Help!! Arrived in Munich with epic back spasms

Do you have health insurance? I once found an emergency visit to be very inexpensive compared to the states.

I had a joint replacement last year’s. The doctor’s staff told me that NSAIDs (Motrin) plus Tylenol could be effective as opioids. They were right in my case. The 2 pain killers work differently and could be taken together. I have no idea about back spasms.

feel your pain.

Suggest patches with lidocaine-salonpas if possible. Ibruopen and ice at night on spot of pain

Good luck

Mike
DC

You probably need to visit a walk-in clinic for a prescription for "something stronger." Your Hotel can probably suggest one.

I generally decline to give medical advice, but I will just say that my husband ( who is himself a physician and has experienced painful back spasms both at home and while traveling) recommends taking an opiate painkiller ( two days only) and then lots of easy walking. This clears it up for him. And for others he has advised. Heat, like a hot shower, can help relax the spasm as well. ( that is my personal variation on his treatment plan, as I will not take codeine or other opiate).

The worst thing you can do (unless there is a discrete injury like ruptured disc) is bed rest. Sitting is a close second.

Back spasms, I know, are incredibly painful. While I can't recommend anything strong medicine-wise, what about getting a recommendation for a chiropractor from your hotel/b&b? I wish you the best of good luck.

Thank you all for the quick responses—I get this about twice a year and generally power through with ice, motrin and walking, but of course on vacation it’s a big damper. The spasms settle after a day or so. I’m thinking sadly of the lidocaine patches, muscle relaxer and vicodin sitting home in my medicine cabinet. I’ll see if the hotel has a suggestion in the morning for a clinic visit.

Have you considered getting a massage? I googled "massage in Munich" and several websites popped up. Perhaps your hotel may be able to refer you to someone? I've been told that in Germany massage is used much more often as part of physical therapy than in this country. At any rate, hope you feel better soon.

Visiting a bath and soaking as well as the saunas and steam might be nice. Always a pleasant time running around naked with the Germans.

If you have difficulty getting into a clinic, try a pharmacy (green cross on the outside of the store). Prescription requirements and pharmaceuticals are different than in the US (you won't get an opioid without a Rx, of course, but perhaps a muscle relaxer). A few years ago, a travelling companion was suffering from cold/flu-like symptoms that were being passed around some of our group. I went to a pharmacy and obtained an inhaler that would have been Rx in the US. It cleared her up very quickly. No promises, though.
I'm sure you know to try carefully bringing your knees to your chest and holding them with your arms periodically for a minute as you lay on your back. It helps me sometimes when my back is suffering.
Good luck. I hope you feel better soon.

My husband was paralyzed in back pain so our hotel in Bolzano got him an appointment at the sports clinic with the MD. A shot of cortisone and he was hiking the trails in the Dolomites soon after. The visit, x-rays and shot were reimbursed by our health insurance.

Orthopedists tend to have significant waiting times, but you can call several general practitioners to try and find someone who will see you on short notice. If the pain is unbearable, most hospitals have an emergency room. If you need OTC medication during the night, look at http://lak-bayern.notdienst-portal.de/blakportal/ and enter "München" under "PLZ oder Ort". This finds the emergency (night) services pharmacies in München.
The city's website http://www.muenchen.de/leben/service/notdienste/medizinisch.html
also refers to a 24 hour house call service for self-paying patients (not going through the German public insurance system): Phone number 089 / 55 55 66 (no idea about that service, just googled this).

I would not worry about the cost. I visited the ER once, a doctor patched me up, two X-rays were taken, and the whole thing cost under 250 Euros; including two other appointments to check the healing process.

It seems this is going to be an intermittent thing and not a full blown disaster; woke up able to stand straight and walk easily, just have to be cautious when going from sitting to standing. I am 1 block from an apotheke where I stocked up on pain patches, a cream called Voltaren and more ibuprofen. Also got a card for a doctor who can prescribe better meds if needed, hopefully not, though. Thanks again to everyone who offered suggestions, nothing worse than being far from home with an affliction!

Thanks for updating us, Christa. Hope things go well for the rest of your trip.

I second the suggestion to get a massage. It happened to me once on vacation and a sports massage saved me (and the vacation).

Feel better!