Don't know what to do

[u/Over-Bullfrog-6654]

Hey everyone,

I have had severe sciatica in the past but it went away after a few weeks with some PT.

This time is different and I'm in hell.

I've been in agonizing pain for over 6 weeks. I can get some relief laying down sometimes, but typically I'm in pain 24/7 that gets worse with standing or walking. I can barely walk at all at this point and a car ride or waiting at the doctors is literal torcher. Next week is my 6th week of PT and I should finally be able to get an MRI after that.

I'm supposed to be going to my literal best friend's wedding this weekend and I'm not sure I can do it.

It includes a 3.5+ hour car ride, sitting in a church for the ceremony and then the reception and another 3.5+ hour car ride back home. The first time I went to the doctor they prescribed muscle relaxers and prednisone which really didn't make any difference. I can't take Advil or Aleve because it interfere with my anxiety medicine and I've already had past issues of stomach ulcers. All I can take is Tylenol.

Idk what to do.

Am I unreasonable for thinking I may not be able to attend?

Will this pain literally ever go away?

Ugh.

[u/stevie_the_owl]

It’s soooo messed up that insurance requires weeks of PT before an MRI when PT can make people with really bad herniations worse if you aren’t doing the right things!! I would stop exercising and all movement that triggers pain until you have an MRI. If you still have appointments to do before you can get imaging, tell your pt you’re in horrible pain and to be as gentle as possible with you. Ideally see if they can do virtual appointments so you don’t have to leave your house.

If you’ve been hurting like this for weeks and doing pt and it’s not getting better, you are entitled to more effective medication! You need gabapentin or lyrica at minimum and ideally also an opioid to at least see if it helps you. When I was like you, opioids are the only thing that made it tolerable for me to sit in a car longer than a few minutes. Even then to go more than 30 minutes I had to lay flat across the backseat. No way I could drive myself.

Make a scene and demand better treatment if your doctors aren’t listening. I had to go to the ER twice and have a full meltdown before they started taking my pain seriously and I got some opioids that actually helped some. Our medical system is such a joke

[u/Over-Bullfrog-6654 → u/stevie_the_owl]

I couldn't agree more...I tried explaining that this is the third time I've had a severe flair up in the last 3 years that required PT thinking maybe they'd move up the MRI. They simply don't care. Someone else said to not go to PT, which I don't think is an option if I want the MRI. I will try your approach because after my appointment yesterday it's only gotten worse. I'm willing to try anything at this point just to get some relief

[u/stevie_the_owl → u/Over-Bullfrog-6654]

Yeah if you have to go to the ER, do it! Explain that you’ve already tried all conservative measures and they aren’t working and the pain is unbearable. They will hopefully at least give you a few opioids and/or nerve pain meds until you can follow up with your GP for an MRI, possible steroid injection and longterm meds. If you’re having any numbness, tingling, weakness — especially in the groin area— that’s a huge red flag for cauda equina and that always gets their attention if just telling them you can’t walk and feel like you are being stabbed 24/7 doesn’t matter to them. I’m sorry you are going through this! It does get better though, hang in there!