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1415174 tn?1453243103

Meds for sciatica relief?

I have sciatica symptoms and am wondering what drugs other than Tylenol and Ibuprofen,  I can take for Sciatica pain, that isn't contraindicated with clonazepam.  I have been on clonazepam for 30 years for cyclic vomiting syndrome/abdominal migraine.  The sciatic pain is now intermittent (low one day high the next) and I have had it for 3 months.  I see my NP tomorrow and wonder if there is anything I can suggest or ask for.
Thank you,
mkh9
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The first thing you need to know is why you have it.  If it's from the periformis, you try to treat that.  If it's from the lower back, you try to treat that.  It it's from the hips, you treat that.  Without knowing why or whether it's something you're doing (I got it from riding a bike, believe it or not, and got rid of it by not riding a bike anymore) nobody can treat it successfully.  You might find drugs that minimize the pain, but you can get rid of sciatica in physical therapy if you know where it's coming from quite often.  In the meantime, tried taking baths in Epsom salts?  I recommend you see an orthopedic surgeon for a diagnosis and go from there.
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Ok. I am getting an xray next week to rule out bone spur, etc. But I had this before and MRI  was negative.  10 doctors later no diagnosis.  So sometimes it isn't easy to get a diagnosis but in the meantime my question was what can I do for pain relief,  not a diagnosis.  So today I got a muscle relaxer at least.  I have been injured 5/5 times by PT's for this problem.  So that isn't an option.
Thanks,
mkh9
I had the same problem, and so a personal trainer I knew sent me an article about something called periformis syndrome.  It's a small muscle on the side of the hip and the buttocks area and for many people the sciatic nerve runs right over it so if it becomes inflamed it hits the sciatic nerve.  I can only assume that's what I had because it doesn't show up on either an X-ray or an MRI.  Might be it, though of course I can't know.  Hope it works out.
My post disappeared, so trying again.  It might be something called periformis syndrome.  Doesn't show up on an MRI or X-ray.  It's a small muscle that runs near the hip and buttocks and the sciatic nerve runs over it, so if it gets inflamed it hits that nerve and it hurts.  Might be a possibility.  Peace.
Yes last time my xray and MRI were negative.  The physical therapy people like to call it SI joint dysfunction.  However,  one doesn't get that without a big blow or injury ,such as a car accident.  So I could have pyriformis syndrome.  I always feel uncomfortable with the pyriformis stretch. Wish me luck Tuesday that I don't get worse from getting into the car or the Xray.
Regards
mkh9
FYI
My Xray was negative .
mkh9
X-rays are usually useless.  They can show if you have osteoarthritis, but can't tell you if having that is the reason you hurt in a particular place.  It can be maddening sometimes.    
By the way, there are meds that are used, such as Lyrica or Neurontin, or you can go full opiates if you can still find a doc to prescribe them, but they don't fix the problem and then the meds eventually become a problem.  It's better if you can find a good physical therapy program and stop doing whatever irritates it at least for a while that fixes it than having to use meds or surgery, though sometimes that's all that's going to work especially when you get old, like me.
Hi again, it turns out my xray was not negative.  I have facet joint osteoarthritis (mild) degeneration.  I don't know if that is causing the pain so I am getting a MRI tomorrow.  I hope I can stay still for 30 minutes.  I don't 6I can take Lyrica as it interacts with my drug clonazepam,  that I use for my abdominal migraines.
I was on neurontin before. But it didn't interact with the clonazepam.  It may lower the pain a bit. I was also thinking of Amitriptyline.  But not sure if that would help at low dose.  The NP doesn't want to give me much because of their paranoia about drugs. Thanks and wish me luck tomorrow.
mkh9
FYI, MY MRI was negative.  Only same as 10 years ago. So either a pinched nerve or facet joint. I thought of pyriformis syndrome but wouldn't that show up on an MRI that the muscle is in a different area or angle? Now they are saying go to a pain med doctor for a facet joint injection.  I don't know. The pain is more in the glute.
mkh9
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