Sciatic nerve symptoms and conditions

Except for having high cholesterol (310), I'm a 29 yr old healthy active female, very petite and weigh 98lbs. My mother has had a quadruple bypass and 4 stents at the age of 54, high cholesterol is just hereditary in my family. My doctor put me on 40 mg of zocor. The first week taking zocor I started feeling strange, a little soar here and there and very tired at times, also I have become very forgetful. It's been almost 2 months now and I have severe pain in my legs. First it was the right leg and now both legs, the pain starts at my lower back all the way down to my cav. I have a burning painful feeling sometimes numbing feeling, its driving me crazy!!!! I can't stand for too long cause I feel tons of pressure on my lower back pushing down my legs, It feels like my sciatic nerve. I went to my doctor and he said he is 95% sure that this is from the zocor medication, he told me to stop it right away. This is my first day without it, I know I need to do something to prevent what happen to my mother, I'm on a strict healthy diet, staying away from all fatty cholesterol filled foods, but there has to be a better way then taking statin drugs! If anyone has some ideas of what kind of alternative meds I can take, please help.

I started using lipitor from my doctor, it lowered my cholesterol all around but I started to have lower back pains. At first I thought it might be prostate cancer, but after having to MRI's done they found no cancer, thank god. But I went to an orthopedic surgeon to see what the problem was. He looked at the mri's and saw lower dics hitting my nerve endings. He also thought that it might be muscle problems so he gave me 3 epidurals and that helped for a while took away about 50% of my pain, but I still have the pain, It is hard for me to get comfortable when I sit or even when I am sleeping. I don't want to think that it is the lipitor that is doing it to me but after talking with others I feel it is time to talk to my doctor about it. My doctor said that lipitor is the safest one that will do very little harm to my liver. I am not a doctor so I would not know.. My cholesterol level was 246 at one time now it is 175. I am now facing possible spine fusion to help correct my disc problem. But will also ask doctor to prescribe something else.

Alan

I also received a kenalog injection from a dermatologist for rashes that wouldn't go away. He told me ONLY that it would probably mess up my menstrual cycle. I thought "yeah sure that sounds great" I just wanted relief from all the itching. The rash did go away but i started to notice a dent where they gave me the injection. It has since gotten bigger and I am scared and wondering what is going on with me. My doctor never told me of atrophy or even that it was a possibility. I consulted with another doctor who told me he is not sure how this couldn't happened and that they probly injected in the wrong site. i now know after coming to this site that i am not alone and it is the kenalog that has caused me grief. Doctors need to be responsible in letting patients know every detail about the drug they are using on us. I was reassured by him that my only side affect would be irregular periods. Hopefully one day mine will go away but until the people need to be educated on certain steroids.

It's so encouraging to hear everyone else's views about this "device"!! I've had my Mirena since 16th March 2007 (yes, I remember the day like it was yesterday as inserting the thing was the most painful experience I have ever had, although I haven't had children!!).

The literature says you will get cramps and bleeding for up to about 3 weeks (I think) ... yes, try about 6 months.

Then, just when I thought things were settling down, I got sciatica over Christmas for no apparent reason. It was mild to begin with and then after £100 and 3 trips to the chiro, I am now on physiotherapy and have been for a month. I've also starting having cramps for about a month yet, but no sign of a period, so I got to thinking I wonder if this sciatica has got anything to do with the Mirena. I googled and sure enough, people are suffering and also from a whole host of other things I now recognize is happening to me. The blurred vision is interesting as when I went to get the Mirena removed this morning (it has got lost up there!!), the nurse said I've never heard of anyone getting sciatica. Check the internet love, the uterus is very close to the sciatic nerve and bearing in mind mine (the Mirena not the uterus) has gone walkabout, I'm pretty certain this is the root of my problems.

Someone had asked for the Mirena to be removed because it was affecting their contact lenses, so there must be something in the rumour.

Anyway, hopefully the doc can remove mine tonight or I can get a scan quickly and have the damn thing removed. Only 12 weeks until I get married and I refuse to walk down the aisle on crutches!!!!!

I never had a cholesterol problem, however I am a type 2 diabetic. My doctor prescribed me 10mg of Lipitor based on studies. I have been buying and taking that expensive drug for at least 4 years. I noticed last august my muscles ached all over. Then I started having trouble with my "sciatic nerve". Since October, I have not walked properly or without pain. That is until this past week. The doctor laughed and told me that it wasn't the side effect of Lipitor. I believed it was, after all I know my body! I went back to the doctor in Feb and told her I am not going to take the med. I feel 100 percent better, I am eating oatmeal or a fiber breakfast every morning and I feel good. I will see how the numbers do in may when I go for my blood work!

