Sciatica and Weight Loss

[VanessaVSGforme 276]

Let me start off by giving stats...Im 29 years old...I started my journey June 5 at 410lbs. My surgery day was 9/2 and I weighed 367 and just a day or so ago I was already down to 349. WAHOOOOO!!!!

So now, here's my story. Back in March, I was diagnosed with a tiny herniated L5-S1 disc. Drs say it just so happens that it is bulged out and is touching on my sciatic nerve which is causing MAJOR MAJOR left leg and calf pain. I have NO PAIN in my back at all. Just EXCRUCIATING pain in my left leg (the calf in particular)...which leads me to maybe believe it's my piriformis muscle causing the issues and not the tiny herniated disc...

So my options were 1.) Back surgery at a very young age 29 that may or may not work. or 2.) Weight loss surgery that MAY help the sciatica but definitely will help blood pressure, PCOS and over all health.

I went with option 2. I know I'm not expecting this sciatica to go away over night, which I'm sure it wont...but my question is as follows: HAS ANYONE EVER GONE THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR AND MIRACULOUSLY GOTTEN OVER SCIATICA WITH WEIGHT LOSS??? Or maybe this is a case of piriformis syndrome?? I'm really praying weight loss helps...but I am being so hard on myself 1 week out from surgery just wishing I would have had back surgery because my leg is still hurting although I knew it wouldn't heal overnight...???????????????? This has been an emotional rollercoaster...

Also, I've tried:

Stretching at home

Chiropractor

Acupuncture

Physical Therapy

Epidurals (at least 5)

Swimming to stretch it out

Anyone have any input?? Thank you!

[BigViffer 3,544]

How funny, this is the exact reason I had the gastric sleeve done. My pain was not caused by a minor herniated disc though. I had a major car accident when I was young and have serious bone related issues 20+ years on. My back of course is in terrible shape. For 15 years I had a prescription for muscle relaxers and pain pills. Demerol, vicodin, ultram, percocet... the list goes on and on. Also had cortizone shots and facet injections. For 15 years!

The straw the broke the camel's back was last September when I had a major herniated disc that caused excruciating pain in my left buttocks, hamstring, and around the knee. I've known pain; I've had all my teeth knocked out and shoved back in while I was awake, had my jaw pieced back together, degloved my hands, broken both ankles, shoulder reconstruction, epididymitis and some other things... but all of those I could drown in pain killers. I could not get any relief from the pain this time however.

Now I know that I will eventually need the back surgery that they have been recommending for the past 10 years, but I do not want to sacrifice the mobility that I have currently until absolutely necessary. I went to the back surgeon and he said that he would not perform the surgery until I lost 100lbs. Then he recommended gastric surgery to me. Not the first time it was recommended, but it was the first time I wanted it. My kids are just now in the 10-12 range, I want to be able to do things with them. I want to be around to see what they accomplish. At my age, health started becoming a more important issue that it had before. I'm not old yet, but I do have health issues. This was the turning point for me to not just do something about my back pain, but also about my lifestyle.

Because of my health issues and comorbidities, I was approved and scheduled for surgery fairly quickly. Had my surgery Feb 17th of this year. Here comes the amazing part. Before surgery I was taking pain meds, arthritis meds, diabetes meds, high blood pressure meds, and I was getting ready to start taking high cholesterol meds. On my one week follow up, I was taken off all of them. I was feeling better at an incredible pace.

I was incredulous, so I asked the surgeon how it was possible that even though I had only lost 15lbs at this time, how could all of my arthritis pain have diminished so quickly? Blood pressure and sugar I can understand, but not arthritis. Turns out it really is the stuff that we put in our bodies that makes a difference. I also think that my body was focusing on other things at the time and I just didn't notice the old familiar pains at the time.

So here I am, 7 months later and I only take 1 diclofenac, 1 prevacid , and my Vitamins every day. I haven't had so much as a spasm in my back or legs since surgery. I don't worry tying my shoes or picking up a quarter I dropped out of fear that I won't be able to stand up straight afterwards.

I hope that your results eventually as good as mine. The only thing I had to give up was gorging myself on restaurant food and huge family meals so that I could move and be active again. I think I made a pretty good trade.

[VanessaVSGforme 276]

How funny, this is the exact reason I had the gastric sleeve done. My pain was not caused by a minor herniated disc though. I had a major car accident when I was young and have serious bone related issues 20+ years on. My back of course is in terrible shape. For 15 years I had a prescription for muscle relaxers and pain pills. Demerol, vicodin, ultram, percocet... the list goes on and on. Also had cortizone shots and facet injections. For 15 years!

The straw the broke the camel's back was last September when I had a major herniated disc that caused excruciating pain in my left buttocks, hamstring, and around the knee. I've known pain; I've had all my teeth knocked out and shoved back in while I was awake, had my jaw pieced back together, degloved my hands, broken both ankles, shoulder reconstruction, epididymitis and some other things... but all of those I could drown in pain killers. I could not get any relief from the pain this time however.

