Lower Back Pain

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WILDG

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Hi everyone, I am hoping you might have some tips/ advice.

I had a grand mal seizure (or tonic clonic, im not to hot on the terms, but it was loss of conciousness the works) about 6 months ago; luckily it happened on my bed and I did not crack my head open and it was at night so my kids did not see it happen. It is the first time it has happened, and it has not happened since.

For a short period of time I had severe muscle pain, mostly neck and back, and it took a long time for my tongue to heal up (I had really taken a good chunk out of it).

The pain is no longer severe and can be fine during the day, but every morning since it has happened I wake up with lower back pain lasting at least 3 hours, occasionally I will wake up in the night because it makes me so uncomfortable.

I have tried sleeping with pillows between and under my knees etc. But it does not seem to make any difference.

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen do not seem to take the edge off, I have been to my GP and he seems to think that it is normal and will subside over time, but I have been told that for a few months now.

What is the usual time to get back to normal after a seizure?
 
I have lower back pain and it comes and goes. I was put on Tylenol-codeine#3 and that helps a lot. It can be your sciata nerve pain. Mine was at first.

As the years wore on, I fractured my back and part of my vertebrae has fused together.

You can buy over the counter Leg Cramps. They help me tremendously. They relax the muscles.

I am also on some medications for my epilepsy that also gets rid of muscle pain. I forget which ones, so I will give you a list of my medications:

Keppra 2500 mg a day
Neurontin or Gabapentin 1800 mg a day. That does help headaches as well as seizures.
Primidone 250 mg a day
Clonazepam 4 mg a day
Lamotrigine or Lamictal 200 mg a day

Hi WILDG, welcome to CWE. This forum was made by Bernard out of love for his wife Stacy. That love permeates throughout the whole forum.

Ask your GP to refer you to a neurologist.
 
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Thanks for the reply Ruth, unfortunately my doctor isn't keen to medicate as it is the first time anything like this has happened, I will look into the over-counter medicine.
I can manage the pain though, I just want to see an end in sight!
 
Hi WILDG --

Have you been to see a Physical Therapist? After my first tonic-clonic did a number on my back, I went to see a PT who really helped. She was able to give me a sense of whether the pain would go away on its own and she also did a little therapeutic ultrasound to help relieve the pain. In addition she gave me instructions for which movements to avoid until my back healed, and which exercises would help it heal.

Do you sleep on your your stomach? That and your mattress could be making things worse. It's also possible that a series of stretches throughout the day would help.
 
That has never been suggested to me. I might go to a PT.
 
Hi Nakamova,

Thank you
I am on a waiting list for a Physiotherapist, so I will see how that goes.
I generally sleep on my side with a cushion between my knees, to try and help. The mattress is quite firm, which is how I prefer it, I am not sure what is best for back pain.
 
A firm mattress is probably best (I prefer that too). I found that I had to sleep on my back (not on my side) until my back felt better.

You might try taking bromelain (over-the-counter supplement) which can help with inflammation. Lidocaine patches can also help, but they can be expensive and you don't want have to use them forever. A TENS device might also help from time to time, though I haven't used one myself:[ame="http://www.amazon.com/TOP-BEST-Massager-Arthritis-iReliev-Guaranteed/dp/B00MERK3TU"]Amazon.com: TOP-BEST TENS Massager Unit for Back Pain Relief! Works on ALL Pain, esp. Arthritis, Joint, or Muscle Pain The iReliev Bundle IS 100% Guaranteed!: Health & Personal Care@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Cwsxn-8TL.@@AMEPARAM@@51Cwsxn-8TL[/ame]
 
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I agree to avoid sleeping on your stomach. Sleeping on the back is better for some people, and sleeping on one side is better for some. It may take some experimentation to determine if one side is better, or if you should switch sides part way through the night so you do not become too stiff in the morning. If you try sleeping on your side, it can help to place a pillow between your legs so that your legs are kept more parallel to one another (as you know when we stand we don't stand with our feet touching, but they are generally just under shoulder-width apart).
We naturally move around in our sleep, and if you find a sleep position that leaves you with significantly less pain the next day try propping yourself with pillows so you maintain that position while asleep for as long as possible.

As for pain relief ones that contain codeine or a similar narcotic can significantly increase the sedative effect of AEDs, so this is perhaps why your doctor is reluctant to write a prescription for a pain-killer.
 
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I suffer from sciatica as well - I have these really cool wraps that work well for me when the pain flairs up.

It's helped me a lot post seizure to relax the muscles, especially the cold pack...

If someone wants to know more, I can direct them to the page - just send me a PM
 
You don't necessarily need to get a referral to a physiotherapist. Just find a good massage therapist. It will help you sleep which will help you heal faster.
 
Lower back pain I have along with arthritis in my back.I'm immune to pain pills so I just have to take the pain. I need to see my Orthopeadic surgeon again and see if he can help me.
 
I had 2 herniated discs in my lower back and it would kill me. It was pretty bad in the morning and through out the day I had to be careful on how I moved. I saw an orthopedic surgeon and had them fused together.

I'd gone to physical therapy and all sorts of other drs but none did any good. The only thing that helped was the surgery. I'd taken pain pills and muscle relaxers for it too but they don't seem to work on me for anything in general.

Try to sleep on your back if you can, that helps with the pain. Do not sleep on your stomach because that will make it way worse. I'd put a heat pack on mine if the pain was very bad.
 
My back is a mess. I have fused vertebrae and fused fracture of my spine. I also have lower back pain. I was seen by an orthopedic doctor but there is nothing that they can do for it.

I found out that I now have a scarred kidney. I have been put on medicine for it for 10 days. Then I will see what plans he has for me.
 
Back pain is just tough, emotionally as well as physically. I hope all you sufferers are able to find relief.
 
I had a bad problem a while back while working in my back yard. Was lifting a low tree branch and trying to move something with my foot at the same time. Ended up doing something wrong and had excruciating pain for several months. Maybe something in that linked thread will be of value to you (McKenzie exercise/piriformis stretch videos).
 
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