Painkillers for Sciatica

This is a tricky one as most painkillers have such awful side effects it is not worth taking them.
My DH found amitriptyline the most helpful but he had it for a year.

Paracetamol as I don't like to take anything stronger. What helped most was exercising it. I used to try to walk it off as movement eased it. It is excruciating though and you have my sympathies. It is literally a pain in the bum.

My Mum had very bad sciatica and Amitryptiline in a small dose has done the trick and taken it all away!

I have co-codamol but its not ideal to take it all the times so I ration myself. Tried amitriptyline but I had horrible nightmares and not much in the way of pain relief - only a GP can really help with medication issues (or a prescribing nurse) and perhaps if it doesn't resolve the pain clinic.

Thank you all so much for your kind and helpful replies
I have to admit that the way Gransnet is nowadays I was dreading a "Oh, get a life!" sort of answer.........Isn't that sad that I have been made to feel that way?

Try gentle stretching exercises. Also a gentle massage across your lower back and right leg. Hope this helps and you feel better soon. It is an awful thing to have.

Co-Codamol at bed time, sometimes a hot water bottle if I can get it wedged in the right place.

But walking and stretching work best for me. Some good exercises on the web for it these days.

My GP advised alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen in addition to exercising. Look up exercises for sciatica on the internet.

I've successfully used Voltarol gel on the part of the spine that's causing the problem, plus as has already been suggested, stretching exercises.