Pain killers to relieve sciatica

What I have to say about pain killers that may help to relieve the pain is based on my own experiences. To this day, I am trying to figure out what works for me, and what doesn't.

When I had my first sciatic attack, I took two extra strength Aspirins. This relieved some, but not all of the pain. However, it made my life somewhat more tolerable than without them.

I switched to extra strength Tylenol. For some reason, it didn't help me. Thus, I went back to using Aspirin.

A visitor asked me if I had tried Motrin IB, or another form of a pain killer with Ibuprofen. I didn't, but replied that I would do some experimenting. I tried Motrin IB for a month, and it wasn't ask effective as either Tylenol or Aspirin. It would first take longer for it to kick in. I found it to be weak.

Over the years, my doctors have prescribed a number of different analgesics and pain killers. The most effective ones were Tylenol 3 with Codeine and Naproxen. Tylenol takes a day or two worth of doses before one notices the pain subsiding. Naproxen made me rather sleepy. It worked, but I feel that Tylenol 3 does a better job.

I would like to stress that when the pain is excruciating, pain killers are necessary. However, I don't like taking pain killers on a long-term basis. Pain killers should be used only when needed, and they are a short-term solution to relieving the pain. Naturally, asking your doctor about other methods to relieve the pain (e.g. exercises, operations) is also important.