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Suggest Treatment For Severe Back Pain While On Vesicare And Sertraline

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Posted on Tue, 16 Feb 2016
Question: I am 60 years old and live in a cottage called Five Levels because it is. The lounge is at the top of the house, bedroom and dressing room. The next level is a landing and on the next level down is the hallway, bathroom and toilet and then there are five steps up again to the kitchen and dining room.
I have been a severe depressive all of my life and presently take 200mg Sertraline daily
I also take Vesicare 5mg for stress incontinence.
I was diagnosed with COPD five years ago. I am not on oxygen but use Spiriva 18 microgram and also use DuoResp, Spiromax, 2 puffs mornings. The rest of the day I use a standard Ventolin inhaler when needed.
In my mid 20’s I was thrown from a horse and landed on my arse crushing my coccyx. Once bruising healed I was pain free and my doctors told me that the tiny fragments would just disappear around my body.
2 years ago over several months I started to get a twinge in my back and left leg, with pins and needles in my left calf and my left foot dropped. The pain increased dramatically and I was taken into hospital where a Synovial cyst was found. I ended up on 30mg Zomorph twice a day, 300mg Gabapentin three times a day and 30mg/500mg of Co-codamol three times a day and I was still in pain. After a period of roughly 3 months I woke up to no pain? The cyst had burst and I was dismissed from the Hospital.

Since then I have had occasional painful twinges in my back when lifting or turning but nothing serious.
About a month ago I awoke and was in excruciating pain in my left hip, groin, left side of my hip and thigh and the right side of my shin. The pain was so terrible that I was taken into Hospital by ambulance, given an immediate MRI and then an injection into my spine which will be repeated in six weeks. Since then I still have the most terrible pain when I first get up, to the point of every morning being in tears and seriously wondering if I can get through this everyday. Any change in posture, ie sitting, getting out of a chair, trying to wash in the shower, getting dressed is agony. The pain is in my groin left and right, left hip, shooting pain down my left leg, my bum feels like it’s on fire. If I move my neck to look down a sharp pain runs down my back, but I can not really tell you where it comes from. I have periodic pins and needles in my hands and a continuous ache in the right side of my bum and groin. I am always in pain in my hands which are arthritic. I have also developed a tick in my right hand
I’ve been told that my spine L2 to L4 and T4 to T6 has moved? Leaving nerve bundles exposed, hence the injections.

My question= My partner keeps shouting at me telling me to rest. Sit in the Lazy boy with the heat massager or stay lying down. For me, once the pain killers kick in I find moving, doing housework (we have five dogs & three pet sheep) possible and there’s a sort of pain barrier that you go through and then you can move. I do steps one at a time and do try to be careful bending and lifting.
Staying flat gives me an ache in my upper back, so does standing for any length of time. Getting in and out of chairs is painful, sharp pain. Bending forward when sitting is probably the most comfortable.

Please, should I rest? Or keep busy?
yyyyy@yyyyy
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Busy but in moderation

Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the situation you are in.

Regarding your question it depends on what sort of physical activity we are speaking of. Generally rest is advised for the first few days when acute pain sets in, but afterwards there is no benefit from bed rest and physical activity must be resumed. What must be avoided though is activities which increase the load on your spine such as lifting weights (such as lifting buckets, boxes around the house) and prolonged standing for hours which you yourself mention to make things worse (as in that erect position the vertebral bodies and discs bear the full weight of the trunk). Otherwise there is no contraindication to moderate physical activity and moving down the house.
Also physical exercise to strengthen your core are necessary possibly under the guidance of a physical therapist at first. That way your spine muscles will better support you and over time be able to do more.

I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Olsi Taka (1 hour later)
Do I get charged more for clarification of your answer please? My condition has placed me on benefit.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
You have one more free follow up question.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again.

You do get 2 FREE follow up questions. However the system automatically considers your asking whether you're charged more as a question (it's computerized, not dependent on me), so you have now only 1 free follow-up question in which you can ask for any clarification you need.

Looking forward to hearing from you again.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Olsi Taka

Neurologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 3673 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Severe Back Pain While On Vesicare And Sertraline

Brief Answer: Busy but in moderation Detailed Answer: I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the situation you are in. Regarding your question it depends on what sort of physical activity we are speaking of. Generally rest is advised for the first few days when acute pain sets in, but afterwards there is no benefit from bed rest and physical activity must be resumed. What must be avoided though is activities which increase the load on your spine such as lifting weights (such as lifting buckets, boxes around the house) and prolonged standing for hours which you yourself mention to make things worse (as in that erect position the vertebral bodies and discs bear the full weight of the trunk). Otherwise there is no contraindication to moderate physical activity and moving down the house. Also physical exercise to strengthen your core are necessary possibly under the guidance of a physical therapist at first. That way your spine muscles will better support you and over time be able to do more. I remain at your disposal for other questions.