Sciatica: Is it just me, or is there really no pharmaceutical invervention out there?

I’m sorry you are experiencing so much pain. You should know that, unfortunately, sciatica can be relapsing, and highly resistant to treatment. I’m going to assume you have tried the standard stuff, like high dose, around the clock anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen). Some people have tried steroids to alleviate the symptoms, but a recent clinical trial suggested this was no more effective than placebo.

One thing that does help people are spinal injections of steroids, but these are not simple things you can do at home. Otherwise, if you are truly suffering non-stop, then perhaps a surgical approach, like a discectomy may help.

Otherwise, the most important thing is to try to stay as active as possible.

@shi: I’m sort of paranoid about the effects of too much OTC medication, ever since the genius Tylenol ads: “If you’re not going to follow the dosage instructions on the bottle, we’d rather you not use our product at all.” What is high dose, and how much is too much?

I also read somewhere that the success rate of surgery is only about 60% and it’s temporary success at that.

Ibuprofen: 800 mg every 6–8 hours is safe, for a short period of time like a week (or two). The major side effects are stomach irritation (so take with food) and possible kidney damage. Thus, the need for a shorter course (and to be wary if you already have known kidney disease).

With respect to surgery, I am a huge critic of surgery of sciatica (and have talked my own father out of it, on several occasions). However, if you cannot function normally on a regular basis, then surgery may be a good solution (I consider it a last resort, after spinal injections).

Thanks a million, Shi. Yeah, I’m not a daily sufferer. I’ve learned what I can and can’t do, and every now and then I have a freak period where I must’ve wrenched in my sleep. Probably not even frequently enough for injections, but when I do get it, I get it.

Sadly there is no specific medication for neuropathic pain. What works for one person may not work for another. I didn’t believe in the use of steroids because either they didn’t work or people seemed to keep needing them. When I described the shoulder pain to my dr her first thought was bone cancer because of the severity and the fact I was recovering from cancer surgery. None of the tests showed anything so one day she suggested a steroid. Before she had completed the injection the pain was gone. She told me it might return but7 years later-nothing.

After a stroke in 2005 I experienced severe nerve pain which didn’t respond to anything. I could handle it by concentrating on work but I could only sleep 2–3 hours at a time. In the long run I learned to deal with it when I stopped fighting it. I take a couple of Tylenol to take the edge off and sleep when I can. The rest of the time, I keep busy.