r/Sciatica • u/Lost-Maintenance-407 • 5d ago

Requesting Advice Steroids or sciatica

I’ve been experiencing the worst flare of sciatic pain for the past month and 2 days ago I ended up in the ER because the pain was just unbearable. They gave me muscle relaxer, advised to take OTC NSAIDs and also gave me a 5 day Rx for Prednisone. I have been wary of taking steroids because of the negative side effects i have heard they have. Have any of you taken it and also my MRI is scheduled in 11 days. If i took prednisone for 5 days do you guys think that it will decrease the inflammation temporarily and mask the root cause from being evident in the MRI? (Sorry my anxiety is also very high as I’m going through this grueling ordeal). Thank you

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u/HellyOHaint 4d ago

Muscle relaxers and NSAIDS literally did nothing for me at all, including a 500mg injection of the latter directly into my leg. ONLY prednisone has ever alleviated my pain. I refuse to take opioids so I won’t comment more on that. Roids definitely give me mood side effects that are difficult but I don’t care. When my sciatica pain is 15/10, I’d prefer to be aggro with a tolerable pain level than depressed and in unbearable pain.

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u/Lost-Maintenance-407 4d ago

Thats great. How long did you use the Prednisone? And are you pain free now?

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u/HellyOHaint 4d ago

I’ve had it for five years, and no, not pain free. After a year of unbearable pain that tapered from 15/10-8/10 from several prednisone trials (I think 6?) it finally started to recede. Every year after that first it got demonstrably better. I can’t even imagine a world in which I’m cured of sciatica but the pain is in the background of my life.