hour. Now down to 25%.

Huge game changer.

After I deplete what I was prescribed for the meds, which should be by Tuesday, I will go solely with the CBD route, and see what happens.

Thanks!

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Rawknees'Turbo

I went through two, six month stretches, in a 1.5 year period, of Prednisone use in order to treat an optic nerve condition, via a neuro-ophthalmologist I was referred to by a retinal specialist; hyper activity, much trouble sleeping, hot all the time (including episodes of flushing) severe headaches and even much increased irritability. Then came the weaning off processes that were very tough (crashing like a heroine addict, like you mentioned above). That was a very unpleasant time for me but sure beat going blind!

Fully agree on the Prednisone. In my mid 20s, when I was 1st diagnosed with breathing issues (at that point I didn't smoke ANYTHING) and it was interfering with my BMX racing . Since I didn't smoke, was extremely athletic and active, no one could figure out how I ended up with COPD and how Iwas abletostill be competitive racing since I had the lungs of a 60 year old smoker, and they started pushing Prednisone down my throat. Well, that is then my size 28 waist started growing, but it wasn't until after I turned 30 that my waist broke 30

[Baz]

Quick update - leg pain almost gone and I can walk normally again vs. being a bit hobbled.

I've kept to the Prednisone 10mg. and Gabapentin 300mg. prescription my doctor recommended and feel they were very instrumental in the recovery.

I have enough meds for one more day and then will be finished, providing the issue does not return, God forbid.

I have no craving for these meds and will be very happy when done with them.

I have not used any CBD products since Sunday - and even then it was just some balm on the lower part of my leg where I had some pain.

The reason I stopped is I wanted to see how the prescribed meds were working on their own.

Of course there's no knowing the exact degree the CBD products had on overall recovery, but I feel they did help on those two days when the pain was more prominent.

The resiliency of the human body never ceases to amaze me.

[Zeke]

Glad you're better. The key from here on out is moderation in exercise with proper stretching. You have to get your framework back in balance. Swimming is great. Just treading water is good enough.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Baz, 10mg Prednisone won't cause the horror story stuff mentioned by me and others; I was taking 4X that for months on end and 10mg dosage was well into my weaning-off period.

[pmax]

Alcohol works too, enough used.

Did I mention MRI ?

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Glad you're better. The key from here on out is moderation in exercise with proper stretching. You have to get your framework back in balance. Swimming is great. Just treading water is good enough.

Great advice - thanks, Milt!

Originally Posted by Rawknees'Turbo

Baz, 10mg Prednisone won't cause the horror story stuff mentioned by me and others; I was taking 4X that for months on end and 10mg dosage was well into my weaning-off period.

OK good to know, RT. Can't imagine taking 4X that amount - whoa.....

Originally Posted by pmax

Alcohol works too, enough used.

Did I mention MRI ?

Yes, you did! Did you see my last post?

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by pmax

Alcohol works too, enough used.

Did I mention MRI ?

I tried that, couldn't even sit at the bar for more than 5 minutes before the pain was too much.

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Originally Posted by Baz

. . .



OK good to know, RT. Can't imagine taking 4X that amount - whoa.....




. . .

It certainly sucked, but was small potatoes compared to people with MS, ALS, and similar diseases that are often treated intravenously with that stuff - damn, talk about tough!

[pmax]

Originally Posted by Baz

Yes, you did! Did you see my last post?

I went through that with a fine tooth comb and see no mention of a diagnosis which is what the MRI gives you.

Back pain tends to go away on its own at first but it is progressive.

[stevej37]

My Dr did x-rays on my back a few weeks back when I thought I had a bad case of sciatica.
The x-rays showed compressed fractures of two vertebrae.
He set up an MRI in a couple weeks from now. I'll most likely have to have surgery.

It gets real bad with walking or lifting.

[gsxrken]

Google Dr. Stuart McGill if you want to zero in on your issue and how to work around it.
15 years ago I ruptured a disc (even I could see what looked like a spill on the MRI) and had a microdiscectomy to remove the offending disc material off of my sciatic nerve root. Did it help, yes… maybe 60% better but I would tweak my back constantly doing the simplest of things. For the next 5 years I was very limited and my fitness level and quality of life went down hard.
Not until I found McGill’s books about 5 years later did I begin to almost immediately improve. I joined a gym and slowly improved my core and back tensioning muscles so my spine stays tethered in a good position. Watch out for “stretching”, too, as the wrong ones can put your spine in a position that further raises intradisc pressure and can exacerbate your issue. No sit-ups or curls!
Don’t get surgery for a disc issue. Studies suggest surgery /non surgery groups are just as unhappy as each other 1 or 2 years out. The key is to avoid the positions that inflame it for long enough that the inflammation goes down and you can strengthen your stabilizers.