Now I know that I will eventually need the back surgery that they have been recommending for the past 10 years, but I do not want to sacrifice the mobility that I have currently until absolutely necessary. I went to the back surgeon and he said that he would not perform the surgery until I lost 100lbs. Then he recommended gastric surgery to me. Not the first time it was recommended, but it was the first time I wanted it. My kids are just now in the 10-12 range, I want to be able to do things with them. I want to be around to see what they accomplish. At my age, health started becoming a more important issue that it had before. I'm not old yet, but I do have health issues. This was the turning point for me to not just do something about my back pain, but also about my lifestyle.

Because of my health issues and comorbidities, I was approved and scheduled for surgery fairly quickly. Had my surgery Feb 17th of this year. Here comes the amazing part. Before surgery I was taking pain meds, arthritis meds, diabetes meds, high blood pressure meds, and I was getting ready to start taking high cholesterol meds. On my one week follow up, I was taken off all of them. I was feeling better at an incredible pace.

I was incredulous, so I asked the surgeon how it was possible that even though I had only lost 15lbs at this time, how could all of my arthritis pain have diminished so quickly? Blood pressure and sugar I can understand, but not arthritis. Turns out it really is the stuff that we put in our bodies that makes a difference. I also think that my body was focusing on other things at the time and I just didn't notice the old familiar pains at the time.

So here I am, 7 months later and I only take 1 diclofenac, 1 prevacid , and my Vitamins every day. I haven't had so much as a spasm in my back or legs since surgery. I don't worry tying my shoes or picking up a quarter I dropped out of fear that I won't be able to stand up straight afterwards.

I hope that your results eventually as good as mine. The only thing I had to give up was gorging myself on restaurant food and huge family meals so that I could move and be active again. I think I made a pretty good trade.

First of all, congratulations on ALL of your accomplishments! I'm so happy that you're able to do so so much more in so little time!!! It's so nice to hear (not really, but you know what I mean) that someone else has had very similar problems and things have gotten better for you!!! I'm sure your kids are very happy as well since we dont like seeing our parents in pain... I loved reading this post and I wish you all the best in the coming future!!! Hopefully, back surgery will not be needed for you!!! My name is Vanessa AND I look forward to keeping in touch with you! Thank you so much for sharing this!!! ????❤

[jhclikesshopping@gmail.com 285]

Hello!!! I do not have the same scenario as you both but mine is similar. In 1999 (when I was 27) I was in a car accident that damaged my right hip to a point beyond repair. I waited with the pain as long as I could - trying to get the technically for hip replacements to be as good as possible. During this time, i was swimming as my only form of exercise. then in 2006 I had a hip replacement. Since then I have had a really hard time to lose the weight and be in control of the weight for my health. I no longer swim and have 4 miscarriages made me crazy depressed. So move forward 10 years and my ortho was concerned the current weight would further damage my joints and in particular the hip that is replaced. So I had my VSG in March. I have to say - there is no more pain in the hip... none. I am now able to walk for miles and I am able to build up other muscles to make sure my joints equally share my body weight.

Since I am 6 months out from surgery, I have basically learned to sit, walk and behave differently. I am at the gym for over a hour each day and really NO PAIN!!! I love it. I have lost 100+ pounds in 6 months and have about 50 -60 more to go to the surgeons goal for me. My goal is 75 more pounds.

If you ever need to talk to some one - reach out. I wish you the best of luck!!!!

[TammyDTM 391]

@@VanessaVSGforme I am down 98 pounds and my sciatica is still a slight problem at times. My pain and numbness is in my right leg, thigh, and foot. I exercise every day and my pain level depends on the activity. Overall, I am feeling a lot better since the surgery. I think that weight loss has improved the situation by at least 75%.

I know you said that your leg hurts, but be sure to get your walking in anyway. It will definitely help to keep you loose. I hope you will start feeling better soon.

[WorkinOnMe 596]

In 2011 I suffered 2 work injuries to my back just one week apart from each other. As a result I have an annular tear at L5/S1 with minor bulging at L3 & L4 as well. In 2012 I participated in a Functional Restoration Program ... in essence a 3 week intensive rehab program to regain the use of the muscles in my back. Although the program did an amazing job, I still suffered from radiating pain into my hip & down my left leg. Occasionally I also have numbness/neuropathy in the lower leg & foot. I have done all the exercises & stretches I was given and only had limited range of motion.

I was sleeved in May 2015 and to date I have lost 87.5 lbs. In June I started to notice a marked improvement in my pain, especially at night. Since surgery I have only had 2 episodes of numbness and only a handfull of times that I have had to take my pain medications. I am now able to walk for over an hour, where before I could only manage 10 minutes at most. I just completed my first 5K & am walking my 2nd one on Sunday.

I dont know if WLS was fully responsible for the improvements, however I will never balk at my increased mobility & decrease in pain! Ine thing I learned in rehab is that there is a difference between "pain" and "pain that causes more injury". Do as much walking as you can ... I firmly believe that has been the biggest help in reducing the inflammation that causes my pain.

Best of luck!

Edited September 12, 2015 by rustbel4ti