I have been taking Neurontin for 2 months. I didn't think it was really helping because I still couldn't function normally. I have had 3 disk surgeries on L4/5, and still have severe pain in my right hip and down my right leg all the way to my foot. I am told there is scar tissue build-up in the area causing the nerve pain. I started taking Neurontin in small doses and have built up to 1200mg 3 times a day. I still couldn't walk more than 20 feet without leaning on something, but the pain was noticably less severe. My doctor put me on Trileptal instead, and the first day off the Neurontin was a nightmare...the pain was worse than ever. I went back to the Neurontin immediately. I have experienced some weight gain, but have attibuted that to no exercise. It does seem to make me forgetful, tired and somewhat depressed, but without it, the pain is completely debilitating. I want my life back, but I don't know what to do from here. Neurontin has helped the pain to a more tolerable level, but if I still can't even walk, I'm not even close to functioning normally. If anyone has a suggestion, I would love to hear it...thanks.

I am taking the methylpred 4 mg pak. I was given the pak for inflamation of the sciatic nerve resulting in pain down the right leg. I am into day 3 of the pak. I have had very little if any side effects. I am sleeping less maybe 2 to 3 hours but I am not tire in the morining. It has reduced the pain going down my leg.

Prometrium may have been what I was given about 20 years ago. The shot for my disc herniation was injected directly into my spine. First one - an anesthesiologist shot directly in the spine above the injury and let gravity do the rest - helped a bit, but wore off quick. Last two shots - The Dr. used an x-ray m/c and dye to guide the injected fluid right there where the herniated goo lays on the sciatic nerve. It usually takes 4-5 days for the full effect - no sciatic pain - to take hold. Took care of the pain wonderfully, just "little reminders" every now and then. Those I can handle. But when I had the kenalog for allergies years ago, it was in my butt cheek. I've never had an indent and have never heard of this before! Grumpy, quick-tempered and a bit weepy would be good words to describe some side effects. Extreme tension - little things set me off that normally don't matter at all. Screaming all day - I can definitely identify with that feeling after a shot. Not having that this time - I have prayed for that not to happen this time - As far as a waiver - yes. They never describe fully what the side effects are. When I was young and taking them for allergies - my doctor said there were no side effects. Well, I fell into depression a while after and began taking Zoloft. I eventually found an article in a magazine which confirmed that corticosteroids deplete serotonin in the brain - hence - I am still taking anti-d's......Just take it easy and try not to move wrong or overdo it after the shot - I think I got to excited at feeling good and may have reinjured it. I hope this is the last one.

I am taking methylprednisolone on the 6 day course, am on day two. I am also taking Panlor pain medicine. The combination of these two has produced a very interesting and for me a very pleasing side effect. When I am layed down to sleep, but not quite asleep, I get a somewhat mild euphoria. Then followed by hypnogogic pre-dreamstate imagery that is sexual in nature. Then when actually asleep and dreaming the dreams have been incredibly vivid and intense, in one case a nightmare that resulted in my physically yelling and waking up, which is highly uncommon for me. For me nightmares or intense dreams are a good thing, I am a sometimes lucid dreamer and I enjoy such experiences. I am hoping that these side effects continue. Other than that I get a mildly upset stomach because I do not follow the directions and drink a full glass of water. I should note that this side effect is not present on the Panlor alone, only in combination with the corticosteroid. I was given the steroid to reduce inflamation of my sciatic nerve, and so far it does not seem to have helped, but its only day 2. I might also add that I have been happier, more likely to laugh, although I am not typically depressed or anything, I assume this is a more latent form of the euphoria some people experience.

I have been on Lupron for a year (I receive the lowest dose in a monthly injection) for treatment of endometriosis of the sciatic nerve. I also take add back therapy, daily dose of norethindrone 5mg. I am told that I will have to take Lupron for the rest of my life because my case is so severe. You can't surgically remove endometriosis on the sciatic nerve because it feeds the blood supply of the nerve. The add back therapy eliminated the hot flashes but otherwise I'm MISERABLE. I have extreme fatigue, 10 lb weight gain, complete short term memory loss, very irritable and very on the edge. Lately, I have also been experiencing episodes where I feel like I am going to faint. I am grateful that I am no longer crippled with pain but I just can't take this drug anymore. I am scheduled for another monthly dose next week but have decided that I am not going to take this medication anymore. My doctor and I are discussing what my options are.